GUSTAV MAHLER'S SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN C SHARP MINOR—AN INTRODUCTION
Prepared By Michael Bosworth
November 2000
Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony was composed during the summers of 1901 and 1902 at his newly built lakeside villa and cottage at Maiernigg am Wörthersee (Austria). This symphony marked the beginning of what is often referred to as the instrumental trilogy of Symphonies 5, 6, and 7. In a break from the preceding symphonies (or "Wunderhorn" symphonies), the utilization of Mahler's songs based on poems from the folk anthology "Des Knaben Wunderhorn", as well as the presence of the human voice, have disappeared. The Fifth Symphony was first performed in Köln on October 18, 1904, with Mahler conducting. He continued to revise and adjust the orchestration up until February 1911, just three months before his death.
Mahler wished to avoid any hint of a "programme" for this work, and concentrated more on new experimentation in instrumentation and tonality. The music was to speak wholly for itself without the aid of vocalists or a written "story". Nevertheless, we have numerous clues to help us piece together what the composer may have been getting at in this 75-80 minute opus. As I briefly describe each movement I will allude to those "clues" which may help our comprehension and enjoyment of the Fifth Symphony.
STRUCTURE
The version of the symphony that has come down to us is divided into three parts as follows:
Part I: First and Second Movements
Part II: Third Movement
Part III: Fourth and Fifth Movements
This partition in itself is one of the clues to understanding the Fifth Symphony. The Third Movement (or Part II) becomes the fulcrum of a scale, so to speak, balancing the components of Part I on one side and Part III on the other side. Let us begin by looking at part I.
PART I. First Movement: Trauermarsch. In gemessenen Schritt. Streng, wie ein Kondukt (Mourning march. In measured steps. Strict, like a funeral procession).
Here we have a very formal sounding funeral march. It is kicked off by a military fanfare (on solo trumpet), of the type that Mahler had been fond of since his youth. There could be a connection here with Mahler's brush with death shortly before starting work on the Fifth Symphony. A severe hemorrhage caused Mahler to lose a lot of blood, and only the timely intervention of a doctor prevented it from becoming fatal. In any event, it is clear that the work is beginning on a somber note. The main theme goes through various permutations, re-introduced each time by the fanfare. At one point the stately procession evolves into a very anguished passage, but this is quickly brought to order. The true outcry of pain and emotion is not to appear until the second movement. Toward the end of the movement the main theme of the second movement is introduced. The "Trauermarsch" finally concludes with the fanfare played softly in the flutes, followed by a quiet pluck on the strings.
Second Movement: Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz (Moving like a storm. With the greatest vehemence).
The second movement has often been called a development of the musical themes and ideas of the first movement. Here we have more raw emotion and violent sounds emanating from the orchestra. The turbulence continues apace until suddenly an anthem-like chorale appears from nowhere and attempts to assert itself. But just as it seems to reach a glorious climax, it dies out and is brutally cut-off by a repeat of the opening motif of the movement. The music ends with a sense of hopeless despair. Following the end of the movement Mahler's score requests a "long pause".
PART II. Third Movement: Scherzo. Kräftig, nicht zu schnell (Powerful, not too fast).
After the gloom of the first two movements we are confronted with this tremendous Scherzo. This is one of Mahler's greatest achievements and also one of his most energetic. Mahler was justifiably proud of the skills he displayed in composing this extremely tuneful yet complex and polyphonic masterpiece.
This music has nothing to do with death and despair. It has everything to do with the everyday joys of living, with a touch of wistful nostalgia thrown in. It is Mahler's walks in the mountains, it is horns sounding in the Alps, it is a common Viennese waltz, it is a happy Austrian "Ländler" (rhythmic dance). At times the multiple themes unfold at the same time, most notably in the thrilling coda to the piece.
It is a challenging assignment for any orchestra, and includes an important solo part for French horn ("corno obligato" in the score). The most important thematic material includes what the biographer de La Grange calls the opening "yodel" theme, followed by a nostalgic Viennese waltz idea, and a more lilting "mountain air" featuring the horns.
The contrast between parts I and II of the Fifth Symphony is thus stark indeed. Keeping this in mind, let us proceed to a discussion of part III.
PART III. Fourth Movement: Adagietto. Sehr langsam (very slow).
Now we come to the Adagietto, perhaps Mahler's most famous single musical composition. In looking at this delicate work for strings and harp, there are two main considerations.
