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