DIVE IN!
Austro-Bohemian Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) is one of the most influential and revered conductors and composers of the late Romantic era. His Symphony No. 1 is one of his best known works, even though it got off to a rocky start. Enjoy learning about Mahler and his first Symphony!
HIGHLIGHTS
Gustav Mahler composed Symphony No. 1 in 1887 and 1888, and made several revisions by 1898 to bring it to its published form. He was just 27 years old when he first began working on it.
Symphony No. 1 lasts for about 55 minutes and is in four movements, or musical chapters. The symphony follows a traditional structure of fast paced outer movements with dance form and slow inner movements.
The original structure of Symphony No. 1 was as a five movement symphonic tone poem. For the first three performances, the second movement called Blumine (flower piece) was included but removed thereafter. It is now often performed and recorded as a stand alone work. However, if you listen closely you can hear quotes of the main theme in the second and fourth movements of the symphony.
The beginning of the third movement features a double bass solo playing a variation on the theme of “Frere Jacques”, which is unusual and noteworthy as bass solos are rare delights.
Mahler's score calls for 4 flutes and 2 piccolos, 4 oboes and English horn, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, and E-flat clarinet, 3 bassoons and contrabassoon, 7 horns, 5 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, 6 timpani, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, tam-tam, harp, and strings.
Mahler himself conducted more performances of this symphony than of any of his later works.
Random fun fact: Some stalwart nerdy geeks are convinced the Star Trek Next Generation theme music is built on the opening material of the first movement. Whether intentional or not, I agree with the stalwart nerdy geeks enough to have made and posted a mashup video here for your consideration!
RESOURCES
A live performance recording of the full symphony
Dominic Seldis, principal bass of Concertgebouw, getting nerdy about the solo in movement 3
The removed "Blumine" movement, with score
Star Trek Next Generation theme as compared to the beginning of Symphony No. 1
As if I wasn't already headed for classical music hell... 😂🤓😎
LISTENING MAP
Movement 1: Langsam. Schleppend. Wie ein Naturlaut. Im Anfang sehr gemächlich (in English: Slow. Dragging. Like a sound of nature. Very leisurely at the beginning.)
The first music we hear is a hollow and somewhat eery quiet ring of sound in the strings. It is essentially a column of A pitches, spread from very high to quite low, all held in a long tone with no added coloration. It somehow feels both suspenseful and calming, like bright light shining under a door in the dark. Layered over this we hear other instruments playing a slow falling figure, followed by a short fanfare in the woodwinds and then later in off stage trumpets. A high clarinet bird song precedes a proud sounding far off horn call, and then we start hearing more movement and rhythm which transitions into a lovely simple melody first in the low strings and then throughout the orchestra. The entire opening is the waking of nature. Who wouldn't want an alarm clock like this?? ❤️
As the movement continues we hear various expressions of this awakening of, and to, nature. It finishes in a whirl of bright optimism.
Movement 2: Kräftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell (in English: Vigorous, Agitated, but Not Too Fast)
This movement is a swinging Ländler, which is a type of Austrian waltz. It's a standard three part, or ABA, form in which we start and finish with similar music. The 'A' music is youthful, boisterous, and fun. It starts with a rousing call to dance in the lower strings with the swinging sensation initially provided by the upper strings and finishes with a lot of joyous racket in the entire orchestra. The 'B' music in the center is slower and much more sentimental, with a sort of flirtatious longing to it.
Movement 3: Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen (in English: Solemn and Measured, Without Dragging)
The 3rd movement is a funeral march built on the tune Frere Jacques or Brüder Jacob, but he presents it in the darker minor mode. We first hear it in the solo string bass, followed by bassoon, cellos, tuba, and then throughout the orchestra. About the time we settle firmly into the funeral march, Mahler transitions us into the sound world of a klezmer band, bringing us into that poignant meeting of celebration and grief. He creates this sound and mood with a bit perkier tempo and by using bass drum, cymbal, oboes, clarinets, and trumpets. We return to the original sound world and march our way out into the far away distance.
Movement 4: Stürmisch bewegt (in English: Passionate, Agitated)
This final movement starts off with a ferocious bang and proceeds to take us on a journey through textures, styles, and moods right through to the triumphant sounding ending. In addition to introducing new ideas, Mahler incorporates themes from the previous movements so that this final movement is like a summation of the entire piece. This was a tradition established by Ludwig van Beethoven from his 9th symphony which many composers adopted thereafter. In this movement, we begin in what sounds like a terrifying place, have a momentary respite with a beautiful soft melodic section, and then return to terror for a moment before introducing more hopeful music in the form of a heroic sounding theme. These competing ideas of peril, beauty, and heroism make for a thrilling finish to the symphony.
CONSIDER & DISCUSS
Mahler revised Symphony No. 1 several times before submitting it for official publication. This included removing the original 2nd movement "Blumine", and removing the original programmatic text description. This text was intended to guide listeners but instead Mahler found it got in the way of the listeners' ability to individually personalize their connection to the music. You may appreciate learning the history and back story of creators and their works, but do you prefer to learn this in advance or after observing the work? Do you have a 'read the tag' first, or a 'look at the painting' first kind of preference? Why and why not?
Here is Mahler's programmatic text for the original iteration of what became Symphony No. 1:
Part I: From the days of youth, "youth, fruit, and thorn pieces".
Spring and no end. This introduction describes the awakening of nature at the earliest dawn.
Flowerine Chapter. [*note* this is the "Blumine" movement which was removed]
Set with full sails.
Part II: Commedia umana (Human Comedy)
Stranded. A funeral march in the manner of Callot.
Dall'inferno al Paradiso (From Hell to Heaven), as the sudden expression of a deeply wounded heart.
Considering Mahler's original work was intended to be a "symphonic tone poem", how do you think reading this programmatic text prior to hearing the music might or might not be helpful to listeners of the Symphony in its final established form?
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