Critical commentary on the fourth movement of Mahlers 4th symphony

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Critical commentary on Mahler 4

The fourth movement of Mahler’s 4th symphony can be described as a work of art- the small scale orchestra is not a hindrance to the overall timbre, but a carefully engineered plan which allows the details to shine through in small bursts of colour. Through this essay I will explore the use of form and how it shapes the movement as well as lyrical qualities and how they contextualise the piece.

The poem from which this fourth movement is derived is set as 5 stanzas which Mahler then sets as 4 verses by linking stanzas 3 and 4. As a verse by verse movement, we can assume that the fourth movement is in a strophic song form which is the most basic of forms (AAA...).  What Mahler does with this simplistic structure is quite captivating- he adds in small interludes which interrupt the main theme. The movement as a whole dives into an idea of what heaven is like from a child’s perspective. From this, we find very basic qualities amongst more profound texts.

The movement begins in G major. The introduction brings forward a musical idea which the Clarinet holds using crisp acciaccaturas. This is only accompanied by muted inner strings, first horn and the harp creating a sparse texture and thus accentuating the clarinets acciaccaturas. This idea is then repeated as an interlude and also forms the accompaniment to the solo part as a countermelody. Mahler’s use of instrumentation is very interesting in that he is constantly changing the combinations. A triangle is introduced followed by violins and woodwind, creating a more dense texture in bar 5. The first verse begins in bar 12 at figure 1 where the singer uses a similar melody as that of the introduction. Here, the singer is describing life in heaven, “We dance and we spring, We skip and we sing” This verse is the first of four and ends with a 3 bar phrase using organum which leads to a closing in A minor. A dramatic change in mood, alongside text which reads “Saint Peter in heaven looks on.”- A rather deep ending to the phrase, but one that gives clear indication of structure.

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At figure 3 (bar 40), an interlude follows to close the first verse. There is a massive change in timbre to accentuate the sudden mood swing. The Piccolo adds an almost shrill melody alongside violin I. The bell theme from the first movement returns- played by the oboes, clarinets and horns. This contrasts with the new sense of urgency and creates a twisted version of a once playful theme. Ascending semiquavers held in many parts in bar 53 cut out from bar 55 leaving them only in the viola part. Other than this, long held notes while the music gets ...

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