Symphony No. 4 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 4 in G major is a symphony with a soprano solo by Gustav Mahler. The text for this is based on a poem from Des Knaben Wunderhorn.
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Formation
Gustav Mahler composed his Symphony No. 4 in the summer months of 1899 and 1900. The fair copy completed Mahler on January 5, 1901. Composition The process included only three sentences, since the final had already been decided. For this Mahler used the song " The Heavenly Life" from the set to music by him songs Des Knaben Wunderhorn. The song was in 1892, while working on the 2nd symphony emerged. Mahler had originally planned to design his 4th Symphony as symphonic Humoresque. This vocal elements should be integrated much more generous when this happened ultimately. Three of the planned six sets should consist of Wunderhorn songs, like the earliest sentence plan from 1896 identifies. The actual implementation, however, has only the key of G major and the final set together with this plan.
About the Music
Occupation
3 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, timpani, percussion, harp and strings
1st set: Planned. Do not rush
The first movement is broadly in classical sonata form, with which, however, is broken partially ironic. A flute motif on a throbbing rhythmic base of the bells continues through the dance major theme in the strings. It initially acts cheerful and sings from carefree. In the woodwind emerges towards the end on a subject that "It is a dance Bi -Ba- Goblin " is reminiscent of the children's song. Mahler, which is " The Heavenly Life" as the song felt the finale underlying childlike, had this characteristic style is incorporated into the work. Shortly thereafter, the strings intone the second theme. This is of solemn mood and indicated already ahead on the Adagio. A third idea, which appears suddenly, is again of dance structure and is to be regarded only as a side thought, since it leads directly to the repetition of the main theme. After that again appears the initial motive, but what at first, and then also horn and flute expose the solo violin motif fragments. This part corresponds to the beginning of the implementation in the classical form. The event is becoming increasingly cluttered and messy, since various topics edits and hints of new motifs come together. Grading structure brings only the changed somewhat recurring main theme, which is the beginning of the recapitulation. This runs unusually regular cater for Mahler conditions. The sentence fades away with a slowing processing of the main theme. Only shortly before the end of accelerated events and fades away with some cautiously optimistic chords from the full orchestra.
Second sentence: In the leisurely movement without haste
The second movement of the symphony is a spukhaftes Scherzo. The tuned up a tone solo violin represents a screaming, raw incarnation of spooky bodily death dar. Mahler set to music this with a grotesque and ironic form of humor, which is similar to Jean Paul. The horn begins with an accompanying motif on which the solo violin unfolds an eerie and distorted melody. This music opposes the childlike cheerfulness what Mahler juxtaposes example, by the text of the final lying underlying song. The first trio represents a short Landler, but which can not be restful counterpoint to the eerie song by the restless accompaniment. Mechanical is the constant melody of the solo violin by the horn motif again and determines the further course of the Scherzo. Only through a drastic fanfare of the trumpet, the second trio can begin. In this on extremely subdued manner developed a waltz, which is interrupted by ominous sounds of the bass voices. However, a bright harp chord can extend a short moment, the idyll even before the opening motif quiet sounds and brings back the singing of the solo violin. This now unfolds, however, on accompanying chords in the woodwinds not as spooky as at the beginning. The scherzo ends with subdued tones of the woodwinds, which leave an uncertain mood. Mahler has found disturbing in this Scherzo right next to beautiful and so made the ambiguity of brokenness of the world's course and idyll impressively audible.
3rd movement: peace full
The Adagio is similar to Beethoven's 9th Symphony, a series of double variations. It is a solemn and stirring atmosphere besides threatening depths of the music. Some tensions are never resolved, so that the feelings of the post- romanticism find an exemplary expression here. Multiple appearances of the total collapse into believing that the will but repelled by an explosive breakthrough, which is equivalent to looking at the vision of heaven. The set begins with the solemn and vocal main theme in the strings. The double basses accompany the other strings with pizzicato. The mellifluous, poignant song sings itself further and further, eventually enter also added the woodwinds. For deep sounds of the harp the song fades slowly and a plaintive oboe motif intoned. It unfolds and leaves with the help of the accompanying strings and a falling motif in the brass a deep and sometimes abysmal drama arise. Finally, the events that are by tutti chords of the orchestra and comes to a climax, which leads to the brief standstill. A short, threatening the cello motif acts as a resigned hopelessness. The now picked up by the woodwinds Pizzicati of commencement create new movement. A serene and moving variation of the main theme follows. Fast accompanying voices of oboe and clarinet decorate the slightly accelerated singing of the strings. The further course is also determined by the woodwinds, which reconciled to the variation of the second part. Right in the middle bursts a threatening Tutti impact of the orchestra and tearing the musical events again in the doom and gloom. Here occur within a short time greatest stresses which can hardly be resolved. Again appears the gloomy cello motif. After it has short shifts between major and minor, the optimistic song of the varied main theme can establish behave. To this end, now there are further decorating elements such as sudden accompaniment chords in the strings. After a completely turns acting folksong-like melody fragment, the solemn mood of the opening sets again. Totally unexpected breaks in the quiet G -major tuning an orchestra tutti in E major, in which trumpets and horns quote the main theme of the first movement. Only after the music returns to the hallowed G major mood, and the poignant sentence fades in piano.
