Mahler Symphony No.6 "Tragic"

Symphony No.6 in A Minor Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Of all Mahler’s music, it was his sixth symphony which was the one most deeply felt by him. His wife, Alma, recalled that after a final rehearsal for the premiere, “Mahler walked up and down in the artists’ room, sobbing, wringing his hands, unable to control himself”. Today we are not so superstitious, but this symphony with its three hammer blows of fate, with the last one felling the hero, uncannily foretold Mahler’s own future, with three disasters the following year; the loss of his position of Director at the Vienna Opera; the death of his four year old daughter Maria; and then the diagnosis of his own fatal heart condition which ultimately led to his death aged only fifty.

Although not officially named as such, Mahler’s sixth has always been known as his Tragic Symphony. Although most of his music includes tragic elements, they either end triumphantly, or peacefully in serenity. The sixth alone ends in the minor key and in bleak doom. However this is Tragic as in an operatic drama, or Greek tragedy. This is not a pessimistic work to depress, but a magnificent work of great drama, strife and excitement, even if we know it is all going to end in eventual annihilation. This is music about the struggles of life itself.

Mahler was at his very peak when he composed the sixth symphony – in good health, his music was at last starting to get performed, he was happily married to the beautiful Alma, had two lovely young daughters and held the prestigious position of Director of the Vienna Opera. So it is strange that at this, the happiest of times, he was induced to compose such a work as his sixth symphony, following on from an even more tragic song cycle, Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the death of children).

Mahler composed the sixth symphony in his composing hut (Häuschen) at Maiernigg on the Wörthersee, southern Austria during his summer holidays in 1903 and 1904 and finally completed the orchestration on 1^st May 1905. However, its premiere had to wait until 27^th May 1906 in Essen in Germany with Mahler himself conducting.

Early audiences did not understand this symphony and for many years it was the one most rarely performed. Its first ever recording was not until 1952 under Charles Adler and the sixth did not start to become regularly performed and generally known until the late 1960’s when it became championed and recorded by Leonard Bernstein and then in the 1970’s by Herbert von Karajan and Bernard Haitink.

The sixth fits as part of his trilogy of middle symphonies with the fifth and seventh as supposedly absolute music. However, it is quite clear from the nature of the music that there are programmatic undercurrents, although they were never revealed. But as you listen to this music, you will have no doubt that you are listening to a great drama. You may not fully understand what it is about, but this symphony will no doubt carry you along rather like the symphonies of Beethoven do. Also, like a Beethoven symphony, the sixth is made up of a series of motifs which run through and are developed throughout the whole work, giving it great unity.

Mahler’s sixth is in many ways his most traditional. It is structured with the classic four movements with a traditional key structure and in sonata form. However, this is a symphony on a huge scale – lasting over 80 minutes long and written for vast orchestra exceptionally including woodwind in fives, with contrabassoon and bass clarinet; nine horns, six trumpets, four trombones, tuba, harps, celesta, two sets of timpani and large percussion section with such exotic non-instruments as cowbells, a brush and hammer! In total we have an orchestra of 105 musicians on stage this evening – possibly a record for the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra.

However, Mahler uses these vast forces sparingly and much of the music is chamber-like for small groups of players with themes being passed around the orchestra. These aspects makes playing a Mahler symphony a particular pleasure for most musicians, as every instrument is given its special place and is important at some point in the most skilful of orchestration.

When preparing the sixth symphony for performance, Mahler made some major changes, although the score had already been published. Most confusing of these was that originally he had written the middle movements in the order of Scherzo, then Andante. But while rehearsing he changed his mind and actually performed in the order of Andante, then Scherzo. The orchestra parts were changed to the latter, while the conductor’s score remained with the Scherzo as the second movement. There has been much debate ever since on the “correct”, order with arguments both ways and some notable proponents of both orders. However, tonight we are performing in the original order of Scherzo, then Andante.

The other major change made by Mahler was that the symphony was published with three hammer blows of fate in the last movement, but Mahler got highly superstitious of the last and fateful hammer blow, so deleted and performed with only the first two. However, the integrity of the music really needs that third blow, so we will be restoring it in our performance.

I. Allegro energico, ma non troppo – The symphony opens with a grim trudging march which develops into a more contemplative mood before we are given a passionate and romantic tune which Mahler told his wife Alma represented her. Throughout the movement the Alma tune is interspersed with the grim march theme, like good against evil, but first the opening section is repeated in true classical style. In the midst of the movement there is a quiet interlude where cowbells are heard for the first time and a version of the Alma theme presented with even greater passion. Mahler said the cowbells represented “The last greeting from earth to penetrate the remote solitude of the mountain peaks”. However we can’t take sanctuary in the mountains for ever and are soon once again moving forwards and after further developments the movement ends triumphantly.

II. Scherzo: Wuchtig – The scherzo is like a frightening nightmare. It starts with a grotesque triple-time version of the first movement’s grim march. The scoring is devilish with laughing woodwind, snarling brass and whipping strings. We get a gentler theme marked “old fashioned” from the oboe, but random metre changes from 3, to 4, to 2 beats to the bar continue to present a feeling of uncertainty and a picture of ghostly toddlers at play. Eventually the chatter and cries die away to nothing.

III. Andante moderato – After the fright of the scherzo we may need some calming and that is provided by this sublime Andante. After a beautiful pastoral song without words by the first violins, the cor anglais gives us a plaintive counter melody which bares a resemblance to his Songs on the death of children fourth song; Often I think they just went out for a walk. These melodies are interwoven, becoming ever more yearning and passionate. Clouds pass over and we go over the mountain peaks accompanied by the sound of cowbells, but the movement ends in serenity.

IV. Finale: Allegro moderato – This monumental movement lasts over half an hour and is widely considered to be Mahler’s “greatest music” with its incredible array of expressions including the three hammer blows of fate, “the last of which fells him as a tree is felled”. The movement opens with a violin figure soaring out of the darkness which is promptly knocked down, for the main theme of the movement to be unusually introduced by the tuba. This leads onto a low woodwind and tuba chorale, a leaping march led by the horns, to arrive in an alpine pasture with cowbells and the tuba impersonating an alphorn calling across the mountains. We now have some joyous and exultant music, before unexpectedly the first hammer blow falls “like an axe-stroke” as notated in the score. However, the hero seems to have picked himself up from this first blow and we now experience some off-beat music which may invoke a feeling of the Sorcerer's Apprentice complete with use of the rute, a birch twig brush hit against the side of a drum. This leads to a rather cheerful march, but not for long before the second hammer blow falls together with an anguished response from the brass. This leads to a recapitulation of the opening tuba theme now played by the horns. We are then treated to a meditative section apparently back in the mountains with distant cowbells and melodies by the oboe and solo violin, before we are on our way again with great gusto, with themes being thrown around all over the orchestra and then a stirring march looking like the hero is heading for triumph after all. However, when all looks won, the third hammer blow cruelly strikes a death blow to our hero. The tuba and trombones sing a final lament, before the basses and ‘cellos take us through to a bleak conclusion.