A timed commentary based on the performance of this symphony by Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, DGG 423 608-2 (individual release) or DGG 435 169-2 (complete set).
Timing Commentary
Track 1 Part I: 1. First movement: Trauermarsch (funeral march): Key: C Sharp Minor
00:01 Trumpet call: it's quite a sight to see this huge orchestra of about 100+
players ready to go, and the whole thing starts with a trumpet solo! This
theme/motif first appeared in Mahler's 4th symphony, and can be traced back
to Haydn's "Military" symphony (but in a major key).
01:16 March. This material is developed in the 2nd movement. This is, as far as I
know, the 1st symphony to start with a slow movement, let alone a funeral
march. Earlier ones had slow introductions but which led into lively main
sections. But this is pure Mahler, who, when he was six, wrote his first piece
of music, with the title "Polka with Introductory Funeral March". Not morbid,
but rather, what would be expected out of a precocious child who, at age six,
had seen two of his brothers die in infancy, and would see early deaths for
the remaining four. The infant mortality rate in the 1860s and 1870s
was extremely high, especially in the poorer sections of Europe, in one of
which, Mahler was born.
02:22 Elaboration on the opening horn call. This will show up again later in the
movement.
03:23 More of the music from 01:16. Note: more than one melody is being played at
the same time: a typical Mahler texture.
06:15 The feelings of sadness and rage can be held in check only so long, thus all
hell breaks loose. Trumpet calls attempt to restore order, but no luck, and
they join the fray.
07:52 Climax. The trumpet(s) finally restores order using the music from 02:22.
08:53 The orchestra sternly (Schwer) resumes the march, which now contains genuine
pathos: some wonderful writing for brass and woodwinds.
10:07 A more conciliatory tone, one of acceptance.
11:05 Mahler was one of the first symphonic composers to use percussion for a
thematic & rhythmic link within a movement.
11:18 This 2nd "development", especially in the rising string figures, uses
slowed-down music from the 06:15 episode. It also introduces rhythmic
accompaniments, based on the opening trumpet call, that will play an
important role in the second movement.
12:47 The "calm" approach doesn't work: all hell breaks loose again, to be brought
under control by the trumpet's calls, and the cortege slowly marches off into
the distance.
Track 2 The rest of the symphony is essentially an answer to the question "What are we
going to do about the problems raised by the first movement?".
Part I: 2. Second movement: Stuermisch bewegt. Mit groesster Vehemenz. (First
part hard to translate exactly, but something like: "Unsettled, stormy,
agitated, really ticked off!!. With great vehemence). Key: A Minor
00:01 One answer as for "what will we do" is: FIGHT! This is some of the most
turbulent music ever written as of 1902.
01:23 The first movement's trumpet call has been transformed into mocking woodwind
passages (as was alluded to in the first movement, second "development") ,
but, now we deal directly with the themes presented in the prior movement.
03:09 The music pleads for peace and understanding, but is ignored.
03:41 The battle resumes. No victory, just disintegration, until
04:27 The cellos play a mournful variant on the "rising" figures from the 1st
movement, which leads to
05:46 the 03:09 music, but even more pleading for peace, reaching a climax at
06:53 but it's no good, another failure, but, a calm, reflective mood takes over,
which produces
07:53 an optimistic stretch of music! This music swaggers to a climax at
08:27 which, reality setting in, starts a resumption of the battle. Furious music
here!!
09:05 A restatement of the opening (01:23) music is cast in a much more earnest
way, Mahler here is stretching these themes to their breaking point. As a
result, the mood switches to
10:59 desperation and plunges into despair from which there seems no escape.
11:25 Somehow the music picks itself up off the floor and works to a climax when
11:56 a brass chorale (four part writing for a group of instruments or voices)
smashes through in triumph! Is this the end of the symphony?
13:10 No way. The main themes of battle and negativity come storming back: the
chorale was a dream, the funeral march's trumpet call triumphantly returns
and
14:02 the music trails off into the dark with mockery and no resolution.
End of Part I
Track 3 Part II: 1. Third movement: Scherzo (Italian for "joke": it's the term
Beethoven used when he replaced Haydn and Mozart's minuets with a rougher,
more peasant-like dance). Kraeftig, nicht zu schnell (strongly, not too fast).
Key: D major
00:01 A total change of mood. The scherzo starts with a feeling of joy, optimism,
and strength. This you can dance to. It's like a fast waltz.
00:46 Important second theme group, especially the da-da dum dum, da-da dum dum
rhythm.
02:32 Slow down: the solo horn becomes important, the music is now more like a
laendler (an old Austrian dance style: if you saw "The Sound of Music", that
was the kind of music that Maria and the Baron danced to outside at night).
We get a preview of the first trio (slow section between the quicker parts of
a scherzo).
03:48 Enough of the slow stuff already, back to business: there's a lot going on
through here.
04:20 The music starts a fugato (in its initial parts, a "round" like "Row, Row,
Row Your Boat").
05:06 Quick mood changes: defiant to dreamy, reflective back to defiant,
something's going on, we're building up to something.
05:45 Here it is. The first trio, practically a horn concerto.
