Gustav Mahler

* Symphony Nr.1

Het Concertgebouworchest/Leonard Bernstein
DGG 431 036-2

Summary for the busy executive: Lennie and his neuroses!

In Vienna F. Joseph Haydn and Carl von Dittersdorf founded a great
tradition in the last half of the 18th century: The tradition of symphony.
They got direct followers in Wolfgang Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven,
and the tradition kept going into our century with "The Second Vienniese
School" and Richard Strauss.  In the 19th century its main prophets was
Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler, the latter who despite he earned his
bread in conducting operas, composed no operas, but gave his own idea what
the symphonic form shall be, with his almost 11 complete great symphonies
(Das Lied von der Erde is here counted as a symphony).  Mahler also had a
certain influence on the composers who followed him.

Born 1860 in Kalischte in Boehmen, three times a stranger; as a Czech
in Austria, as an Austrian among Germans, and a jew throughout the whole
world, Mahler made his carrer as conductor in provicical operahouses.
Later on to in 1897 become Kapellmeister of the Vienna Hofoper.  He needed
to convert to catholizism and baptise to be able to get this post, and
still his jewish background, not to forget the significant reforms he made,
caused him many enemies, mainly represented by the antisemitic press.
This led to his resignation in 1907 followed by a period of conducting
elsewhere; famous is his tournee in America.  He used to work hard in the
seasons and in the summer semester he composed.  In spite of the sparesome
time he had to compose his achievement stands just as even greater.

The story of the first symphony's (in D major) creation is often a
bit messy, and this will be an attempt to bring some cosmos into it.
Mahler composed first a symphonic poem, which grew out to a symphony
"Blumine" which was finished in 1888 - five years before Dvoraks "From New
World"-symphony, five years after his own "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen"
and Brahms last symphony and, more important, eight years after Hans Rotts
symphony in E-major.  The first version of the 1st consisted of two parts;
"From days of Youth" and "Commedia Umana".  The latter of course a takeoff
from Dantes "Commedia Divina" (but the work also shows a strong connection
to Balzac), and had five movements.  As Mahler at the time for the birth
of this symphony was conductor of the Budapest Opera, it naturally saw its
first performance in Budapest.  A perfomance that became a famous fiasco.
The bad luck caused Mahler to rework the symphony.  He left out the slow
second movement ("Bluminenkapitel") and reworked the scherzo ("In full
Sail") which now became the second movement.  Mahler gave his new version
the name "Titan", not so much referring to the struggle between the ancient
gods of Greece, as to Jean Pauls opus with the same name, in which two
"Titans" ("Himmelstuermer") struggle for their aims of intellectual freedom
and peace.  This version was finished in 1893, and three years thereafter
Mahler made some additional changes in orchestration here and there and
made the coda of the last movement longer, and scratched out its title,
so it was printed as an unlabelled work.

The symphony opens with a slow meditative tempo, with clear pastoral
elements - all in all; the first movement is pastoral to its character -
after about four minutes overgoing in a somewhat quicker moderato tempo,
where the main theme is presented.  This theme, which comes from "Ging
heut' Morgens uebers Feld", the second song in "Lieder eines fahrenden
Gesellen", is thereafter repeted several times developing in different
ways.  This is atypical for Mahler, as throughout his symphonies, many
themes he considers greatness.  Everything is building up to a climax in
the middle of the movement after the pastoral mood takes over again.  This
pastoral is a worthy successor to Beethoven, as even also birddrills are
to be heard in the flute and oboe, and many other typical pastoral sounds.
The music stills, and when it is almost quiet in the nature, the contrabass
sets in adding a dark mood to the music, and disturbs the beautiful
natureidyll.  Everything isn't to pleasure which comes from nature (read:
life)!  The new pastoral then overgoes in a part of great polyphony with a
signallike theme that obviously is derived from a theme in the schrezo of
Hans Rotts 1880 symphony.  After some dissonant modulations, fanfares and
the signaltheme are to be heard again before the main theme returns and
ends the movement in a little coda.  The second movement is a clear scherzo
with a first dancelike subject that could be derived from Rott too.  Mahler
heard Rotts symphony before he wrote his 1st symphony and was highly
impressed.  He even claimed Rott to be a genious.  Rotts influence on
Mahler cannot be overstated.  There is a stubborn saying that goes that
Mahler did not know Rotts symphony until the mid 1890ies, but this is when
he studied Rotts score, he did know about the symphony before.  One might
remember that Mahler and Rott were friends at the conservatory.  With high
possibility Rott played parts from the work for Mahler on the piano, for
example, or showed him the score.  The main theme is to be heard twice in
the strings, before the woodwinds takes over with underlaying dissonance in
the strings.  This procedure is repeated until the horns build a brigde to
the Schubertian trio in meter.  The dancelike subject returns in the last
part of the trio in a more effectful orchestation.  The third movement
opens silent with timpani and basses, bassoon and oboe, playing a minor
version of "Bruder Martin" ("Frere Jacques").  When writing this part
Mahler was inspired of a picture he had seen in a childrens fairytale
book, of a hunter which is buried by the animals of the wood.  When
the procession has been walking for a while they pass a jewish
weddingcelebration, illustrated by the jewish melody in strings, clarinet
and trumpets.  An archromantic theme, which comes from the 4th Wayfarer
Song (where the text goes: "Auf der Strasse steht ein Lindenbaum"), takes
over (Mahler loves many themes!) before the canon of "Bruder Martin" rings
again in a modulation half a step upwards.  The romantic and jewish themes
are heard again shortly before "Bruder Martin" dies out.  The last movement
was one of Mahlers favourites, and he loved to draw a great energy from his
orchestras here when he conducted.  At one occasion, when the symphony was
performed in Bukarest, a woman in the audience got so scared up by the
pedalpoint with the cymbal clash and the bassdrum which open the movement,
so she jumped out from her seat in alarm, what Mahler found very funny, and
he used to tell about often.  The fourth movement is the most complicated
to describe, though most probably the most important movement of the
symphony.  It has also many themes.  The 4th movement I would like to
divide this movement in five major sections.  The first is the march that
follows the opening pedal point.  In tempo it should however never could
be a military march, but it is a fine concert march.  After about three
minutes a clamer part follows in thin orchestration with strings on a bed
of horns.  The third part has a thick orchrestration is darker and more
powerful.  The fourth part is very slow and quiet, and at last comes a
grand triumphant part which connects with the first movement with a figure
in cellos that reminds of the opening of Mozarts "Marrige of Figaro", and
the pastoral themes and moods.  The symphony ends with a triumphant coda
that owes much to the first movement.  And the circle is completed here.

