Mahler - Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection' (1894)

Question 1

What time period is Mahler’s Symphony No. 2?

Answer 1

Late Romantic

Question 2

What are the woodwind instruments used in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2?

Answer 2

• 4 flutes (all doubling piccolos)
• 4 oboes (3rd doubling cor anglais, 4th used only in mvmt. 5, doubling cor anglais)
• 3 Bb, A, C clarinets (3rd doubling bass clarinet)
• 2 Eb clarinets (2nd doubling 4th clarinet, doubling when fortissimo where possible)
• 4 bassoons (3rd doubling contrabassoon, 4th used only in mvmt. 5 and doubling contrabassoon)

Question 3

What are the brass instruments used in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2?

Answer 3

• 10 horns (7th–10th used only in mvmt. 5, both offstage and onstage)
• 10 trumpets (5th and 6th used only in mvmt. 5, onstage. 7th–10th used only in mvmt. 5, offstage)
• 4 trombones
• 1 tuba

Question 4

What percussion was used in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2?

Answer 4

• 2 sets of timpani (a third player is required but only in mvmt. 5, offstage)
• 2 bass drums (2nd with a cymbal attached, used only in mvmt. 5, offstage)
• several snare drums (used only in mvmt. 5)
• pair of cymbals
• 2 triangles (2nd used only in mvmt. 5, offstage)
• 2 tam-tams (high and low)
• Rute (used only in mvmt. 3)
• 3 deep, untuned bells (used only in mvmt. 5)
• Glockenspiel

Question 5

What other nonstandard instruments are used in Mahler’s Symphony No.2?

Answer 5

Organ, Chorus and soloists (soprano/alto) and harp.

Question 6

How many movements are in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2?

Answer 6

5 Movements:
I - Allegro maestoso.
II - Andante moderato.
III - In ruhig fließender Bewegung.
IV - Urlicht.
V - Im Tempo des Scherzos.

Question 7

What is the tonal plan of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2?

Answer 7

I - c minor
II - Ab Major
III - c minor
IV - Db Major
V - f minor/Gb Major

Question 8

What is the form of movement I in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2?

Answer 8

Modified Sonata Form
* The exposition is repeated with varied material, new material and different modulations.
* The development introduces a new theme (like Mendelssohn) which will be heard later in the symphony
* The coda is continuous variations on the opening march theme.

Question 9

What is the form of movement II in Mahler’s Symphony No.2?

Answer 9

Rondo Form (ABACA)

Question 10

What is the form of movement III of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2?

Answer 10

Scherzo form (Scherzo-Trio-Scherzo). There is some unusual development here. Notably the scherzo seems to be in ABAB form as opposed to rounded binary.

Question 11

What is the form of movement IV in Mahler’s Symphony No.2?

Answer 11

Ternary Form

Question 12

What is the form of movement V in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2?

Answer 12

It loosely follows sonata form, but there is an aspect of 2 distinct sections (instrumental and choral). It is largely governed by the text which makes the form hard to pin down.

Question 13

How does Mahler use melody in Symphony No. 2?

Answer 13

• He uses the Dies Irae theme in movement I, later used in movement V.
• In movement III, there are Jewish folk style articulations attached to the main melodic material.
• He doesn’t utilise periods and sentences - a lot of his music, like Beethoven, has a tendency to develop small fragments into significantly larger ideas over time.

Question 14

What interesting observations can be made about tonality in movement I?

Answer 14

• First movement begins in C minor, which moves to E Major (raised mediant) for the second subject (unusual). Development hints at Eb Major (the main tonality for the finale).

Question 15

How does Mahler use harmony in his Symphony No.2?

Answer 15

• There is a lot of chromaticism and harmony is often dictated by chromatic voice leading (chromatic melodies).
• Mahler also likes to play with modal frustration (hinting at parallel major and minor tonic chords) in particular, in movement I there is a lot of hints at Eb minor even though the musical direction is to Eb Major.
• He uses the ‘cry of despair’ (heard in movement 3 and 5). This is a Bb minor chord over a C pedal.

Question 16

How did Mahler use the orchestra in his Second Symphony?

Answer 16

• He used vast forces (look at instrumentation).
• He also explored colour in novel ways - he saw the orchestra as a vehicle for shifts in mood/atmosphere.
• In movement II there is an entire strand of his Landler form that uses only pizzicato strings.
• End of movement 3 has offstage brass.

Question 17

How did Mahler use folk in Symphony No. 2?

Answer 17

• There is a Ländler form for movement 2
• There is use of Jewish folk ideas in the melodies of movement 3.

Question 18

What can be observed about form in Mahler’s Second Symphony?

Answer 18

It is still rather traditional in a sense - the first movement is sonata form, the slow movement and dance are located where they should be. There is an addition of another slow movement for IV, but this coincides with his introduction of the vocalists into the piece before the gigantic final movement.

Question 19

What are the parallels between Mahler and other symphonies?

Answer 19

There is definitely parallels between Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven’s Ninth, especially in the use of chorus for the finale and the melodic handling of material. There are also parallels with Symphonie Fantastique in the use of offstage brass.

Question 20

What can be said about the use of tonality in Mahler’s Symphony No.2?

Answer 20

He tends to explore tonal centres frequently, with no particular regard for traditional rules. The movements don’t really align to the tradition plan (mvt. 2 is submediant key, movement 4 has a Neapolitan relationship to c minor, and movement 5 shifts so frequently between keys it’s not possible to have a central tonal centre)

Question 21

What observations can be made about tonality in movement II?

Answer 21

• Second movement moves between Ab Major (submediant) and G#m.

Question 22

What observations can be made about tonality in movement 3 of the Resurrection Symphony?

Answer 22

• Third movement is in c minor.

Question 23

What observations can be made about the tonality in movement 4 of the Resurrection Symphony?

Answer 23

• Fourth movement is in Db Major (unique)

Question 24

What observations can be made about the tonality in movement 5 of the Resurrection Symphony?

Answer 24

• Fifth movement: (First half) Fm – Bbm – C – Ab – F – C#m – Db – F # m – Gb / (Second half) Gb – Bbm – Ab – Eb (destination)