07:18 Kick back, close your eyes, think about mountains, lakes, moonlit nights,
beautiful things that were, but aren't any more... As you can tell, the
symphony has not yet shed those sad feelings inherent in Part I.
10:15 A "sigh" in the orchestra, and Trio 1 ends with preparation for
10:37 Trio 2, which starts with hesitation, gains confidence, finds the beat, &
here we go!
11:06 Energy, not nostalgia, with the da-da dum dum hammering rhythm again pulsing
through the orchestra, and
11:51 We're back at the beginning, the scherzo proper.
12:24 Mahler rarely repeats literally: everything is condensed and varied and then
13:03 we're off in new directions: Trio 1 music breaks in, and is initially dealt
with successfully
14:14 but the music has to "catch its breath" &
14:42 we're back at it.
15:15 The final crescendo to end the "scherzo" section leads to:
15:56 What, another trio?? No! Not quite. The whole orchestra protests, but is
silenced by the horn, then pacified by the trombone.
17:25 The scherzo rhythm flags, and we have a final look back at not only Trio 1,
but also all the strife and despair of Part I. That having been accomplished,
18:09 Mahler ends Part II with almost pure rhythm and energy!
End of Part II
Track 4 Part III 1. Fourth movement: Adagietto (Italian for "a small Adagio", usually
understood to mean not as slow as a true Adagio). Key: F Major
00:01 Adagietto: For strings and harp only, an island of calm in an ocean of storm.
But, much more that that. The main theme (heard first) is related to Mahler"s
song "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen", freely translated as "I Have
Become Adrift From the World".
02:12 The scherzo may have put distance between Part III and Part I, but those Part
I feelings have not yet been resolved, as hinted at by this music.
02:35 Recapitulation of first theme group with addition of first climax, which
leads to
04:32 2nd theme group, and development of both groups. These melodies play an
important role in the Finale, but right now they're dealing with what Parts I
& II addressed, and through sheer beauty and love, overcome I & II (not
without struggle) by modulating dramatically through
06:22 the key of E Major. The symphony started in the key of C Sharp Minor, whose
relative major key is E, thus Mahler's use of E Major here is the most
natural and appropriate way to modulate from minor to major in the world of
tonal music. The music then takes a "minor/major" half-step from E Major by
way of D Major (another "minor/major" half-step from C# Minor) to
07:27 F Major. All is now resolved, Part I doesn't exist anymore, all that's left
is beauty, love, and life.
This is direct quote from "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen".
09:06 Recap of the first section continues: beautiful string playing here (Lenny
couldn't avoid lingering here: can you blame him?). Listen to those
overtones!
10:12 Climax and fade, direct seque into Rondo-Finale without a pause.
Track 5 Part III 2. Fifth movement: Rondo-Finale (rondo means recurring sections with
variations in between)
Key: D Major
What's left? Well, after a successful struggle against almost overwhelming
odds and adversaries, what do people do? They
00:01 CELEBRATE! But, first, they have to awaken from their rest...
00:39 The rest of the orchestra wakes up and jumps into a musical celebration. Hold
on to your ears<g>, there's (and will be) a lot going on!
01:22 For instance, the fugatos of the Scherzo reappear in modified form and
contribute to the overall texture.
01:58 You can hear Lenny stomping out the beat.
02:05 This theme in the brass [trombones] is from Mahler's song "Lob des hohen
Verstands", ("In Praise of Lofty Intellect"), where a donkey judges a singing
contest between a cuckoo and a nightingale: because he sings simple music
that's trite but understandable and what's expected,
the cuckoo is awarded the prize by the donkey: this is a dig by Mahler at the
music critics he had to put up with during his life. A more appropriate word
for the music critics would be the plural of a three-letter expression that
means "donkey".
03:29 Sit back and enjoy. This is a "rondo", a musical form that has a basic "home"
section between various musical adventures.
03:53 Here the second theme group from the Adagietto is invited to "join in": after
all, they made this celebration possible.
05:50 Some of the string music sounds almost like "barn-dance" fiddling: very
appropriate.
07:15 2nd dance for the Adagietto themes.
08:30 The drive to the climax of the rondo.
09:00 Here's the first appearance of the two note motif which will lead to the coda
of the symphony.
09:11 Happiness! Exuberance! Joyous music!
09:48 That theme in the trumpets sound familiar? It's a hint at the brass chorale!!
10:10 End of the rondo: incredibly powerful music. It's mostly based on the 'Lob
der hohen verstands" music. Amazing what Mahler could with an idea inspired
by a bunch of assinine critics<g>!
11:08 Rest break before the final push: some of Mahler's most piquant, humorous
music.
11:59 What pushes us to the ultimate climax? The Adagietto, of course!
13:10 Here's that two note motif!!
13:27 It's BACK!! & it's TRIUMPHANT!! Nothing can stand in the way of the chorale
now!
14:20 Let's wrap it up & go home: the chorale hands the music over to the rondo for
the rest of the coda. ALL the themes of the rondo take part in this dance of
life.
14:53 The symphony's opening trumpet call is transformed into a syncopated cadence
and, wham, it's over!
End of Part III. End of symphony. Hope you enjoyed it!
PZ. 961210