A Jubilant March to Tragedy: A Listener's Guide to Mahler's Sixth Symphony

by Kelly Dean Hansen

When filling the commission to write program notes for the Mahler Fifth for last year's MahlerFest, I titled them "A Funeral March to Joy," certainly an apt description of the emotional trajectory of that work. With the Sixth we are confronted with a motion in the opposite direction, so the reversal in the title certainly seems appropriate! Although the first movement begins with a frantic march in the minor mode, the overall effect of the movement, especially the secondary theme (which Alma Mahler described as a musical portrait of herself) is one of triumph and jubilation, particularly the unrestrained exuberance at the very end. This is in stark contrast to the funeral march that opens the Fifth, which remains desolate from beginning to end. Here as in the Fifth Mahler also provides a rather wild Scherzo, but one that is far more demonic, in which the "happier" moments are marred by unsettling metrical shifts. An intensely beautiful slow movement provides temporary respite, but has inescapable connections to the more fateful elements of the other movements. Finally, the Finale, perhaps the most complex and awesome purely instrumental movement in the symphonies, begins with a tragic gesture and, despite encountering some of the most joyous music that ever flowed from his pen along the way, ends in the deepest despair and gloom.
In the Sixth, Mahler's tendency toward thematic unity across movements reached a new high point, incorporating not only melodic gestures, but important symbolic timbres and rhythms. I would like to draw your attention to the two most significant of these. One of them is a harmonic gesture. It consists of a loud major triad whose middle note slips down a semitone, creating a minor triad. This is most often heard in the trumpets, but also appears in the oboes and clarinets in certain instances. The major-minor triad figure is highly symbolic, indicating the motion from joy to tragedy that the symphony will inevitably follow. Because of its sense of inevitability, the effect is that of a "seal" on the work's emotional journey. Throughout this guide, I will call the gesture the "major-minor seal," a wonderful term coined by Constantin Floros. The other gesture is rhythmic. Since it is usually heard from the timpani, there is a pitch element too. It consists of an unmistakable and distinctive "fate rhythm": DUM pause DUM pause DA-DUM DUM DUM! This important rhythm is often heard in tandem with the major-minor seal, as at their first introduction in the first movement, one of the most dramatic moments in the symphony. The two gestures are also heard independently of each other. Again following Floros, I will label this the "lead rhythm." These two elements appear in all the movements except the Andante, although the "major-minor" aspect of the seal is certainly present in that movement as well. They appear regularly in the first movement, where fate is only hinted at, but really come into their own in the Finale. The other element of unity is the cowbells. These ideophones, unheard before in a major symphony, provide an aural connection between all of the movements except for the Scherzo. In the Andante, they reach their apotheosis, sounding in the orchestra, whereas in the outer movements they are heard in the distance.
The First Movement and Scherzo have a thematic connection involving another unusual ideophone, the xylophone. The orchestra is as large as Mahler ever used: four flutes (two doubling on piccolo); four oboes and English horn; piccolo clarinet, three regular clarinets and bass clarinet; four bassoons and contrabassoon; eight horns; six trumpets; three trombones, bass trombone and tuba; two pairs of timpani; two harps; celesta; a full complement of strings; and an amazingly diverse percussion battery (glockenspiel, triangle, snare drum, cymbals, tam-tam, whip, bass drum, xylophone, cowbells, low bells [in the finale] and the famous and problematic "hammer"). In the following notes, my goal is to give listeners a true guide to what they are hearing as the symphony progresses. There is some specialized musical language, particularly involving keys, but I have tried to avoid anything too difficult to understand. This is a complex and lengthy work, and I hope that by my outlining the structure, your app reciation of this masterpiece can be enhanced.

FIRST MOVEMENT: Allegro energico, ma non troppo. Heftig, aber markig.
4/4 Meter. A Minor/Major.

The first movement is very large, but it is in one of the most clear-cut of all Mahler's sonata forms. The boundaries between exposition, development, and recapitulation are very distinct, as are those between the principal and second themes. The development section falls in four distinct sections. This can be contrasted with the sonata form of the Finale, which, as we shall see, is far more ambiguous. As if to make the point that he is consciously writing the movement to be in a clear "classical" form, Mahler famously marks the entire exposition section to be repeated, a convention that was normal in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, but was abandoned, the first three symphonies of Brahms being the last major works to include such a repeat. Mahler had already marked a highly effective exposition repeat in his First Symphony. Mahler was a composer who generally hated direct and unvaried repetitions of any kind, so his inclusion of the repeat here must have a solid musical purpose. Not only does it unders core the classical formal structure, but it also helps to bring the movement in balance with the 30-minute Finale. With the repeat, the movement lasts around 22-24 minutes. The entire orchestra is utilized except for the low bells and the hammer that show up in the Finale.
