In Das Lied von der Erde, Mahler achieved the complete synthesis of symphony and song cycle, a direction in which he had been moving throughout his career. For his texts, Mahler turned to an anthology of ancient Chinese poems that had appeared in German translation. To open the program, Wagner's Siegfried Idyll was especially chosen. Wagner wrote this piece as a surprise birthday gift for his wife Cosima. It was described by one listener as "one of the most beautiful declarations of love any composer has ever made."