4th movement: Very comfortable
The fourth set to music in four verses and a coda to the slightly modified by Mahler text of the poem " The sky is full of violins " ( " The Heavenly Life" ) from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. The set opens an orchestral audition with the infantile naive melody acting subject, as Mahler conceives the text as a naive -looking vision of paradise. Between the verses of the opening motif of the first movement is quoted. However, it appears in a stormy and aufpeitschenden shape, which is opposite to the sacred verse ends. In the second stanza Mahler takes this forward dramatically urgent ductus also in the accompaniment of the orchestra. The text requires such an increase: "John the lamb auslasset, the butcher Herod passet on it". Between the third and fourth stanza follows a longer, acting pastoral interlude. The last verse should be " very delicate and mysterious until the very end " presented subsequently. The themed resurrection of the body is represented as a secret and mysterious looks rather powerful. The verdämmernde, suffocating conclusion can the vision of paradise fade. The last words of the fourth verse ( " No music is not on earth" ) are repeated before the music dies away.
Effect
The first performance of the symphony took place with the Kaim Orchestra and soprano Margaret Michalik headed by Gustav Mahler in Munich on 25 November 1901. The work fell by surprise and called out from the audience. The compared to the previous two Wunderhorn symphonies less large-scale and pompous ductus disappointed the audience. Also made the move away from the romantic pathos of confusion. Music critic Theodor Kroyer threw Mahler before, for example, that the symphony " no original being" contained. Everything was " technology, computation and inner hypocrisy, a sickly, abschmeckende about music. " The general musical newspaper spoke of a " little erquicklichen impression ". Few critics recognized the progressive value of the new plant. Mahler's friend Ernst Otto Nodnagel praised the premiere as the "first real musical event in the 20th century." Theodor W. Adorno later said: "A masterpiece like the Fourth Symphony is an as-if from the first note to the last ." Today, Mahler's 4th Symphony is one of the most popular works by the composer and is often listed. Mahler himself described the symphony as one of his best works.
Status
The Symphony No. 4 Mahler is one of his most remarkable works. She is the last of the three symphonies, which poems from the collection Des Knaben Wunderhorn set to music by Clemens Brentano and Achim von Arnim. Mahler called all three symphonies as content contiguous. However, the two previous Wunderhorn symphonies (2nd and 3rd Symphony ) are formally very different from the 4th Symphony. This is kept much shorter, holding a classical four-movement form and requires a smaller orchestra. The work is often referred to as classical Mahler symphony. It is committed in contrast to his predecessors to a new simplicity, which is not modeled on Haydn or Mozart, which is why the name " classical " is not actually true. Rather, the work is a departure from the late romantic pathos and great emphasis dar. Herein already has the work on the musical era of new music and Mahler 's late style ahead. At the latest the fifth symphony manifests itself, begun in the 4th Symphony departure for new standards. Especially the 4th Symphony has some points specifically to Mahler's Symphony No. 9, which is the actual start of the new musical era. Mahler himself wrote about his 9th Symphony that it was " most likely the Fourth to be placed on the side." Some content similarities are actually observed in the two works. So in these symphonies the subject of farewell and transition from earthly to heavenly life set to music. Also, both the symphonies contain a scherzo of grotesque humor, which for Mahler's musical language is typical and was inspired by his reading of Jean Paul. The solo violin is tuned up here to a tone to sound like a " dead Fidel ". The entire fourth symphony is in a dialectical process disturbing and provocative Heiteres side by side. The ambiguity of brokenness of the world's course on one side and landscape on the other side is an impressive place. This leads to the caricature of both worlds and makes Adorno's characterization of music as an " as-if from the first to the last note " plausible. Against the on Mahler childishly naïve-seeming text of lying to the final reason the song is constantly opposed to the form of musical expression. This happens, for example, by the grotesque scherzo or plaintive sections of the Adagio. This is one of the deepest and most sublime slow movements of Mahler. It achieved an enormous depth of feeling, without having to bear the pathos of the Adagio of Symphony No. 3 in itself. This, too, it has the changing compositional style of Mahler. But particularly striking in the design of Symphony No. 4 is the strong thematic links between the four sets with each other and the single focus of the musical on the final movement. In such a strong extent, this approach is unique in Mahler's symphonies.