Mahler Symphony No.9 MAHLER
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SignumClassics PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA SIGCD133 SIR CHARLES MACKERRAS SCHUBERT SYMPHONY No.9 SIGCD188 ESA-PEKKA SALONEN SIR CHARLES MACKERRAS MAHLER SYMPHONY No.9 MAHLER www.signumrecords.com www.philharmonia.co.uk SYMPHONY No.4 Available through record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 MAHLER MAHLER SYMPHONY NO.4 SYMPHONY NO.4 MAHLER Symphony No.4 (1899-1901) Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) My fourth will probably be on the given the nature of the work, the trombone programme in Vienna in October section and the tuba are also deemed Symphony No.4 in G major and then you will glimpse an aspect surplus to requirements, and the trumpets, of me that you do not yet know. All horns, woodwind and strings are also scaled 1 I. Bedächtig, Nicht eilen 16.12 I fear is that this aspect will please down. Its duration further enhances the 2 II. In gemächlicher Bewegung 9.11 you most, so that, henceforth, you notion of a lighter-weighted work. A mere will only look at me from one side. 55 or so minutes long, it is generally his 3 III. Ruhevoll 21.44 shortest symphony in performances, some Mahler’s gnomic utterance to his confidante, 40 minutes shy of the Third’s mammoth 4 IV. Sehr behaglich 9.36 Nana Spiegler, hints at some aspects of length, and even pipping his First by a his Fourth Symphony that have absorbed couple of minutes. The Fourth’s lighter, Total timings 56.43 both critics, apologists and audiences from lyrical, playful character, comparatively its first performance until relatively recent devoid of Mahlerian clouds, gloom and doom times. It also reveals his own cognisance of or frenzied outbursts, is at least part of ‘the the symphony’s unique position as a turning aspect of me that you do not yet know’. PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA point in his output. This is no gargantuan It breathes much the same air as Haydn orchestral affair, unlike his previous three and Mozart, and although written at a time SARAH FOX soprano symphonies, with the scoring, for Mahler at of great stress, may well reflect Mahler’s SIR CHARLES MACKERRAS conductor least, being relatively restrained. There is no contentment at having returned, in 1897, place for the chorus as in the Second and to his adopted city in the powerful position www.signumrecords.com Third Symphonies and, perhaps more tellingly of director of the Vienna Court Opera. 2 3 In 1899, firmly ensconced in the Austro- summer in the more conducive atmosphere were later published in his Lieder aus Des ‘alien to his nature’. And yet, in time, the Hungarian capital, he began to sketch out of Maiernigg, in Carinthia. During this Knaben Wunderhorn. The fifth, which did Fourth became the first of his symphonies a plan for the symphony. His previous three composing ‘holiday’ he radically restructured not make it into the collection, was Das which begin to make inroads into the works in the genre had each come with an things. Das irdische Leben was extracted to himmlische Leben. It was earmarked it for orchestral repertory, clearing the way for explanatory programme or at least movement become an orchestral song, Morgenglocken inclusion into the Third Symphony, but on the Mahler revival several decades later. titles giving both audiences and musicians was integrated into the Third Symphony and realizing its potential, he instead re-employed clear cues as to the composer’s intentions. Die Welt ohne Schwere is assumed by many it as the final movement of the Fourth. The Symphony No.4 in G Major opens with The Fourth was initially no different, the a scholar to have become the Scherzo in his a ‘Once upon a time’ introduction of jingling plan of action being sketched as follows: succeeding Fifth Symphony. Such tinkerings Whether in unwitting scorn or utter sleigh bells and chirping flutes and without and wholesale revisions were far from unusual comprehension, the critic Max Graf the call to action from the brass or the 1. Die Welt als ewige Jetztzeit – for Mahler. There are numerous instances of was precise in declaring after the first portentous strings of Mahler’s earlier (and The World as Eternal Present overlaps, interpolations and occasions where performance of the work that it must be indeed many later) symphonies. Instead we 2. Das irdische Leben – The Earthly Life the symphonies spill over into each other. The ‘read from back to front like a Hebrew have an almost child-like innocence and 3. Caritas – Adagio eventual final movement of the Fourth is one Bible’. As well as harking back to the Third joy. The argument proper then begins with of the more spectacular cases, having been Symphony, Das himmlische Leben, the last an almost classically balanced exposition, 4. Morgenglocken – Morning Bells