The German terms describing the movement are somewhat contradictory. "Heftig" implies fierceness or violence, while "markig" implies a sense of vulnerability. This could apply to the movement's two major theme groups. Few movements of Mahler begin in such a determined and forward-moving manner. The low strings begin a persistent steady hammering on a low A, with the snare drum quickly joining before the upper strings quickly lead to the statement of the powerful main theme from the full orchestra. Everything is in the character of a manic march. The components of the theme include the rhetorical opening gesture, beginning with a descending octave, a series of sigh figures, and a descending chromatic figure in a clipped dotted rhythm (which will later gain great importance in this movement and the Scherzo). The hammering beats of the low strings lead to a second huge statement from the full orchestra of a new variant of the opening gesture. This second half of the main subject introduces the distinctive figure that appears to be a quotation from Liszt's First Piano Concerto. It is stated by three different brass instruments in succession. The trumpet first plays it in a somewhat veiled form as the strings begin rapid figuration, and then the trombone and horn play it in almost the exact form that Liszt used. Whether or not it is a quotation, it becomes a major component of the movement. The horn statement precedes a large climax using the opening gesture before a tremendous dissonance leads to complete dissipation. As the winds begin this dissipation, the trumpet takes the "Liszt" theme one more time. The instruments collapse into murmuring trills, until the cellos and bassoons, then the basses and contrabassoon, are all that is left preceding a brief pause.
This is a highly dramatic moment, preceding the first statement of the symphony's most important unifying threads: the "lead rhythm" and the "major-minor seal." Mahler makes sure we will notice these gestures, as they occur in isolation and with great drama. The timpani, as usual, present the lead rhythm, but this first time, the snare drum adds to the effect. Trumpets and oboes state the major-minor seal, the major chord loudly and the minor chord much more softly. These are the instruments that will usually be associated with the seal. This grand gesture precedes the subdued and mysterious transition passage. It consists of the wind instruments stating a ghostly chorale over the strings, which now quietly pluck the formerly powerful opening gesture. After the complete repeat, the snare drum's statement of the lead rhythm leads to the large, but clearly articulated, four-part development section. Matching the exposition repeat, it begins on A, and the first large section of the development largely remains in that key. This first part itself is bisected by a large statement of the opening gesture in E minor before quickly returning to A. This first section is primarily based on this main theme. The two most notable aspects are the pervasive presence of the "lead rhythm" and the transformation of the clipped descending chromatic figure. The lead rhythm is heard a total of fourteen times in the timpani and snare drum, more pervasively in the second half of the section. The descending chromatic figure is now reinforced with the xylophone, and the figure itself threatens to dominate the proceedings. This is the first appearance of the xylophone, and it certainly lends the figure a certain eerie character, confirming the frequent association of the instrument with death and the macabre. The second major section of the development is introduced by punctuating wind trills, and brings in material from the second subject, the "Alma" theme, on trombones and tubas at first. The theme is stated in the low strings, and in the minor mode, completely transforming its character, while the xylophone remains a distinctive presence. The brass also play fragments of the "Alma" theme. The section is mostly in D minor. As the music reaches to a high point, it is suddenly and strangely interrupted.
Here is the most fascinating passage of the movement, the third part of the development. A high A-minor chord on winds and tremolo violins, along with a triangle beat, interrupts a statement of the "Alma" theme, which the winds complete, dying away and slowing down as they do. Mahler indicates that the music should gradually slow down here, and everything becomes quiet very quickly. The section is unlike anything else in the movement as far as character and sound quality is concerned. Everything is at a subdued level, and for the first time, an important sonority is heard. This is the sound of cowbells in the distance, which enter as the statement of the "Alma" theme finishes and are to be played in the distance without any regularity. Mahler directs that the bells should realistically imitate a grazing herd, but is careful to point out that this has no programmatic meaning, even though they are told to become gradually closer and then distance themselves again! At any rate, the cowbells are joined by the celesta, which, along with violins playing in tremolo, presents a series of high chords over a low D in the cellos and basses. Joining all of this is a signal-like figure first heard in the flutes and timpani, the flutes playing in the "wrong" key of C (the music is still basically in D minor/major, moving to G minor). The major-minor seal is also clearly heard twice, first in the horns and then in the clarinets. These are separated by a fragment of the chorale transition, following the seal, in the horns. The entire passage has a strange and otherworldly effect. The celesta, signal call, and eventually cowbells die away, and we hear a magical transformation of the "Alma" theme first in G major and immediately thereafter in E-flat major. Alma's tune is now sweet and tender rather than full-hearted and sweeping. The key of E-flat remains in force until the end of the section, providing an anticipation of the Andante movement, which is in that tonality. The cowbells, celesta chords, signal figures, and chorale motifs return after the E-flat statement, but the music remains centered there and dies down to nothing. This passage is truly extraordinary, and its maverick nature almost works against the movement's otherwise clear-cut form.
The final section of the development rudely interrupts the reverie and is primarily concerned with the brass theme we have called the "Liszt" figure. Here Mahler becomes harmonically more adventurous, touching keys such as B, F-sharp, and B-flat major in preparation for a dramatic return to A for the recapitulation. The Liszt figure is developed very extensively, leading to a massive crescendo and a bass drum roll. The relationship between the brass figure and the opening gesture is exploited as the moment of return arrives, not, as expected, in A minor, but in A major! The harmonic progressions are slippery here, and the motion to A is almost oblique rather than decisive.