On the one hand, this piece has been described as a love song or engagement present for Mahler's fiancée, Alma Schindler. This theory has never been proven but it was set forward by no less a friend of Mahler's than the Concertgebouw conductor Willem Mengelberg.
On the other hand, the thematic material in the Adagietto closely resembles that of the song Mahler composed to the words of the Rückert poem "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" ("I have become lost to the world"). In the song the spirit is of resignation but acceptance of the artist's fate: "I live alone in my heaven, in my love, in my song". It is not of the greatest importance if the rest of the world does not understand him.
In fact, in the Adagietto we are moving into ever more personal terrain, terrain that Mahler would cover in tragic depth in the coming Sixth Symphony.
Fifth Movement: Rondo Finale. Allegro.
According to Mahler's instructions the conductor is to proceed immediately from the end of the Adagietto to the beginning of the Rondo Finale. At the outset we have a brief reference to one of Mahler's Wunderhorn songs, "Lob des hohen Verstandes" ("Praise from a lofty intellect). In the song, a donkey is chosen to judge the singing of the cuckoo versus that of the nightingale. With what is possibly a dig at his numerous critics, Mahler then launches into a jolly and effervescent final movement. The music is in the form of a theme and variations and shows the influence of Mahler's contemporaneous interest in the works of Bach.
The music attempts to reach a climax several times, only to fall back time and again into further fugal developments. These are interspersed with light-hearted references to one of the Adagietto themes. Finally the chorale-like anthem cut short in the second movement achieves ascendancy, this time playing to it's logical conclusion. However, this is not an anthem of final victory; rather, the main ideas of the Rondo return once again in a brief coda which swirls happily to the conclusion of the Symphony.
SYNTHESIS AND INTERPRETATION
Mahler's Fifth Symphony, although not one of his longest, is nevertheless still lengthy at 75-80 minutes in duration. Thus it is important to have some overall view of this work prior to sitting through it. Thanks to the passage of time and the exhaustive study of Mahler scholars, we are able to piece together some of the puzzle that no doubt stumped many of the first time listeners in Köln on that night in 1904.
In his earlier "Wunderhorn" symphonies, Mahler dealt with general ideas of fate, life and death, the cosmology of existence, etc. The use of the Wunderhorn themes imparted an additional quality of youth, innocence, and perhaps even magic.
Beginning with Symphony 5 Mahler wished to make a clean break with his past compositions and focus more on purely musical considerations. The result, as would also be the case in the next symphony (#6), is much more personal and subjective. Here is my own attempt to link the three parts of the work together:
Part I: The funeral march is a kind of farewell to Mahler's "Wunderhorn Years". It is the end of youth, the end of innocence. Perhaps a recognition of the untimely deaths of several of his classmates at the Vienna Conservatory, or of some of his own siblings. Perhaps a sobering reflection of his near-death experience. It is an attempt to say goodbye to all of that without much emotion.
The second movement is the anguished reaction to the first movement. It is proving hard to say farewell to one's youth and the other things from years past. The hopeful anthem near the end of the movement is a hint that perhaps all is not lost; life may go on.
Part II: The Scherzo is a reminder that life, in its everyday passage, indeed does continue. Happy memories and nostalgia will accompany one during this passage. The world keeps turning.
Part III: The mature artist finds after all some satisfaction with his lot in life. This is expressed in the sweet song of the Adagietto. After all, in spite of his near death experience, Mahler was still the Director of the Imperial Vienna Opera and and an ever- maturing composer. In addition, he was soon to marry the young and beautiful Alma Schindler and begin a family of his own. Despite all the trials and tribulations of the past, life is now good and promises a bright future. Therefore, the joyous Rondo Finale is really more a celebration of life than anything else. It is not triumph over death or fate; it is reflecting rather the joy of living.
Mahler's Fifth Symphony moves from the depths of despair to the heights of laughter and happiness. No one could have expected that his next Symphony, No. 6, would tumble down from this joy into the realm of tragedy.
References:
1) Henry Louis de La Grange, "Mahler" (vol. II). Oxford University Press.
2) Liner notes to M5 recording by Barbirolli/New Philharmonia on EMI.
3) Gustav Mahler, "Symphony No. 5". Eulenberg edition of score.
Submitted to the Yahoo! Mahler Group On-line Dictionary, April 2001. Any errors are solely my responsibility.
Michael H. Bosworth, Bonn, Germany