The Heavenly Life: A Guide to Mahler's Symphony No. 4

For three years, Mahler had composed almost nothing. His first three gargantuan symphonies had only met with sporadic success, ... TheHeavenlyLife:AGuidetoMahler’sSymphonyNo.4Forthreeyears,Mahlerhadcomposedalmostnothing.Hisfirstthreegargantuansymphonieshadonlymetwithsporadicsuccess,iftheywereperformedatall,andhewasconsumedwiththeHerculeantaskofhisnewjob:runningVienna’sImperialOpera.Mahlerwasdeterminedtotransformthedeclininginstitutionintoamusicalandtheatricalexperienceunlikeanytheworldhadeverseen.Hewoulddrageveryoneelse—kickingandscreamingifnecessary—tonewheightsofmusicalprecisionandexpression,changingoperaandtheartofconductingforever.GustavMahlerin1898.Hisdailylife,however,wasaneverendingbattlewithmusicians,setdesigners,administrators…andespeciallysingers.Whenrecalcitrantartistsfeltbulliedbyhisdemands,theyoftenairedtheirgriefstotheanti-Semiticpress,whichwasonlytoohappytopublishexaggerated,uglystoriesabouttheopera’snewdirector(sometimesevenfabricatingthemoutright).BornintoaMoravianJewishfamily,MahlerhadpublicallyconvertedtoCatholicisminordertobeconsideredforthepost.WhilethissatisfiedKaiserFranzJoseph,itfailedtoplacateVienna’sincreasinglyvirulentanti-Semites.Bitbybit,however,hisreformstookhold.Atleastforhisfirsttwoyearsasdirector,Vienna’scriticswereunanimousintheirpraiseofhiswork.Eventheanti-Semiticpapersstruggledtofindsomethingtocritiquewithregardtohisperformances.Thepriceforartisticperfection,however,wasnotonlyincessantstruggle,butalsolosttime.Mahlerhadtoforcehimselftoignoremusicalideasthatcametohimduringtheoperaseasonbecausehehadnotimeforcomposition.Hissummervacations,normallyprimecomposingtime,becamestrangelyunproductive,andheonlymanagedtowriteafewshort,albeitmasterful,songs.Mahlerbegantofearthathisinspirationwasdryingupandhisdaysofwritingmajorworkswereatanend.CaricaturesofMahlerconductingpublishedinViennain1901.Thesummerof1899hadbeenasfallowasthetwoprevioussummers—worse,infact,becausehewasstayinginatownwhereabandwouldplay“serenades,funeralmarchesandweddingmarcheseverydayfromeleveno’clockandonSundayfromeightinthemorning,”drivingMahlertodistraction.Then,withonlyafewweeksofvacationleft,thedamburst.Mahlerhadbeensufferingfromconstipation,andhadtakenalaxative.Afterspendingseveralhoursinthesmallestroomofthehouse,heemergedwithanewlycomposedsong:“Revelge,”nowregardedasoneofhisgreatestmasterpieces.Mahlerhimselfnevertiredofrecountingtheunusualcircumstancesofitscreation.ThecomposinghutwhereMahlercompletedhisSymphonyNo.4.PhotoCredit: JohannJaritz.Withoneworkfinished,anothersoonbegantotakeshapeinhismind:asymphony.Mahlerracedtowritedownasmuchashecould,fearingthathewouldhavetoreturntothedreadedgrindoftheoperabeforehecouldfinishit.Injusttendays,hemanagedtosketchwhatwouldbecomehisFourthSymphony,butitwasfarfromfinished.Mahlerlefttherestofitforthefollowingsummer,anguishedbythethoughtthathemightnotbeabletorememberhowitwentaftertheinterveningmonths.Determinedthathewouldhavenodistractionsthenextsummer,Mahlerpurchasedsomelandinaquieteralpinevillageandhadahouseconstructedthere.Inadditiontothemainbuilding,therewasalsoasmallcomposinghutsomedistanceaway,surroundedbytrees.Ittookhimafewweekstosettlein,buttohisgreatreliefhesoonfoundthemusiccomingbacktohim.Workingallday,Mahlercomposedanewandunusualworkthatwouldexplorethemesofchildhood,innocenceandspirituality,completingitjustafewweeksafterhisfortiethbirthday.ANewDirectionItwasMahler’smostsophisticatedscoreyet,butforallitsrefinements,themusicalsopossessedachildlikesimplicity.InaconversationwithhisfriendNatalieBauer-Lechner,hecomparedhisnewsymphonytothe“uniformblueofthesky.”Itwasunlikeanyofthesymphonieshehadwrittenbefore.Withtheirheaven-stormingpassages,giganticorchestrasandvastdimensions,Mahler’sfirstthreesymphonieshadwonhimareputationasagreatnoisemakerandmusicalmodernist.Awareofthis,Mahlercheekilynotedthathisnewsymphonydidn’tincludeanytrombones(someoftheloudestinstrumentsintheorchestra),anditalsoclockedinatunderanhour(compactbyMahlerianstandards).Whilehestillemployedalargeorchestra,heusedtheinstrumentsforcolorratherthanvolume,andalmostneverallatonce.Althoughheconfessedthathehadthoughtofsomebeautifulones,herefusedtopublishprogrammaticmovementtitlesashehaddonewithhisfirstthreesymphonies,“soastoavoidgivingrisetofurtherabsurdmisunderstandings.”Betweenhissketches,remarksmadetofriendsandthemusicitself,however,itispossibletoformaconjectureastowhatMahlerhadinmind.ASongofInnocenceandExperienceThesymphony’sopeningisoneofthemostenchantingintheliterature:Mahlerbeginswiththechillysoundofsleighbellsbeforetakingusinsidetoacracklingfire:Anoteaboutthisrecording:itfeaturesaperformanceconductedby WillemMengelberg,whoconsultedMahlerhimselfwithregardtothesymphony’sinterpretation.ItisthustheclosestwewillevercometoknowinghowMahlermighthaveconductedit.Listenersaccustomedtomoderninterpretationswillnoticeamuchgreaterdegreeofflexibilityoftempothanusual.Schubertplaysthepianoforagatheringoffriends,asdrawnfrommemorybyhisfriendMoritzvonSchwindin1868,manyyearsafterSchubert’sdeath.Mahlersaidthatthefirstthreenotesofthemelodyintheviolinsshouldbesavored“inthesamewayaswebegina‘Viennesewaltz’inVienna.”Thismusicistheepitomeof gemutlichkeit,anuntranslatableGermanwordthatencompassesboth“coziness”and“belonging.”Ithasadelightfullydomestic,nostalgiccharacter,inpartcreatedbyamelodicstylethatstronglyrecallsSchubert’smusic.MahlerhadbeenfamiliarwithSchubert’spianosonatassincehisstudentdays,andduringthesecondsummerMahlerspentworkingonthissymphonyhereadthroughallofSchubert’schambermusicandsongs(over600worksintotal)whentakingbreaksfromworkingonhisownsymphony(proofthatyoucantaketheworkaholicoutoftheoffice,butyoucan’ttaketheofficeoutoftheworkaholic).SomescholarshaveevensuggestedthatspecificpassagesbySchubertmayhaveservedasmodelsformelodiesinthissymphony.MahlerwaslikelyattractednotonlybySchubert’sprettytunes,butalsobyhismusicalstructure.Schubert’sworksarefamousfortheir“heavenlylengths”;hewasabletoexpandtraditionalmusicalformsbyconstructingthemwithaseeminglyendlessstreamofmelody.ForacomposerlikeMahlerwhowantedtoexpandthesymphonybothintimeandemotionalscope,Schubertlikelyservedasahelpfulmodel.AtypicalBiedermeierinterior.MahlerhadmorethanpurelymusicalreasonsforreferencingSchubert,however;by1900,Schubert’smusicwasassociatedwiththeBiedermeierera,aperiodfollowingtheNapoleonicWarsthatwasrememberedasatimeofpeace,stability,prosperity,andpoliticalreaction.Eagertopreventanytraceofrevolutionaryactivity,Austria’spoliticalelitesinstitutedastrictcensorshipregimefollowingNapoleon’sdefeat.Artiststhustendedtoshyawayfrompoliticaltopics,focusinginsteadonsentimentaldepictionsoffamilylife—gemutlichkeit.Itwasaneraofwaltzes,frillyinteriordesign,andartthataimedtopleaseratherthanaskprobingquestions.Schubert’smusiccanbereadasinternalcritiqueoftheera,givenitscombinationofBiedermeierstyleandintenseemotionaldepth.Additionally,Schubert’sownunconventionallifestyledidn’texactlymatchuptotheidealizeddepictionsoffamilylifepopularinBiedermeierfiction—hehaddiedpennilessattheageof31,mostlikelyasaresultofsyphilis.Mahlercomparedthemelodiesofthefirstmovementto“adewdroponaflowerthatsuddenlyilluminatedbythesun,burstsintoathousandlightsandcolors.”ItwouldseemthatMahlerchosethiseraasakindof“setting”forhisFourthSymphony,onethatparticularlyresonatedwiththethemesofchildhoodandinnocencethathefoundhimselfexploring.Inthefirstmovement,onelovelySchubertianmelodyfollowsanotherinwhatMahlerlikenedto“adewdroponaflowerthatsuddenlyilluminatedbythesun,burstsintoathousandlightsandcolors.”Afterintroducingthiswealthofideas, thesleighbellsreturn.Wethenhearasolofromaviolin,aninstrumentthatwillhaveaprominentrolethroughoutthissymphony.Thistime,thesoloviolintakesaturntodarker,strangertonalities.Anumberofcommentatorshavenotedthe birdcall-likefigures inthewoodwindsthatfollow.Perhapswehavesnuckawayintothewoods,strayingfartherandfartherfromtheinnocenceofthefamilyhearth.“Butsometimestheatmospheredarkensandgrowsstrangelyterrifying,”Mahlersaid.“Notthattheskyitselfcloudsover:itgoesonshiningwithitseverlastingblue.Butwesuddenlybecomeafraidofit,justasonabeautifuldayinthesun-dappledforestoneisoftenovercomebyapanicterror.”Themusicbuildstoa thunderousclimax,followedbya softbutmenacingfigure inthetrumpet.Mahlerreferredtothistrumpetfigureas“thelittlesummons,”comparingittoacommandermarshallinghistroops.PerhapsevenmorerevealingisthatMahleruseditasthebasisof thefuneralmarchthatbeginshisFifthSymphony.Soonafter,themelodiesfromthefirstpartofthemovementreturn, beginninginmid-phrase,asiftheyhadbeengoingonallalongwhilewewereawayonouradventure.Theyarenotquitethesame,however.Mahlerrefusedtoeverwritealiteralrepetitionofanymusicalidea.Hewantedhismusicalnarrativetoreflecttheirreversibilityofthepassageoftime—justasonecannotgobackandreliveaportionofone’slife,musicalideascannotreturnexactlyastheywerebefore. Asthemovementdrawstoaclose,themusicslowsandfadesintoalullaby-likeatmosphere,thesetupforafinalburstofchildishglee.