Nonetheless, the statement of the main theme in A major is decisive, and we have clearly arrived at the reprise. The long development section has been adventurous enough that the arrival is very satisfying. The major mode only lasts for four measures, however, before the main subject corrects itself and moves to the minor. Although for Mahler this is an unusually regular recapitulation, there are several very important alterations from the exposition. A completely regular recapitulation would be monotonous, since we heard the exposition twice. Logically, this recapitulation is somewhat abbreviated. The major differences are these: The hammering steady march beats of the low strings, when they are heard, are now always on E rather than A, which adds harmonic instability. The lead rhythm, which occurs with the major-minor seal at the appropriate analogous moment, is also heard with the timpani tuned to E rather than A (although the actual A-minor tonality is the same). This appearance of the lead rhythm sets in a bit earlier, without the dramatic pause heard before, and now the timpani is heard not together with the snare drum, but with the strange sound of the string basses hitting the strings with the back of their bows. The snare drum is only heard after the rhythm has sounded. The chorale-like transition is now rhythmically diminished, the note-values being halved, creating a rather hurried effect for this previously langourous passage. The celesta is now heard along with the winds, which makes the passage sound more ethereal. The plucked strings are still there, but they do not play the main subject material. The secondary "Alma" theme is not nearly as dramatically introduced, its opening gesture emerging organically from the chorale passage. The theme itself, now in D major, is greatly curtailed, with only one complete statement of the opening gesture where there had been six, and without the celesta, harps, or rushing winds. The final epilogue in D major is, however, largely unaltered from the exposition.
The abbreviated recapitulation is followed by an extremely large coda, which can be placed alongside the "distant" third section of the development as the most remarkable aspects of the movement. Indeed, the word "coda" is almost inappropriate, since we really have a second development. It begins with two funereal statements of the opening of the main theme in E minor and F-sharp minor, with the hammering low strings now on F-sharp, in the tempo of the closing epilogue of the reprise. Suddenly, the funeral march is interrupted by a wild outburst. Mahler directs that the music should be suddenly faster and "entering furiously." A long developmental march in E minor follows, using all of the figures from the main thematic section. The main theme is presented together with its melodic inversion, a contrapuntal technique thus far not used. Three statements of the lead rhythm by the snare drum are heard at the beginning. As the music reaches a feverish climax, it turns to the very remote key of E-flat minor. The glockenspiel and triangle enter, and the ensuing passage with prominent trombones is similar to the "interruption" of the "Alma" theme in the exposition. An abrupt turn to C major follows, and we briefly hear the "distant" music again, with prominent celesta tremolos. The opening motive of the main theme is heard, but there follows a huge crescendo, during which the "Alma" theme tries to assert itself in the trumpet. The music must eventually move to A, but when it arrives there, a huge climactic moment, we are in the major mode. Perhaps the brief A-major moment at the beginning of the recapitulation has foreshadowed this, for it is in A major where the music will remain until the end. The arrival is marked with the entry of the entire percussion battery, with a huge flourish on the timpani. The "Alma" theme is now heard in all its glory, its first appearance rhythmically augmented so that it sounds especially grand. The "Liszt" theme is also transformed into a jubilant outburst, and the music rushes toward its close, becoming gradually faster, as Mahler directs. This final passage was surely intended as an apotheosis to Mahler's wife, as Alma's theme has the last word. Right before the end, there is one final slowing before a huge chord marks the high point of a statement of the melody. The cymbal, triangle, timpani, and bass drum, all ring out in joy before the sudden sprint toward a truly triumphant close.

ANDANTE: Andante moderato
4/4 Meter. E-Flat Major

For many fans of Mahler's music, his greatest accomplishments are his slow movements. Indeed, it is difficult to cite any Mahlerian Adagio or Andante movement from the symphonies that is not a masterpiece. One thinks of the heavenly Adagio of the Fourth, the melting beauty of the Fifth's Adagietto, or the monumental finales of the Third and Ninth symphonies. Even the parodistic funeral march of the First and the more genre-oriented "Nachtmusik" movements of the Seventh are among the composer's most beloved creations. Among these companions, this Andante holds a worthy place, having the spirit of the Adagietto belonging to the previous symphony, but containing richer and deeper content, as it must to provide the most extended passage of serenity among the violent storms of the Sixth.
The form is simple, and the melodies are artfully crafted so that they generate just the right amount of pathos to be believable in a "tragic" symphony while remaining achingly beautiful and serene. A case in point is the opening string melody, whose lines are easily singable, accompanied by a rocking motive from the celli. The gesture of the rising sixth lends the theme much of its character. The melody is notable for a reference to the first of the recently-composed Kindertotenlieder ("Nun will die Sonn so hell aufgeh'n") in its cadential gesture. The beauty of the melody is disturbed by several chromatic inflections, including the notes G-flat and C-flat, which are instrumental in defining the key of E-flat minor. The melody is clearly in the major mode, but these inflections provide just the right amount of ambiguity. They also provide an important connection to the other movements. The "major-minor" seal is absent here, and this is the only movement where this is the case. The frequent use of chromatic notes that belong to the parallel minor key, however, is certainly in the spirit of the seal. G and G-flat, C and C-flat, and other notes and their flatted versions often appear in close proximity to each other, sometimes within the same motive, sometimes as an alteration in an immediate repetition of the same figure. Major and minor sixths, as well as major and minor thirds, are closely juxtaposed. This causes the main theme to lean strongly toward the minor mode. While the minor-key note often precedes the major one, unlike the chordal seal, the connection is still clear. Two extremely important motives, which will dominate much of the movement, become prominent. One is a gently rocking four-note "cradle" figure, initially played by oboe, where the second and third notes are the same, the contour moving either down-up before and after the repeated notes or vice versa. The repeated middle notes are given special notation to indicate that they are detached, which makes the figure easily recognizable. It is usually played by wind or low string instruments. The other common figure is four descending notes, usually a skip followed by or following two steps. The major-minor conflicts are often associated with these two figures, which could be called the "leading motives" of the movement.
