Page 236 - Vinkler, Jonatan, in Jernej Weiss. ur. 2014. Musica et Artes: ob osemdesetletnici Primoža Kureta. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.
P. 236
musica et artes
Despite some apparent early reordering of the movements, Mahler appears
to have settled on a five-movement order for the symphony, with two large,
mostly slow movements flanking two extended scherzo or scherzo-like mo-
vements with a short Purgatorio movement placed third. There are some si-
milarities with earlier symphonies, for example, the five-movement Seventh
Symphony is also symmetrically laid out, but of course the tempos of the
movem ents are completely different. It is much more to the Ninth Symphony
that we must turn to delve into the features of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony,
although it must be said at once that the two symphonies are not the same: for
example, the layout of the movements, despite some similarities, is very diffe-
rent. However, some of the composer’s processes have been carried over from
the Ninth to the Tenth and others can be understood in the context of the
earlier work. Both works thrive on conflict, which is apparent in the motivic
development and/or the formal manipulation of the different sections within
the movements.20
Looking at the first movement of the Tenth Symphony in some detail
should make this clear. The opening unaccompanied viola melody is some-
times described as introductory, but it is integral to the symphony’s themat-
ic development. Floros suggests that it has a similar character and purpose
to the English horn solo (known as Alte Weise) at the beginning of Act 3 of
Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, “Strangely enough, it has gone unnoticed that
the archetype of this theme is the melody of the English horn, the ‘sad tune’
of the shepherd from the third act of Tristan.”21 Jörg Rothkamm appears to
agree with this observation and to the seminal influence of this theme on the
rest of the symphony.22 The analysis of Wagner’s theme that was initiated by
Jean-Jacques Nattiez provides further evidence for the possible connection
between Mahler and Wagner.23 David Matthews thinks that Wagnerian con-
nections are very unlikely to be deliberate quotations. However, in view of the
considerable evidence for quotations that Henri Louis de La Grange24 and
20 See my paper on the Ninth Symphony: Niall O’Loughlin, “The Dark Underside of Transforma-
tion: Motivic Interaction in Mahler’s Ninth Symphony,” in Fin de siècle in Gustav Mahler – Fin de
siècle and Gustav Mahler, ed. Primož Kuret (Ljubljana: Festival Ljubljana, 2012), 211–218.
21 Floros, Gustav Mahler: the Symphonies, 302.
22 Rothkamm, Gustav Mahlers zehnte Symphonie: Entstehung, Analyse, Rezeption, 101–102.
23 Jean-Jacques Nattiez: “Essai d’analyse sémiologique tripartite,” Musicae Scientiae, Special issue
(1998): 43–61. Two other analyses in the same issue, Allen Forte, “A schenkerian reading” (15–26),
and Fred Lehrdahl, “Prologational struture and schematic form” (27–41), point in the same direc-
tion.
24 Henri-Louis de La Grange: “Music about music in Mahler: reminiscences, allusions, or quotations?,” in
Mahler Studies, ed. Stephen E. Hef ling (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997), 122–168.
234
Despite some apparent early reordering of the movements, Mahler appears
to have settled on a five-movement order for the symphony, with two large,
mostly slow movements flanking two extended scherzo or scherzo-like mo-
vements with a short Purgatorio movement placed third. There are some si-
milarities with earlier symphonies, for example, the five-movement Seventh
Symphony is also symmetrically laid out, but of course the tempos of the
movem ents are completely different. It is much more to the Ninth Symphony
that we must turn to delve into the features of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony,
although it must be said at once that the two symphonies are not the same: for
example, the layout of the movements, despite some similarities, is very diffe-
rent. However, some of the composer’s processes have been carried over from
the Ninth to the Tenth and others can be understood in the context of the
earlier work. Both works thrive on conflict, which is apparent in the motivic
development and/or the formal manipulation of the different sections within
the movements.20
Looking at the first movement of the Tenth Symphony in some detail
should make this clear. The opening unaccompanied viola melody is some-
times described as introductory, but it is integral to the symphony’s themat-
ic development. Floros suggests that it has a similar character and purpose
to the English horn solo (known as Alte Weise) at the beginning of Act 3 of
Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, “Strangely enough, it has gone unnoticed that
the archetype of this theme is the melody of the English horn, the ‘sad tune’
of the shepherd from the third act of Tristan.”21 Jörg Rothkamm appears to
agree with this observation and to the seminal influence of this theme on the
rest of the symphony.22 The analysis of Wagner’s theme that was initiated by
Jean-Jacques Nattiez provides further evidence for the possible connection
between Mahler and Wagner.23 David Matthews thinks that Wagnerian con-
nections are very unlikely to be deliberate quotations. However, in view of the
considerable evidence for quotations that Henri Louis de La Grange24 and
20 See my paper on the Ninth Symphony: Niall O’Loughlin, “The Dark Underside of Transforma-
tion: Motivic Interaction in Mahler’s Ninth Symphony,” in Fin de siècle in Gustav Mahler – Fin de
siècle and Gustav Mahler, ed. Primož Kuret (Ljubljana: Festival Ljubljana, 2012), 211–218.
21 Floros, Gustav Mahler: the Symphonies, 302.
22 Rothkamm, Gustav Mahlers zehnte Symphonie: Entstehung, Analyse, Rezeption, 101–102.
23 Jean-Jacques Nattiez: “Essai d’analyse sémiologique tripartite,” Musicae Scientiae, Special issue
(1998): 43–61. Two other analyses in the same issue, Allen Forte, “A schenkerian reading” (15–26),
and Fred Lehrdahl, “Prologational struture and schematic form” (27–41), point in the same direc-
tion.
24 Henri-Louis de La Grange: “Music about music in Mahler: reminiscences, allusions, or quotations?,” in
Mahler Studies, ed. Stephen E. Hef ling (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997), 122–168.
234
