GUSTAV MAHLERMUSIC 1010-043
Born July 7, 1860
First piano recital at the age of ten
Overcame anti-Semitic views to graduate from the
Vienna conservatory in 1878
Won multiple rewards for his piano performances
while at the conservatory
Took conducting jobs to support his composing
Known for changing how opera was traditionally presented
Was viewed as being on a different level than his contemporaries
Conducting Careero Hungary
o Bohemia
o Leipzig
o Prague
o Hamburg
o Budapest
o Vienna
o New York Metropolitan
o New York Philharmonic
Marriage to Alma Schindler
Ten year marriage to Alma Schindler was often strained due to…
Nineteen year age difference
Death of oldest child
Suicide of Mahler’s youngest brother Identity crisis felt by Mahler due to his conversion to Roman
Catholicism for political reasons
An affair between Alma Schindler and Walter Gropius led to famous discussion between Mahler and Freud
This encounter is often studied and discussed both by music and psychology scholars.
It has even been the topic of a movie
Never completed an opera, but changed how it was presented
Better known for symphonies and Lieder
Scherzo and sonata form gave his music a signature feel
Expanded the romantic orchestra to huge numbers
Mahler’s 8th symphony called for one thousand performers
Seen as a bridge between 19th century traditions and 20th century modernism
Inspired
Arnold Schoenberg
Alban Berg
and Anton Webern
They would go on to lead the German music world
o Died May of 1911 of a blood infection
o His music was rarely performed in years following his death
o Music further buried by Nazi Germany declaring it “degenerate music” that saw it banned in most of Europe
o Has been rediscovered and revived in last 50 years
5th Sympho
ny Mvmt. 1
Mahler wrote his 5th symphony in the summers of 1901 and 1902 while on vacation from being director of the Vienna Opera
The first movement is known as the “Funeral March of Joy” due to the mix of joyous and somber themes
First purely instrumental piece since Mahler’s 1st symphony
0:11 Horn fanfare
0:27 Horns change contour
0:48 drumroll added
0:55 Somber and forte contour
1:04 Marching
1:17 Somber melody
1:50 Melody picks up momentum
1:57 March repeated
2:10 Four note sequence
2:25 Hopeful melody
2:40 Drumroll
2:50 Ascending melody
3:00 Melancholy melody
3:32 Textured melody
3:40 Forte and piano switches
4:05 Major scale
4:25 Melody played piano
4:55 Tension buildup
5:10 Feeling of chaos
5:30 Sense of relief as dissonance ends
5:44 Percussion emphasized
6:15 Contrasting melodies
6:25 Melodies battle
6:38 Melodies merge
6:50 Fanfare played
7:15 Volume progressively rises
7:28 Quick four note sequence
7:45 Four note sequence is layered
8:14 Melody rises an octave
8:30 Melody switches from forte to piano
8:51 Alto and soprano instruments play
9:19 Soprano notes added as texture
9:36 Drum beat played solo
9:49 Contrasting melodies played over each other
10:15 Melodies pick up speed
10:36 Melodies calm
10:51 Quick soprano melody joins in
11:15 Instruments play one note
11:25 instruments break off from single note to play varying melodies
11:53 Alto instrument left playing it’s melody solo
12:03 Four note sequence repeated
12:20 sequence played in soprano
12:33 Piano drum rumble
12:34 Piece ends with one final contrabass note
Works Referenced
“Gustav Mahler” classical.net
“Gustav Mahler Biography” imdb.com
“Symphony No. 5: Gustav Mahler” laphil.com
“Mahler’s “Funeral March to Joy” mahlerfest.org