The form and key structure of the movement are quite clear. It resembles a rondo with the scheme A-A'-B-C-A-B'-A''-A'. This creates a symmetrical structure with the exact midpoint coming between sections C and the central A, bar 100 of the 200-bar movement. These central sections are also about half the length of the other sections, which are close to the same length. The first two "A" sections, both entirely in the home key of E-flat, are separated by a brief melancholy theme in G minor, which is first played by the English horn. The return of the main melody is begun by the horn, with many alterations, notably the contour of the opening, which does not include the characteristic rising sixth, as well as changes in orchestration. It is rounded off by an internal coda, which dies away over a low E-flat and emphasizes the two important motives described above. A completely closed a-b-a song form is thus defined by the opening, which makes up a bit more than a fourth of the movement. The central G-minor episode, which is similar to the main theme but more elegiac in character, will assume great importance in the "B" sections, which actually develop previously heard material. The developmental nature of the "B" sections contrasts with the stable opening three-part song. The first of these begins after the main theme dies out with a rising octave in string harmonics and a piercing high E-G third, signaling a motion to E minor. That key is the primary center of this section, although A minor and B minor are also very prominent. After the oboe again plays the cradle figure, the music is concerned with development of the "elegiac" theme. The descending four-note figure is also very extensively worked out. After a small climax, the music suddenly turns from E minor to E major, and the horns enter with a typical Mahlerian nature call. This suddenly bright moment is the "C" section. Its pastoral nature is emphasized by the entry of the cowbells, now in the orchestra instead of in the distance. The cowbells provide the clearest connection to the other movements, but their use in the foreground contrasts greatly with their use in the "distant" music of the first movement and Finale. The brilliant orchestration also includes harps and celesta, with trills and other "natural" sounds. The two important motives are present here as well.
The pastoral dies away and the music returns to E-flat for an abbreviated return of the main theme, introducing the second half of the movement. Again, there are changes in orchestration, but the rising sixth is again present. The second "B" section follows, and is quite different from the first one. It begins in the open key of C major and is marked "Misterioso." The dynamic level is very quiet, and the strings are even marked "without expression." The material is primarily derived from the descending four-note motive, which had been prominent at the end of the first "B" section. An extended section centered on the symphony's home key of A follows, beginning with a serene passage in A major that continues the four-note descending figure while the "cradle" motive is played by the horn. Celesta and harp enter, as in the pastoral "C" section which also featured horns. The last remaining element of the previous "B" section is the elegiac theme, which occurred at the beginning of that section. It is now heard at the end of this one as the music moves from A major to A minor. The previous "B" section began after the music of the main section died away. This one also began quietly and mysteriously, and it ends that way as well, with the elegiac theme quietly played by the oboe and clarinet.
After the A-minor music fades into the distance, Mahler introduces a dramatic shift to the key of C-sharp minor, important as the relative key of E major, where the pastoral section was heard, both keys being quite remote from the central key of E-flat. This key change accompanies a sudden outburst of sound following a very quiet passage (a gesture quite typical of the entire symphony). The material remains the elegaic theme, which is now stated in full and accompanied by a powerful new counterpoint in the upper strings and wind. This leads to the climax of the movement as the key moves to B minor and B major. The entire orchestra enters and reaches a dynamic level of triple forte as the cowbells are heard again, playing strongly for the only time in the symphony. This occurs right before the main theme is suddenly heard in B major in the bass. The music continues strongly, with joyous utterances of the "cradle" figure. The main theme material builds to another, smaller climax as a deft harmonic shift moves the music back to the long absent home key of E-flat. This entire section beginning with the shift to C-sharp minor constitutes the A'' section. The elegiac theme is again a part of a section including two statements of the main theme, but it precedes them rather than coming between them. The first statement of the main theme is the climactic B-major entry in the bass. The move back to E-flat introduces the final section and rounds off the symmetrical form. This final section resembles the music that brought the first main section to a close, making much of both leading motives. It continues strongly at length over several timpani rolls, an instrument first heard at the motion to the climax. Finally, the cadential figures begin to die away. The figure that dominates the ending is a combination of the two leading motives--a step down, a leap up, and a larger leap (often an octave) back down. Mahler has yet one more curve to throw the listener, however: eight measures before the end, the bassoons and low strings play a mildly accented diminished seventh chord, a disturbing sonority that almost upsets the serenity of the ending. Harp and celesta enter at the very end, with the low strings playing the motive just described before the final sounds of a quiet chord on the horns and a low plucked E-flat. The movement is both profound and gorgeous, both unified and varied. Many extended tonal centers feature in the movement. Among these are both E major and minor; B major and minor; and A major and minor, along with the main key of E-flat and C-sharp minor, the key that led to the climax. The appearance of the major and minor versions of E, B, and A emphasizes the major-minor conflict of the symphony. The movement's serenity and beauty is disturbed by inescapable connections to the drama of the other movements, emphasized by the troubling chord eight measures from the end.