composed some nine years before appearing movement of the Fourth, informs the three with two clear-cut themes that remind us 5. Die Welt ohne Schwere – in its final guise. In 1892, after almost two movements which precede it since they all of Schubert’s Vienna and pastoral calm The World without Gravity years of composing next to nothing, he was include musical material that is extrapolated respectively. The development section is 6. Das himmlische Leben – The Heavenly Life rejuvenated by revisiting a collection of folk backwards from the finale whilst appearing another matter entirely as Mahler shows poems entitled Des Knaben Wunderhorn. to the listener to build inexorably from another new aspect of himself – a new However, as Mahler set to work on the piece, Collected, edited, and sometimes freely movement to movement toward a satisfying mastery of counterpoint that would never in the Salzkammergut spa town of Aussee, composed by Achim von Arnim and Clemens close. The première of the symphony took leave his writing thereafter. Motifs are the plan was set to change. The holiday was Brentano, the poems presented an idealised, place on 25 November 1901, with the shuffled and transformed into new and yet a disaster, cold weather and the proximity bucolic vision that re-ignited a love of German composer conducting the Kaim Orchestra and still comfortably recognisable complexes until of the local bandstand disturbing the super- folk song, in composer and burgher alike, soprano soloist, Margarete Michalek. Despite the trumpets blaze, in anticipation, elements sensitive composer. With the busy opera and contributed much to the Romantic Movement a return to Viennese classicism of a sort, the of the song that will end the symphony. The concert season looming again, he launched in the arts and suffused Mahler’s first four event and subsequent performances were Scherzo is essentially in ländler rhythm, into a frenetic couple of weeks’ intense symphonies. He produced five songs to routinely booed, Mahler being charged with which is occasionally visited by grotesqueries work which was to bear fruit the following Wunderhorn texts in 1892 of which four posturing and dealing in musical material including the use of a violin tuned higher 4 5 than normal, initially annotated with The final movement and progenitor of the MOVEMENT IV: Soprano solo Text and Translation the legend, ‘Friend Death strikes up the symphony as a whole, is the disarmingly dance’. Although often eerie in effect, simple orchestral song, Das himmlische Das himmlische Leben The Heavenly Life the movement ends quietly without Leben. It is delivered by the soprano in a Wir genießen die himmlischen Freuden, We enjoy the delights of Heaven, real rancour, the composer explaining joyful, child-like manner and, the composer Drum tun wir das Irdische meiden. so we do shun what is earthly. that, ‘it wasn’t meant so seriously after insisted, without any hint of parody. The Kein weltlich Getümmel No worldly hubbub all’. The spectacularly beautiful Adagio delights of heavenly food are extolled: hört man nicht im Himmel! is here in Heaven! which follows is one of Mahler’s finest the angels are baking bread, greens are Lebt alles in sanftester Ruh! All live in gentlest calm! slow movements, and although he plentiful and wine is free and flowing - even Wir führen ein eng’lisches Leben! We lead an angelic life submitted no final written programme the lowing of the soon to be dispatched Sind dennoch ganz lustig daneben! but are quite cheerful besides! for the symphony, he described it thus: cattle is a simple inevitable event. Mahler Wir tanzen und springen, We dance and jump, lovingly paints the text with his orchestra, St Ursula herself, the most serious wir hüpfen und singen! we hop and sing! the overwhelming joy of the music of of all the saints, presides with a Sankt Peter im Himmel sieht zu! St Peter in Heaven looks on! the heavens, and the symphony itself, smile, so gay in this higher sphere. Johannes das Lämmlein auslasset, John let the lamb go, played out by quiet, celestial harps. Her smile resembles that on the der Metzger Herodes drauf passett! and butcher Herod looks out for it! prone statues of old knights or © M Ross Wir führen ein geduldigs, We lead a patient, prelates one sees lying in churches, unschuldigs, geduldigs, blameless, patient, their hands joined on their bosoms ein liebliches Lämmlein zu Tod! a dear little lamb to death! and with the peaceful gentle Sankt Lukas den Ochsen tät schlachten St Luke does slaughter the ox expressions of men who have ohn einigs Bedenken und Achten. without any scruple or worry. gained access to a higher bliss; Der Wein kost kein Heller Wine costs not a penny solemn, blessed peace; serious, im himmlischen Keller; in the heavenly cellar; gentle gaiety, such is the character die Eng’lein, die backen das Brot.