One of Gustav Mahler's most popular works, the Symphony No. 4 in G major is also his most cheerful, because of the joyous moods of the first three movements and the childlike innocence of the vocal finale, a setting of the Wunderhorn song, Das himmlische Leben. There are many fine recordings of this symphony, though most follow established conventions so closely that there are few differences between them. In this concert recording from November 2017, Daniele Gatti and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra do not diverge much from expected tempos or conventional pacing, and what differences in interpretation there are, such as the shaping of phrases or touches of rubato, fall well within accepted norms. However, they take great pains to highlight the chamber-like orchestration and to emphasize important inner parts that are often overlooked in more homogeneously blended performances. RCO Live's audiophile recording has a definite spatial character, as if the orchestra's seating plan was made audible, and the multichannel sound creates the impression of a performance in the round. Indeed, the distinctive playing takes on an intimate character that prepares the listener for soprano Julia Kleiter's engaging solo in the finale and makes her voice seem like a natural extension of the instrumental colors. While this recording suffers a little from some background noises and the conductor's occasional humming, this is a worthwhile presentation of the Fourth that really takes the listener inside the orchestra.