SCHERZO: Wuchtig
3/8 Meter (often alternating with mainly 4/8 and 2/4, but also 3/4 and 2/8). A Minor

In terms of real time, the Scherzo is by far the shortest movement of the Sixth, although it has twice as many bars as the slow Andante. Its form is also clear, like the first movement, and far more straightforward than that of the Scherzo of the Fifth (which is that work's longest movement). Not only that, but the tonal structure is less fluid. The scherzo sections all remain in A minor, and the two trio sections are in the related keys of F major and D major (analogous to the "Alma" theme in the first movement). Despite its formal clarity, the movement has aspects that make it one of the strangest Mahlerian symphonic movements. Most obviously, the composer had never experimented with the flexibility of meter that the Scherzo shows. In the two contrasting trio sections, the time signature changes at virtually every bar. Not only that, but in the main scherzo sections themselves, there is enough ambiguity of accent to create the effect of 4/8 meter superimposed upon the prevailing 3/8. This is the case in the first six bars, where the timpanist enters a beat "early" with an accented upbeat. The timpanist continues with groups of three accenting the third beat of each measure. After the first stroke, the low strings enter on the same pitch, A, but accenting the "correct" downbeat. This dissonance between accented groups of three in the timpani and low strings obscures the meter and anticipates the more overt shifts later on. The Scherzo retains most of the orchestra of the first movement, but adds the tam-tam gong (which will also appear in the Finale). The cowbells are absent (this is the only movement without them), as are the snare drum (also missing in the Andante) and celesta, but the xylophone and glockenspiel are retained from the first movement. This is the last appearance of the xylophone, but the glockenspiel returns in the Finale. In this movement, the small E-flat clarinet, always associated with the grotesque, is used to great effect.
The movement has an eerie and frightening effect in certain passages, and uses both the "lead rhythm" and "major-minor seal" from the first movement. The trio sections contrast greatly in mood, despite the fact that thematic material is shared with the main scherzo sections. The rhythmic dissonance at the beginning gives the music the character of both the march style of the first movement and the more overt German dance, or L\xe4ndler, implied by the 3/8 meter. There are many points of contact with the first movement, most clearly the prominent A-minor tonality. The opening drum and low-string reiterations of the note A are a direct reference, as is the opening theme itself, which has a similar contour to the first movement's opening subject. Most notable is the trill on strings and woodwinds followed by two rapidly descending notes, all doubled by the harsh xylophone, which creates a direct aural link to the similar gesture in the opening movement. One memorable gesture is a fast four-note ascending upbeat, which will play an important role in transition passages later on. A memorable high piccolo note follows the last of these in the first subsection. Another wonderful Mahlerian direction accompanies a long note preceded by two quick grace notes an octave higher: "wie gepeitscht" ("as if whipped").
There are three statements of the scherzo section, each one slightly shorter than the last, alternating with the two versions of the trio. The first of these has three subsections, the second two, and the third only one. The middle part of the first main scherzo section contains an anticipation of the trio theme with its alternating 3/8 and 4/8 bars, while the third part is similar to the first. Toward the end of the first and third parts is a distinctive oscillation between parallel chords in the brass instruments, with the tuba in its very lowest register. The scherzo proper ends with a sort of disintegration. The percussion battery enters with a flourish against the rapid chromatic descent of the other instruments and the first appearance of the major-minor seal in the trumpets. This quickly quiets down, and we are left with bare repetitions of the notes A and C, the clarinet, flute, and then oboe continuing on the latter note, which leads to the first trio.
The trio itself in the new key of F major is quite different in character. It is marked "Altv\xe4terisch," a curious German word which has been translated in numerous and varied ways. It is often rendered as "old-fashioned," but the most direct translation would probably be "grandfatherly." Perhaps Mahler was intending to imitate the gait of an limping old man with the quickly changing time signatures. Alma's suggestion that the trio suggests the playing of the children on the beach is contradicted by the fact that their second child was not yet born when the Scherzo was composed. At any rate, Mahler marks "grazioso" (gracefully), a characteristic that might conflict with the clumsy effect of the time signature change at virtually every bar. The tune itself, originally played by the oboe, continuing from the end of the main section, is certainly rather na\xefve in character. The placement of the shifts between 3/8 and 4/8 is often more visual than aural. The 4/8 measures usually contain an accented upbeat on their fourth beat that leads to the same repeated note in the following 3/8 bar, which certainly creates confusion. Aurally, it can sound as if the shifts come in different places than they actually do if the conductor is not skilled at conveying the actual changes. There are also isolated bars of 3/4, which combine the aspects of the other two meters. There are four distinct sections in the first trio, but all of them consist of the same basic material. The markers come with a temporary break in the shifting meter and a "natural" speeding of the tempo toward the end of each subsection. These quicker passages are marked by the entrance of the timpani, and they vaguely recall the main scherzo section. At the end of the second of these passages, the opening rhythm of the scherzo section, with the accented third beat, appears in the timpani. Throughout the trio, the repeated notes of the 3/8 measures recall the main section, and the connection is unusually strong despite the na\xefve, "grandfatherly" nature of the trio theme. The fourth "naturally" quick passage leads to a quick dissipation, and the transition back to the second statement of the main scherzo section.
This transition is unusually long. It is in two parts, the first introduced by the familiar "off-beat" timpani, while the repeated notes enter heavily in the horns, now with dissonant, sliding grace notes, and the winds play in parallel thirds. The second part is a strange interlude, in a tempo even slower than that of the trio, and retaining the F tonality of the trio, but moving to minor. This passage utilizes the rapid four-note upbeat figure noted in the scherzo section, played by clarinet and oboe. It is the most eerie part of the movement. In addition to the return of the xylophone, the strings now play with the back of the bow. This technique has always been associated with the fantastic or the demonic, and it is quite overt here. After the repeated notes with their grace notes briefly reappear, the ghostly reverie is suddenly interrupted by a return of the fast scherzo tempo and the main theme along with the A-minor tonality.