“Playingusuptoheaven”Inhis1872selfportrait,theGermanartistArnoldBöcklindepictedFreundHeinplayingafiddleoverhisshoulder.Inthesecondmovement,thesoloviolinreturnsinanewguise.Mahleroriginallygaveitthefollowingsubtitle:“FreundHeinstrikesupthedanceforus;hestrokesthefiddlemoststrangelyandplaysusuptoheaven.”FreundHeinwasanallegoricalfigurefromGermanfolklorewhorepresenteddeath.MahlergivestheviolinFreundHein’sskeletalgrinbyaskingthesoloisttotunehisinstrumentawholetonehigherthanusual,creatingashrill,roughsoundlikethatofacountryfiddle.InbetweentheappearancesofFreundHein,Mahlerwrotecontrastingepisodesofstrangeandenchantingmusic,whichhelikenedto musical“spider’swebs.” Someofthemelodiesareeven sweetlysentimental,butintheendFreundHeinalwaysreturnswithhiseeriefiddle.Theslowthirdmovementis therealheartofthesymphony;Mahlersaidthatitremindedhimofhismother’ssmile.Althoughithasafewidiosyncrasies,itisadoublethemeandvariations:twomainmelodiesalternateandarevariedwitheachreappearance.Thefirst,whichbeginsthemovement,isatendermelodythatfirstappearsinthecello;thesecond, amoreplaintive,melancholylineintheoboe.Thetwoalternate, buildingtoaheart-wrenchingclimax beforedyingaway.Duringthedenouement, afast,carnivalesquepassage threatenstooverwhelmthemeditativemood,onlytobereinedinbythehorns.Then,everythingcomestoahalt,andtheorchestraexplodesintoa coruscatingwallofsound representingthegatesofheaven.Atthismoment,Mahlerwassorelytemptedtoincludetrombonesforafewmeasures,butintheendhemanagedtoopenthegatesofheavenwithoutthem.Now,hesaid,“everythingwillbeunraveled,andyouwillunderstandthatnoharmwasmeantafterall.”Thetitlepageofthe1806editionofDesKnabenWunderhorn.Havingpassedthroughthegates, thefinalmovementbringsusintoheavenitself.Unconventionally,Mahlerchosetoendhissymphonywithasongforsolovoiceandorchestra,somethingnocomposerhadeverdonebefore.ThetextofthesongwastakenfromoneofMahler’sperennialsourcesofinspiration, DesKnabenWunderhorn,“TheYouth’sMagicHorn,”acollectionofanonymousGermanfolkpoetry.Mahlerwasattractedtothesimplicityandnaïvetéoffolkpoetry,whichhefeltwasclosertonaturethanmoreliteraryverses.Thispoem presentsachild’svisionofheaven.Itisusuallysungbyanadultfemalesoprano,preferablywithalight,bright,childlikevoice,althoughMahlerindicatedthatitcouldalsobesungbyaboysoprano.Mahleractuallywrotethismovementeightyearsearlierasanindependentsongcalled“DashimmlischeLeben,” or“TheHeavenlyLife.”HehadoriginallyintendedtousethissongasthefinalmovementofhisThirdSymphony,butdecidedtosaveitforanothertimewhenherealizedhowlonghisThirdwasgoingtobeevenwithoutit.Hemadeafewminorchanges,butleftitmostlythewayithadbeen.Fromthebeginning,thismovementhadbeenthedestinationandsourceoftheentirework.Mostoftheprecedingmelodicideaswerederivedfromsmallmotifsinthesong,creatingasenseofarrivalandfulfillment.Foradepictionofheaven,themusicisremarkablyearthy,reflectingthefolkoriginsofthepoem.Thechildpictureswhatlifeinheavenmustbelike,amusinglynotingthat“Weleadangeliclives,yethaveamerrytimeofitbesides.”Angelsplayingmusic.PerhapsachamberversionofMahler’sFourth?DetailofElGreco’sTheAnnunciationfromtheMuseoNacionaldelPrado.Thechildthenimaginesagreatheavenlyfeast. Thesleighbellsreturn,nowwithafiercewinterwindbehindthem,asSt.Johnleadsalittlelambtotheslaughterforthebanquet.Thechild’simaginationprovesalltooboundtoearthlylife:itseemsthereisdeatheveninheavenitself.Thistroublingscenesoonpasses,however,andthesymphonyconcludeswiththechildlisteningto