English Commentary by Sergio Cánovas 

Mahler’s fifth symphony was begun in 1901, after a serious illness: The night between February 24 and 25, Mahler almost died of a severe intestinal bleeding. During his convalescence, he made the schemes of the first movements. The following summer, at the end of June, when he returned to his composing place in Maiernigg he had begun a new life. He was not alone, accompanied by his wife Alma, who replaced his sister Justine as a housewife. Alma could also help her husband in his musical aspect by having extensive knowledge of music. She will be responsible for copying the score of the new symphony. On August 24, the score is finished, interpreting it on the piano in his Häuschen for his beloved wife Alma. Mahler made revisions, not finishing it until the fall of 1903.

Mahler decides to perform the new symphony in the Gürzenich Konzerte cycle in Cologne, with the Vienna Philharmonic, but during rehearsals in September 1904 he decides that he will have to revise the orchestration. In spite of everything, the work is premiered in Cologne on October 18, 1904. But the reaction of the public and criticism is divided. The symphony is published in Germany by Peters, but Mahler begins his interminable corrections that would last until 1909, although Peters refused to publish them.

The first movement consists of a funeral march with two intermediate sections as trios. It begins with a trumpet fanfare that gives way to a military-style funeral march. A second element is added in the form of a sad melody of the cellos following the rhythm of the march. All this first section is repeated in a varied way. The initial fanfare begins the first trio. A violent episode that ends when the initial fanfare and the themes of the march return. A roll of the timpani, following the motif of the fanfare, begins the second trio, which begins with the violins and takes elements of the first theme in varied form. It ends with a crescendo, after which the initial fanfare returns until the trumpet is left alone. In the coda appear elements of the march that are blurring to disappear.

The second movement begins in an agitated and expressionistic way, the violins present a tortured melody that is stopped by the brass. Then the orchestra is totally unstable, until the second theme appears, based on the melody of the second trio of the previous movement. One returns to the agitated atmosphere of the beginning of the movement, being stopped by a wide cantinela of the cellos to which they are adding other elements.

It follows a complicated development where the previous elements are mixed in daring counterpoints, taking the music to a state of growing excitement until the recapitulation with the tortured initial melody of the violins. Then follows quotations of the following subjects and a fight among them begins until it is stopped by a chorale in the form of solemn hymn in two parts, separated by a fanfare. It returns to the initial expressionist agitation that culminates in a climax. Calm returns, ending with the dissolution of the elements of the march. With this movement, ends the first part of the symphony, its most tragic side.

The second part of the work begins with a complicated scherzo, mixed with sonata elements. The themes used are a string of light waltzes derived from the German ländler. A horn call introduces the first waltz, in a style close to Richard Strauss’s music. The second waltz is played at a slower tempo. The first one reappears in a development section of the themes. A phrase of the horn precedes the trio.

It begins with an extraordinary pizzicato of the strings with themes derived from the previous ones. Continues with a personal development before returning to the scherzo section in the form of recapitulation. Variations of all the previous sections appear. The dull sound of the bass drum begins the end. The strings first and other instruments later recall one of the elements of the first waltz. The entrance of the horns leads the movement to its end.

The fourth movement is the famous adagietto, for strings and harps for which Mahler is so famous for his inclusion in the music of Visconti’s film, «Death in Venice.» The harp prepares the entry of the main theme, a dreamy melody of the strings, which is then repeated in a minor mode, which gives it a character of sadness. The expression increases, reaching its climax. The central section is more dramatic and is repeated in a variety of ways. In the third part, the initial section, started by the harp, is reexposed. Its final climax is more intense than that of the first part, ending later with a quiet coda.

The final movement is an allegro in an expanded form of rondo that also contains sonata elements. The main theme is cheerful and popular. The second theme derives from the adagietto. To these two subjects, is added an fugue section. With these elements, Mahler builds a symphonic building. At first, the wood interprets several motives. Among them is a theme previously used in one of his lied. It is the motif interpreted by the bassoon. Due to its anecdotal importance in the life of Mahler we will add the following comment

In the year 1896 he wrote one of his few humorous songs. It is the sixth lied in his collection «Lieder aus Des knaben Wunderhorn». It is the one that takes by title «Lob des hohen Verstanden». In a letter sent to his friend Anna von Mildenburg, Mahler writes, «It’s a very funny lied. It is a bet between a nightingale and an old cuckoo who takes as an arbiter a donkey. This one gives airs of importance to grant the prize to the cuckoo. You’ll laugh when you hear it.» In the singing contest the donkey values ​​the cuckoo’s routine song more than the nightingale’s difficult trills. Mahler found a way to avenge himself with this parody of his own critics, who did not understand his works. His appointment in the final movement of the symphony can be thought of as a mockery of these characters who would whistle his work.

After a introduction with various motives on the woods and the horn, the first main theme appears, followed by a section in the form of a fugue. Then, the first theme returns, followed again by the fugue with a theme in counterpoint. The second theme is derived from the adagietto with a faster tempo. With the conclusion of this theme, the exposition would end in the case of taking the movement in its sonata form. Continues with the development section that uses variations and overlays of the preceding topics. Again we hear the second theme. In the final section that would correspond to the recapitulation elements of the fugue and the introduction are heard, with the melody of the cited lied. The second theme is remembered and finally the chorale of the second movement leads us to the happy final coda.

This symphony is the first of its intermediate cycle, which includes three purely instrumental symphonies, 5, 6 and 7. Mahler did not write any program or introduce any explanatory text. After the great tetralogy, which comprises its first cycle, the fifth shows us the contradiction between two worlds, the tragic and the happy. The first part of the work, comprising two movements, presents us with the tragic part of life, with the memory of death with its great funeral march and the shouts of protest of the second movement. It seems that it is the union between both cycles. From the ingenuity of the first we pass to this second that could be classified as soberly realistic. The second part includes the frantic scherzo, contemplating the other side of life with its happy attitudes. Two opposing worlds of difficult reconciliation. The third part comprises the two final movements. A serene vision of the world full of peace and an end with exuberant joy.

Picture: «Danaë» (1907) by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt.

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