This second statement of the scherzo section is only in two parts, and considerably shorter, but it is also somewhat more frenetic in its pace and goals. The two parts are separated by the most shattering moment thus far. For the first time, the tam-tam gong enters, and it is accompanied by none other than the lead rhythm from the first movement. It is obscured by the 3/8 meter, but it is nonetheless there in the timpani. The material of this second statement is much the same as it was the first time, but it is of course greatly altered. The anticipation of the trio and its shifting meters is also dispensed with, since we have now already heard the trio itself. At the end, the major-minor seal in the trumpets again accompanies the disintegration, but this is altered, incorporating pizzicato strings. The repeated notes become thin much faster than before, and now are only on the note A, and the piccolo is included.
The second trio statement is again introduced by the oboe, but is now in the key of D major, more closely related to A minor. This trio section is radically different from the first statement, but the differences are extremely subtle. The meter changes are entirely different. The 4/8 bars are completely absent, now usually replaced by 2/4. The number of eighth notes is the same in each, but the 2/4 bars seem to imply a slightly slower tempo, and indeed Mahler hints at this in the vague direction "Like the first time, notably slower." What is unclear is the comparison: slower than what? Slower than the scherzo proper would already be the implication, but perhaps Mahler meant slower than the first trio. The substitution of 2/4 for 4/8 would certainly imply that, and indeed, the second trio seems smoother and more soothing than the first one. In addition to the 2/4 bars, 3/4 bars become much more common than they were in the first trio. Often they replace 3/8 bars, but original 4/8 bars are also replaced. This also has a "lengthening," slowing effect and it removes some of the ambiguity of the four repeated notes beginning with the last beat of a 4/8 bar that were present before. We now expect to hear four notes, but often we only hear three at the end of a 3/4 measure. These very subtle changes in the trio are perhaps the most skillful transformations in the movement. Again, there are four subsections marked by the "natural" speeding of the tempo at the end, with the entrance of the timpani recalling the scherzo section.
The long transition is again present, but the "eerie" interlude is now in the rather remote and harsh key of E-flat minor. It is also greatly altered, however. The clarinet sounds more lugubrious in the four-note upbeat figure, and instead of the repeated notes with grace notes, we have reminiscences of the trill/xylophone figure from the scherzo proper. The main theme itself is also hinted at where it was not before, by the oboe and bass clarinet. Thus, the return of the main tempo and the third statement of the scherzo proper is not as jarring as it was before. This last main scherzo section is much shorter than the previous ones and it moves at an even more frantic pace. It now incorporates the grace notes from the transition passages in the repeated notes. At its climax, the shattering tam-tam is heard again, but now the entire percussion section joins it, along with blasts from the horns and trombones. It leads not to more of the scherzo section, but to the coda of the entire movement.
The coda is based on both the scherzo and trio sections. As the tam-tam and percussion are sounding their interruption, the trumpets and oboes blast out the trio theme, complete with changing meters. A long chromatic scale on the strings and flute (the latter playing with flutter tongue), as well as grace-note passages on the horn, rapidly die away and lead to the first part, which is based on the trio theme, but it is now devoid of its charm and na\xefvet\xe9. The entire coda is hushed and desolate. Motives from the scherzo proper appear, and the four-note ascending upbeat introduces six (!) statements of the major-minor seal, the first three by the trumpets and flutes and the last three by the clarinets. These must be the most quiet statements of the seal in the symphony. The fact that there are six of them in the brief coda, whereas the rest of the movement only has two, at the end of the first two scherzo sections, places the "seal" on the fact that this Scherzo is indeed a tragic movement of the tragic symphony. The transformation of the trio theme also confirms this. The six major-minor statements accompany motives from both the scherzo and the trio, and the meter changes occur until the end (2/4 as in the second trio is used rather than 4/8). After the final statement of the seal by the clarinets, the last words are left to four rather unlikely instruments. The small E-flat clarinet plays the thematic fragments of the main scherzo over the last two statements of the seal in the regular clarinets. It is followed by the low string basses without cellos, and then by the bass clarinet, giving importance to the entire section of clarinets. The final instrument to play the theme is the unlikely contrabassoon, which is completely exposed by itself for two measures before the basses and timpani play a ghostly shadow of the main motive to end the proceedings. Although it is short, this is one of the most famous solo passages for contrabassoon. The context makes it clear as to why this is the case. The entire movement is perhaps the most tragic and desolate of the four, lacking the shouts of jubilation of the Finale and first movement or any of the soothing warmth of the Andante. The clumsy naïveté and rather false sweetness of the trio sections are a poor substitute.

FINALE: Allegro moderato--Allegro energico
2/2--4/4 Meter. C Minor--A Minor

The finale is rightly regarded as one of Mahler's most magnificent creations. At 822 bars and over 30 minutes in length, it is surpassed only by the first movement of the Third Symphony as Mahler's longest purely instrumental movement. As large and impressive as the three previous movements are, they are nearly dwarfed by this intense and diverse piece, which includes some of the most wildly jubilant and the most shatteringly tragic music the composer ever wrote. Here Mahler uses his full complement of wind and percussion instruments, not including the xylophone used in the first movement and the Scherzo, but bringing in the previously unheard whip and the so called distant "low bell noise," two or three very low bells of uncertain pitch to be played in an irregular manner, similar to the cowbells, which are also included here. And of course, there is the hammer, whose two (or three) blows help to mark important structural points near the center of the movement and which may be the most famous aspect of the entire symphony.