The last movement is a very large one whichs like the audiences had seen
(or heard!) before only in Bruckner, and Wagners operas.  To get some
perspective on it: It lasts 17-20 minutes in total duration, has 730 bars
and more than 120'000 notes, of which half are in the string section.

The first movement is Lennies paradenumber.  From nothing the violines
start their octave Cs in sweetly played tune.  There is a high cuckoo that
seems to be not exactly in tune on the lower note, what is strange, as such
problems usually start to occur with them time as a result of heath and
tired musicians.  When the cuckoo comes back later in the movement, it is
though OK.  But this triviality actually doesn't matter when the playing is
so superb on the whole.  Het Concertgebouw, which is an orchestra used to
play Mahler, follows their conductor faithfull in wind and rain, and the
reward doesn't let wait for it.  The sensetive treating makes this possibly
the finest first movement of any Mahler one.  Balance is perfect.  The
build-up before the finale is ravishing!  The schrezo movement I would
describe as a little unkonventional, and of course this has to do with
Bernsteins tempi, which are slow.  Still the finales of the A-parts are too
quick, and in the very slowly taken B-part, which makes the scherzo-trio
feels long, he apparently belives he is conducting Schuberts "Rosamunda auf
Zypern".  But the trio is rather Schubertian in its style, so this muight
be forgivenable, and it is meanwhile nice to enjoy a little different
Mahler.  Bernstein opens the third movement with a relatively quick tempo,
and I would like to say: Too quick to make the soundlandscape accord with
the intentions, but I am also used to slower tempi.  The jewish wedding
however, has a better tempo and good phrasing.  The trumpets insert in the
weddingcelebration always seems to be a problem.  Here trumpets 3 & 4
sounds very well all through, but 1 &2 do not come out as completely as
they should.  The archromantic theme from the 4th Wayfarer Song rings so
sweet as it could ever do.  Bernstein to rejoice again!Bernstein creames
on very good and convincing in the opening of the fourth movement, and the
effect is great.  The bridgings between the A-B-A parts is generally very
very fine, no Stravinskijan scaffolding here!  The lone pizzicato cellist
misses the tempo at one occasion, and another a cympalclash and the
bassdrumbeat don't come at the same time.  But this is just bagatells.
The throughout playing is very fine, and Bernstein and het Concertgebouw
succedes in keeping the pace up and not loosing anything in energy
allthrough teh long movement.  I don't think that the fourth movement,
before the finale, needs any other comment that it is carefully and gentely
taken with great energy and insight, and the whole movement had been a
tremendeous succesess...if it hadn't been for the finale.  In the end,
right where the finale starts, Lennie gets too excited and take up a to
quick tempo.  He realizes that and slowen down the tempo at the next
pedalpoint.  To change tempo at this pedalpoint doesn't conflict with
Lennies general philosophy for tempos, as he use to change them at such
places, instead of continously and gradually change it, like for example
Toscanini would have done it.  Still this change in question could
rightfully be questioned.  At some places the strings have to stand back
for the brass, and the finale is a such place.  The violins accompaigment
on the same tone sounds not so little smoothen out, and comes to no effect
at all.  The Kubeliks, again, sounds much fresher with a clear string
staccatto, while Bernstein pours a thick sauce over his.  Fortunately the
brass shines in good sound.  All in all this could still have been a very
fine finale, but when the last phrase of the finale starts, Lennie can't
hold back any longer, and screw up the tempo completely.  To make a last
comparision with Kubelik, he knows that it is a good will to make a
powerful finale to Mahler one, but he also knows that a higher tempo
doesn't necesarily mean more power.  For example in Bersteins finale, the
trumpets get no time to phrase their figures, which are intended to supply
power before the final clashes, and no effect here either.  It justs seems
overdone.  A hard shot over the lath.  Booh Lennie!

If I would conclude with saying that in Kubeliks Mahler, I hear
Mahler, and in Bernsteins Mahler, I hear Bernstein, it would be somewhat
overdriven, but still there is some truth in it.  But I am thinking while
I am writing that perhaps it would be unfair to every recording to be
compared with Kubeliks 68, as it is an "optimal" recording, in the way now
a performance can be optimal.  For this review I actually didn't listen to
the CD, but to the cassette in headphones, which makes the sound equally
good to CDs, and sound is good and clear, perfectly tuned to a little
treble in the brass, perfectly for my taste.  On taste it should further
be said, that my questioneering of some things in the busy executive,
shouldn't overpaint the fact that this reading on the whole comes out
with good result, and I would even say it is one of the finest in the
litterature.  By a top orchestra doing its best work under a conductor who
conducts his "Herzstueck", and on the whole very well seems to catch the
shifting emotions that chracterizes Mahlers very special idiom, and after
all that is what is the important.  A good recording that should be in
every pretentious collection.

Mats Norrman
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