Copyright by Michael Lee Harland 2019
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Copyright by Michael Lee Harland 2019 The Dissertation Committee for Michael Lee Harland Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: “My Life Transparently Revealed”: Interpreting Mahler’s Worldview through an Analysis of His Middle-Period Symphonies Committee: Michael C. Tusa, Supervisor Andrew Dell’Antonio Robert S. Hatten Kathleen M. Higgins Luisa Nardini “My Life Transparently Revealed”: Interpreting Mahler’s Worldview through an Analysis of His Middle-Period Symphonies by Michael Lee Harland Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2019 Dedication To my wife, Jenna Harland Acknowledgements I wish there were room to express all the ways I have benefited from the mentorship of Michael C. Tusa. Over the past six years, I have thoroughly enjoyed the seminars, the conversations, and above all, friendship. If one were to add up the many hours he has spent guiding me in this endeavor, it would be a true testament to his dedication as a teacher. I could not have completed this project without his advocating for me to receive a Continuing Fellowship during this last year of writing. My deepest thanks. Special thanks to Robert S. Hatten, whose seminars and writings on issues of musical meaning form so much of the theoretical core of this project. He has profoundly influenced my thoughts in this regard, but most importantly, his generosity in providing time and feedback have benefited me enormously. To Andrew Dell’Antonio and Luisa Nardini, many thanks for all their wisdom and encouragement over the years. I appreciate so much the participation of Kathleen M. Higgins and her willingness to share her insights. Lastly, though he cannot read these words, I want to thank Elliott Antokoletz. His sudden departure touched all his colleagues and students, and I miss him immensely. I hope that his influence can still be felt in these pages. I must thank my parents, Mike and Teresa, for always supporting my musical interests and believing that I could do this. To my wife Jenna, only I will ever know just how much you sacrificed to make this possible. The dedication is just a small indication of how, when I carried the weight of this project on my shoulders, you carried me on yours. To my daughter Madeleine, you cannot read, walk, or even speak yet, but the joy that radiates from you saw me through to the end. v Abstract “My Life Transparently Revealed”: Interpreting Mahler’s Worldview through an Analysis of His Middle-Period Symphonies Michael Lee Harland, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2019 Supervisor: Michael C. Tusa Many of the comments made by Gustav Mahler concerning the relationship between his life experiences and musical compositions have compelled scholars to interpret his work through the lens of his worldview. From the known facts of his reading habits, social circle, and references to philosophy, one can establish a general picture of Mahler’s interests, beliefs, and values. But to go beyond these generalities requires a more in-depth understanding of worldview and how it manifests in artistic expression. This project attempts to answer this need by investigating the concept of worldview through an analysis of the works of Mahler’s middle-period: the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Symphonies. Chapter One pursues a deeper understanding of what is meant by the term “worldview” and its relationship to art. This chapter lays a theoretical foundation that combines a historically informed definition of worldview with the philosophy of Paul Ricoeur to create a methodology for the case studies that will follow. Worldviews, while variable in content, contain a tripartite structure consisting of narratives, symbols, and values. The case studies that follow examine the works of the middle period under the rubric of these elements. Chapter Two analyzes the Fifth Symphony’s narrative structure, vi applying the insights of that investigation to Ricoeur’s notion of “narrative identity.” Chapter Three focuses on a specific musical symbol used in the Sixth Symphony— commonly known as the Ewigkeit motive—and examines how Mahler’s use of this symbol in other works illuminates its philosophical meaning and its expressive role in the Sixth. The final case study, Chapter Four, theorizes that Mahler’s compositional process serves as the outward expression of his inner beliefs. It considers the development of the Seventh Symphony as evidence of how value-structures manifest themselves as modes of being and doing. The study concludes by drawing together the insights of the three analyses to offer an interpretation of Mahler’s worldview as expressed in the symphonic trilogy of the middle period. vii Table of Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................... xii List of Examples .......................................................................................................... xiii Introduction................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One Worldview Hermeneutics ................................................................................................ 6 Mahler's Worldview in the Secondary Literature .................................................... 7 A Survey of Studies ....................................................................................... 7 General Conclusions from the Survey ................................................................. 24 Problems with These Approaches ....................................................................... 25 Proposal for a New Approach ............................................................................. 29 A Brief History of Worldview: Towards a Definition ........................................... 30 Kant and the Idealists ......................................................................................... 30 Worldview for Mahler's Philosophers ................................................................. 33 Dilthey and Later Developments ......................................................................... 38 Worldview Defined ............................................................................................ 47 Worldview and Art ............................................................................................... 48 Kant and Early Romantic Aesthetics .............................................................. 48 Hegel's Aesthetics and Cultural Worldviews in Art ......................................... 50 Dilthey and Artistic Expressions of Individual Worldviews .............................. 52 Paul Ricoeur's Time and Narrative ....................................................................... 55 Summary of the Basic Argument................................................................... 55 Three-Fold Mimesis .................................................................................... 58 viii Worldview and Three-Fold Mimesis.............................................................. 65 Worldview and Narrative Identity ................................................................. 69 Worldview and Analysis ...................................................................................... 70 Chapter Two Triumph through Reconcilation: Mahler's Fifth Symphony and Narrative Identity ........ 74 Theoretical Concerns ............................................................................................ 80 Fundamentals of Musical Narrative ............................................................... 80 Mahler and Musical Narrative....................................................................... 85 The Fifth Symphony from Three Views ......................................................... 88 The Complete Symphonic Narrative .............................................................. 99 Part I: The Tragic Past ........................................................................................ 101 Overview: The Tragic Archetype ................................................................ 101 I. Trauermarsch. In gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein Kondukt. ................. 104 II. Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz. .............................................. 128 Part I: Conclusions .................................................................................... 146 Part II: The Romantic Present ............................................................................. 147 Overview: The Romantic Archetype ............................................................ 147 III. Scherzo. Kräftig, nicht zu schnell. .......................................................... 149 Part II: Conclusions ................................................................................... 166 Part III: The Comic Future ................................................................................. 167 Overview: The Comic Archetype ................................................................ 167 IV. Adagietto: Sehr langsam. ...................................................................... 169 V. Rondo-Finale ....................................................................................... 175 ix The Fifth Symphony and Narrative Identity .......................................................