Symphony No. 5 (Mahler)

The 5th Symphony is a symphony in five movements of Gustav Mahler.

Formation

The symphony came into its essential parts in 1901 to 1902. Mahler First sketches recorded in the summer of 1901 at his summer residence in Maiernigg. Here Mahler conceived the first standing third Scherzo. Other parts of the symphony emerged hereinafter in Vienna. The instrumentation was not until 1903 and was revised in 1904 again. The reading samples with the Vienna Philharmonic led here to a comprehensive revision of the impact mechanism. In no other symphony Mahler struggled so long with the instrumentation of the work. Even in 1911, the year of his death, Mahler revised the instrumentation again. However, this version was not published until 1964, under the Mahler complete edition in print. The first performance of the symphony took place on October 18, 1904 in Gurzenich in Cologne under the direction of the composer instead.

About the Music

Occupation

4 flutes (3rd and 4th also piccolos ), 3 oboes (3rd also English horn ), 3 clarinets (3rd also bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (3rd also contrabassoon ), 6 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, 4 timpani, percussion, harp and strings

The performance lasts about 70 minutes.

I. Department

A detailed funeral march. In the measured step. Strict. Like a funeral procession in C sharp minor precedes the actual law. It begins with a subdued trumpet fanfare, which became the leading motive of the march. The design is reminiscent of the beginning of the general march of the Austro -Hungarian army. The Fanfare will be completed in orchestral tutti and then passed resignedly into the depths. This is followed by a plaintive, The vocal theme of the strings and ensures below for a dark and threatening atmosphere. The fanfare motif now returns in the orchestra and makes for a musical processing. The measured border train is interrupted by a first trio. A sudden breaking forth outbreak in B-flat minor, which increases the tutti and touches the boundaries of tonal space, it initiates. A sharply rising melody is contrasted by syncopated cross-rhythms. " The violins always so vehemently as possible," Mahler wrote for this position in the score. The section proceeds in two waves increase and also increases the fanfare motif. It then returns from the drum supports and initiates an reproduces the content of march part. The second, very short trio turns to a minor, the key of the following main theorem. It is initiated by the intonation of the march motif by the timpani and initially been put forward by the strings. It is of contrapuntal structure. A highlight of the entire orchestra then leads to the collapse of musical events, which manifests itself in tutti chords and torn designs before the march theme is heard in the trumpet. Allows the moving funeral march ends in ever quieter expectant repetition of fanfare in triple piano.

Here comes the actual main movement of the Symphony in A Minor: Stormy moves. With great vehemence. The set leans formally loosely against the classical sonata. He begins with a research topic colliding, which is not immediately recognizable as a fully formulated idea, but represents an unordered motif accumulation of strings and trumpets. From this develops in the pounding rhythm of an unclear and chaotic -looking thought before calms down the action. The cellos intone the carried march theme of the funeral march, supported by chords in the woodwinds. This resulted in a more restrained vocal developed to enhancing forward-moving pulse. Always new motives are added concomitantly and give an idea of ​​partially greatest unrest. A dissonant climax, which significantly from a string motif, accompanied by the drums, is designed to take a further complete resting point by themselves. The cello is looking for a tune on quiet timpani roll and finally intones a poignant thoughts in F minor. Once again, the music moves in the ductus of the funeral march, they can not be overcome, however, is instrumented warmer and seems less threatening. Once again, great unrest developed in the orchestra and initiates a enforcement, like part, which plays with the dialectic of the measured funeral march theme and troubled main idea of the sentence. The recapitulation brings a new idea, which is reminiscent of an instrumental recitative. Quite unexpectedly is nearing the end of a an excessive solemnly chant, which strives for a musical breakthrough, without reaching it. Mahler makes the law not end with such apotheosis, but reserves this before for the final. The coda moves accordingly, the sentence beginning in the foreground.

Division II

The second section consists of only the third sentence: Scherzo. Strong, not too fast in D Major. It is thus in a sense a center of the symphony dar. With 819 bars and about 20 minutes Duration is also the longest movement of the symphony. A largely light-hearted tone contrasts with the darker first division and seems to be able to resolve this tension. A carefree fanfare motif, which has no resemblance to the funeral march motif more, opened the set. This results in a simple and optimistic theme developed in the Landler rhythm. An answer to the first violin appears harmonious contrast strangely moved and introduces the grotesque element of the Scherzo. A whole range of easy -built themes in the same duct is presented in the sequence. A waltz melody determines the first trio and creates the image of a dreamlike ideal world. The content repetition of the scherzo leads to a tutti climax, which initiates the second trio. Unlike the first is a long and thematically weighty drawer. A continuous movement missing here numerous breakpoints lead significantly to the large expansion of the sentence. A wistful melody unfolds in the woodwinds and strings to minimalist Pizzicatobegleitung the strings. An elegiac horn call acts like a entrückendes element and gives the musical scene a mystical and profound sound. After some time, compresses the events and builds to furious runs and a big fortissimo on the edge of tonality. In this way, Mahler leads up to the return of the Scherzothemas. Scherzo and Trio, both are repeated in varied form, which also contributes to the great expansion of the sentence. Some of the changes are so great that the repeating part of being rather a passage. An ever -increasing momentum being held up at the faraway horn motif of the second trio. In the coda Mahler accomplishes the feat of combining the five dominant motifs of the sentence in contrapuntal fashion, leading the movement to a brilliant end. Some of the final apotheosis is anticipated here already.

III. department

The Adagietto. Very slowly adjusts the resting point of the symphony dar. Unlike other adagio movements in Mahler's symphonies he is rather short with eleven minutes Duration. Compared to the previous Scherzo prevails a completely changed mood. The instrumentation consists only of strings and harp. A floating metric and melody gives the impression of fragile intimacy. That is why the sentence was repeatedly interpreted as a declaration of love Mahler to his wife Alma. Striking is the settling of the harp, before unfolding the subject in the strings. Slowly, after a dynamic increase develops. This dramatic climax is decorated in most free chromaticism and goes, as it is typical of Mahler, in several waves before him. He calms down by the return of the main theme. The central part of the three- piece set brings a new thought, but without causing a change in sentiment. The sentence fades away peacefully and almost caught up after the return of the main theme in pianissimo.

The symphony ends with a slowly increasing rondo finale. Allegro - Allegro giocoso. The rate is found with difficulty its dynamic rhythm. The introduction consists of a few rudimentary designs of various instruments, which act as a transient. After 23 cycles heard the refrain idea of the Rondo. The topic is, remarkably, from the barely discernible thematic material of the chorale from the second set. It develops a turbulent and boisterous event, which acts as an ever -increasing preparation of the final apotheosis. A couplet introduces a song-like, somewhat clumsy - dance-like motif. It dissolves into a short Fugatoteil. The return of the chorus into non-stop sequence to another, frantically acting couplet. The unbroken movement impulse creates a great bustle and restlessness. Only in the Grazioso subordinate clauses of the strings around a little rest, as they take up the motif of the Adagiettos. The wobble of the final movement ultimately controls indicate a furious Schlussstretta. The exaggerated apotheosis indulges in almost noisy polyphony and boundless jubilation and is initiated by the return of the chorale from the second set. Mahler's last tempo information specifies: " Allegro molto and accelerating to the end ." The all mitsichreißende swash ends the symphony with a powerful tutti chord.

For the key

The 5th symphony is often referred to as a work in C-sharp minor, which is based on the key of the first record. However, this statement ignores the progressive tonality of the late Mahler symphonies, which - in contrast to the formal scheme of the classical symphony - permits one that works in a different key ends as it begins. Also, Mahler himself has thoroughly examined in a letter to his publisher with the issue of key and a designation of the 5th Symphony explicitly rejected by a key: "It is by disposition of the sets ( of which the ordinary first movement only at 2 point is ) difficult from one key to the entire symphony to speak, and remains, to avoid any misunderstandings, rather such a better unmarked. "

Effect

The 5th Symphony was, like some other symphonies of Mahler, not understood after its premiere. Mahler complained in 1905 after an unsuccessful performance in Hamburg: " The Fifth is a cursed plant Nobody capiert. . " The music critics in the years after the premiere were mostly negative. Thus, the music critic Ferdinand Pfohl ruled for example, that the 5th Symphony was one of Mahler's weaker works. Only the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik presented the symphony in 1905 a benevolent witness and spoke of an " overwhelming abundance of beauty ." Only after Mahler's death, an ever greater appreciation of the work prevailed.

Today, the 5th Symphony is one of the most popular symphonies of Mahler. A certain proportion of their popularity, the film Death in Venice by Luchino Visconti in 1971, his film music, the Adagietto used extensively. In the concert halls of the world 's 5th Symphony now ranks among the most frequently performed symphonies of Mahler.

Status

The 5th symphony is the first purely instrumental work of this kind since the 1st Symphony. You were the so-called Wunderhorn symphonies, as these texts set to music from Des Knaben Wunderhorn by Clemens Brentano, ahead. Mahler is back in the 5th Symphony for purely instrumental form of expression. Especially compared to two years earlier incurred Symphony No. 4, representing a major substantive and formal difference dar. Was the previous symphony in many ways still the most classic works of Mahler, so is the 5th Symphony the beginning of a new creative phase represents the five movements of the symphony have a great character diversity, which is hardly among themselves taught. This creates a large external disturbance and change, which is further enhanced by the expansion of the work that approaches approximately to the length of the 2nd and 3rd Symphony. Nevertheless, the topics of the sentences are quite intertwined. Even more striking is the sound here often altered in Mahler's musical language. Especially in the Fifth Symphony accumulate dissonances and the outermost Maximization of tonal possible without abandoning tonality, however. Precisely this has made the work of contemporaries difficult to understand. So it is no wonder that in the 5th Symphony, which often acts first is particularly disturbing as new and unfamiliar -looking sound Mahler 's music. A process that in the coming symphonies, especially in the 6th and 9th Symphony, will even increase. Itself Formal holds Mahler in this work is not the classic, four-movement form, but designed five sets for three departments. This is also an approach which Mahler had already used in the great predecessors of the 2nd and 3rd Symphony so. Although the conception of the individual movements brings harmonic innovations, the content does not go far largely proven methods. Thus, the first movement is a march, which is reminiscent of the larger counterpart in the 3rd Symphony. The focus of the work is a major Scherzo, which consists of elements that Mahler had established in the previous symphonies. Grotesque humor, which is inspired by Jean Paul mixes with traditional dances with seemingly simple designs, and will entwined, barely articulated designs. This concept of Mahler's scherzo is also found in the following symphonies over and over again. With 819 cycles Mahler also breaks the traditionally smaller conception of Scherzosätzen in symphonies. The suspended height of the symphony here is a Adagietto, which while not come up to the depth of the Adagio from the previous two symphonies, but it can surely be described as characteristic of Mahler's quiet sentences.

With the rougher sound world of the Fifth Symphony, a new creative phase Mahler, which will be further developed in the following 6th symphony begins. Especially the Maximization of the tonal space has already clearly on the 9th symphony in which Mahler is preparing to abandon the tonality and confront the transcendent music.

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