themusicoftheangels:Thereisjustnomusiconearththatcancomparetoours.Ceciliaandallherrelationsmakeexcellentcourtmusicians.Theangelicvoicesgladdenoursenses,sothatallawakenforjoy.Perhapsthereisnomusiconearththatcancompare,butintheserenityofthissymphony’sfinalmoments,Mahlersurelycomesclose.There’sAlwaysaCriticAtthe1901premiereinMunich,thesymphonymetwithnearuniversalincomprehension.OneyoungmusicianbythenameofWilliamRitterrecalled,“Somethingwasup…Weallfeltitatonce…Thissymphonyobviouslyspeltdanger.”ListenerswhohadappreciatedMahler’smonumentalSecondSymphonywerepuzzledbythequietintimacyofthisnewwork;hisrichallusionstoSchubertandfolkmusicwereinterpretedasalackoforiginality;manyweredisturbedbythejuxtapositionof“high”and“low”musicalstyles,whichsoundedvulgartothem;thesensualbeautyofsomepassageswasdeemedoverlysexualandillicit,whilemoredissonantpassageswerederidedas“eartorturingeffects.”Whilesomepraisedthecomplexityofhisorchestrationandtechnique,manyfeltthatthissophisticationmadethemusic’schildlikenaïvetésoundinsincere;otherscomplainedthatMahlerhadclearlywrittenprogrammusic,buthadprovidednoprogram,withoutwhichthescorewasincomprehensible;andotherscouldnotseepasttheirownanti-Semiticprejudice,believingthatanythingwrittenbyaJewishcomposermustbeathreat.Onerepresentativereviewarguedthatthesymphonywasnothingbut“technique,calculation,vanity,amorbidandinsipidsupermusic,ashapelessstylisticmonstrositythatcollapsesunderasurfeitofwittydetails.”AnotherbelievedthatMahler,having“finallydiscoveredthathelackedtheessentialfacultiesforcomposing”hadintendedhissymphonyasamonstrousjoketo“seehowmuchthepubliccanbemadetoswallowwithoutperceivingthatit’sbeingridiculed.”Tragically,Mahler,themostsincereofcomposers,hadbeencompletelymisunderstood.ButtherewereafewwhorealizedwhatMahlerhadmeant.Oneespeciallyinsightfulcritic,ArthurSeidl,wrotethat“Mahlerisareal‘GodSeeker.’Hismostsecretinnerbeingcontemplatestheimmensityofnaturewithareallyreligiousfervor;heisinexorablydrawntowardtheenigmaofexistence…itisthecriticswhoconsiderhimwithanironiceyeandfindonlyaffectationinhismusic;itistheywhoarestubbornandwhocannotfindthekeytohisnaïveandchildlikeworld!”Itwouldbemany,manyyearsbeforeMahler’sSymphonywouldfinallybemorewidelyappreciated.Eventoday,thiscomplexworkraisesmorequestionsthanitanswers.Itslastnotesleavelistenerswondering,“Whatnext?”That,however,isastoryforanothersymphony:Mahler’sFifth.SharePostfacebooktwitterRelatedPostsLeaveaReplyCancelreplyYouremailaddresswillnotbepublished.Requiredfieldsaremarked*Comment*Name*Email*WebsiteSavemyname,email,andwebsiteinthisbrowserforthenexttimeIcomment.FollowUsfacebooktwitterinstagramyoutubeGETSPECIALOFFERSSubscribetoournewsletterName:YourEmailAddress:CategoriesCategoriesSelectCategory13-14Season2010-2011season2011-2012season2012-2013season2013DayofMusic2013ViennaTrip2014-2015Season2015-2016Season2016-17Season2017-18Season2018-2019Sea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