Such a lengthy and complex movement would be expected to generate animated discussion among Mahler enthusiasts. Many of the greatest scholars, including Adorno, Floros, and Redlich, disagree on the formal structure of the movement, although it actually seems quite clear. All agree that the movement is in a sonata form, like the first movement, but the boundaries between exposition, development, and recapitulation are disputed. The primary stumbling block is the presence of an introduction, whose theme and tempo occur not just at the beginning of the movement, but also three more times. The simplest way to follow the movement's form is to consider each recurrence of the introduction as a prelude to the exposition, development, recapitulation, and coda of the movement. These "introductory" passages should not be considered as belonging to the sections they introduce. This makes the movement's form very clear and symmetrical. The whole is basically built out of this introductory material plus only three other thematic elements. The development section consists of four obvious parts. The first two hammer blows come at the beginning of the second and fourth parts of the development. Midway between the blows, then, is the center of the development, which is also the center of the entire movement.
The introduction begins not in the main key of the movement (and the symphony), A minor, but in C minor, which is the relative key of the Andante's E-flat major (providing an argument for placing the Andante directly before it). An initial low C is followed by sweeping harp and celesta arpeggios and a dissonant chord from the winds. The sweeping introductory theme itself begins with an ascending octave on the violins. The second phrase moves quickly to A minor, and is accompanied by both the "lead rhythm" on the timpani and the "major-minor" seal in the brass. This provides a clear connection to the first movement. The other theme belonging to the introduction follows, a dirge-like tune seeming to come from a distance and beginning with an ascending octave played by the tuba in a slower tempo. Distinctive rapid figures are heard, and it is here that the "low bell sounds" are played for the first time. The remainder of the introduction consists of motives and themes that come from the main subjects of the movement, beginning with the eventual second subject in the horns combined with a tune from the first subject in the low winds. More combinations of these motives in the slower tempo again lead to C minor and to a solemn wind and brass chorale. This passage is derived from the chorale-like transitional theme, the third primary element of the symphony's main section. The chorale passage is interrupted by the major-minor seal and the lead rhythm, now heard in G minor. The "distant" music with elements from the main themes returns and gradually speeds up, leading to the main tempo, Allegro energico. The faster tempo is reached, but the key is again C minor, and what is actually heard is a bridge passage to the exposition, characterized by a dotted-rhythm figure in the low strings.
This transition again speeds up and intensifies, and the exposition begins with the strong arrival of A minor, which is heralded by brass fanfares. The first subject begins strongly, with the full orchestra playing two half-note chords followed by the same dotted rhythm, upon which the first theme is based. Rhythmically, this is clearly related to the lugubrious tuba them in the introduction. A long and frantic march begins, solidly in the home key of A minor, and becoming more and more agitated, leading eventually to eight heavy chords on the trombones, four A-major triads followed by four in A minor, and thus articulating the major-minor seal again. These chords introduce the horn chorale whose seeds were also heard in the introduction. It is characterized by a descending octave followed by an ascending octave a half-step lower. This chorale continues at length and is later passed to the strings. It is often considered to be part of the first subject, since it remains in A minor, but it is clearly transitional in nature and constitutes one of the three main thematic elements of the exposition. It reaches moments of jubilation that anticipate the pure joy of the second subject. Rapid string figuration and motives from the first subject briefly return, and the music very quickly decreases in volume. There is a clear modulation to D major, the key of the second subject. It begins with distinctive and ethereal rapid, quiet repeated chords in the flutes and clarinets. The horn then intones the second subject melody, which will be familiar from the introduction. This D-major second subject material begins quietly, but it very quickly rises to heights of jubilation that constitute some of the most joyous music Mahler ever wrote. The theme is similar in character to the first movement's "Alma" theme. The horn tune is continued on winds and leads to the second part of the subject, beginning with an ascending octave in the strings reminiscent of the introduction but entirely different in mood. These two elements reach a feverish climax--which is rudely cut off by a low D, a heavy timpani and bass drum stroke, and a dissonant outburst. The key remains D, but the mode is suddenly minor, and we have reached the end of the exposition.
The arrival of the minor mode heralds the return of the introduction, which will now introduce the huge four-part development section. Again, we hear harp and celesta, but the introduction theme itself, after the initial ascending octave, is inverted and now plunges downward. This D-minor statement of the "introduction" is quite different from the C/A-minor one that began the movement. It features prominent chords on the celesta, and before the "low bell sounds," the return of the cowbells from a distance. It is also considerably shorter. A sudden turn to F-sharp major begins the first formal section of the development. At first, the mood of the introduction continues, but motives from the second subject are prominent, and the music moves from F-sharp through B-flat, and quickly again to D major. This was the key of the second subject, and it is that subject that dominates this first part of the development. It now reaches even more feverish and jubilant heights than it had in the exposition. Just as the music approaches a grand cadence, it happens--the first blow of the hammer, which Mahler directed should be powerful, but dull, like the chopping of an ax. The major-minor seal is also heard here. The hammer blow signals the return of the minor mode, but the music does not slow down as at the end of the exposition. Instead, the trumpet plays a passage from the transitional chorale theme. The hammer blow has introduced the second part of the development section, which returns to the second subject material in A major, an important structural return to the long-absent main tonal center. This time the music leads to a dramatic battle scene in the remote key of F minor, introduced by powerful blasts from the horns. The rest of the instruments continue in the rhythm of the horns. The battle music is intense, but short-lived, and it is abruptly cut short by a sudden grand pause and the entry of the percussion, including the first beat of the tam-tam, along with another playing of the major-minor seal by the trumpets. The second beat of the tam-tam and another seal follow very shortly thereafter.
This is the third part of the development, and the exact midpoint of the movement, appropriately returning to C minor, the key in which it began. For the first time, the first subject is used for development. The only appearance of the whip in the entire symphony occurs here. The music moves to a "fiery" section in C major, still using the first subject material. The major mode continues, modulating to G before another important return to A. The second subject is again used, this time in combination with the introduction theme in a short hymn-like passage that leads to a joyous and familiar cadence. It is the same cadence that was interrupted with the first hammer blow, and on cue, the second blow occurs. The preceding triumphant music is somewhat less exuberant than it was before, and this second hammer blow is appropriately somewhat less strong, although it is reinforced by a third tam-tam stroke. The chorale melody follows in the trumpets as before, and the final portion of the development section, beginning with a B-flat chord, is devoted to that theme. It is not especially long, but for the fourth time in the movement, a climax is abruptly interrupted. The introduction again returns, ending the massive development section.
The four "interruptions" of exuberant climactic cadences have marked the introductory section preceding the development, the two hammer blows, and now the introduction again, this time preceding the recapitulation. This third version of the introduction seems to combine aspects of the first two. It begins in C minor, as at the beginning, but unlike the first introduction, it stays in that key. Curiously, the cadence leading to the introduction is not in C, but in D, as at the second statement before the development. The initial note D is held as a dissonant pedal point well after the music has moved to C. This initial note is for the first time underscored by a tam-tam beat, the fourth of the movement. These tam-tam beats, all occurring in the second half of the movement, seem through their placement to have a structural importance underscoring the increasing sense of tragedy and hopelessness as the movement progresses. The second phrase of the introductory theme occurs as at the beginning but without moving to A, and is again underscored by the lead rhythm and the major-minor seal in C. The distant tuba theme, along with the motives from the main subjects, are heard as at the beginning, but this time the "low bells" and the cowbells are both heard in the distance, as before the development (though their order is reversed). Although perhaps more similar to the first introduction, it is brief like the second, omitting the long chorale passage.
The recapitulation uses all of the themes, but their order is reversed, which causes confusion among analysts. Following precedents from the romantic period, it is the second subject that is now heard first. Beginning with the second subject allows Mahler to introduce more variety to the huge movement. It also provides a link to the development, which was largely based on second subject material. It begins in the key of B-flat, which had been foreshadowed at the end of the development. The music quickly moves to A, however, and the rest of the movement will mostly remain in this home key, major or minor. The second subject is expanded, and it is now combined with motives from the first subject and the chorale, and even the lead rhythm is heard at the climax. Finally, the first subject itself is heard with a motion to the minor mode, signaled by the characteristic dotted rhythms of that theme. As in the exposition, the first subject leads to the trombone blasts and the major-minor seal, which would indicate that the transitory chorale will follow. Unlike the corresponding passage in the exposition, the lead rhythm is combined with the seal. This increasing frequency of the lead rhythm also contributes to the increasing sense of foreboding toward the end of the movement. The chorale theme does indeed follow but this time it is combined with motives from the first and second subjects and is more elaborate. It briefly moves to B-flat, where the second subject had begun. This is the last motion away from A that will be heard. Since the second subject has already been heard, the transition needs to lead somewhere else, and this is to a new and hymn-like version of the introduction in A major, completely transformed from its original context. It plays the role of an epilogue to the recapitulation. The transformed introduction leads to a final heroic struggle using the jubilant second part of the second subject. It begins against the lead rhythm in the drums, an ominous sign. Having heard a joyous climax cut off four times before, this seems inevitable now. The march to tragedy is inexorable.
It is again the introduction music that cuts off the cadence, and for the first time, it is in A minor throughout. As with the third appearance, a final tam-tam beat accompanies the initial low A. This final statement of the introduction is also the darkest, and it serves as a grim coda to the movement. It is with the second phrase that the third hammer blow was originally included (and will be heard here on Saturday night) with the penultimate appearance of the lead rhythm and the final appearance of the major-minor seal. With or without the hammer blow, all hope is now lost. The timpani of the lead rhythm continues to beat and die gradually away with the horns and low strings. The remaining music is devoted to a somber elegy from the tuba and trombones, an imitative treatment of music related to the distant tuba theme of the introduction, and characterized by rising and falling octaves. The whole is underscored by a soft rolled A on the timpani. At the end, it becomes still slower and the low strings enter, closing the elegy with the contrabassoon, bassoon, and bass clarinet taking over for the trombones. As it dies to nothingness, a final tragic blast of an A-minor chord, significantly not preceded by the major chord of the seal, is played by the entire orchestra, along with the embellished final, shattering statement of the lead rhythm on the timpani, which quickly fades away with the minor chord of the trumpets. Only a low and hopeless plucked-string A remains.

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