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Listening Guide The Work Tempo: Sehr langsam (Very slowly) Key: F (with modulations in the B section to C minor, G-flat major, E major, D major, etc.). Time Signature: 4/4 Form: ABA

Listening Guide The Work Third Movement: Scherzo In what strange simplification and falsification man lives! One can never cease wondering once one has acquired eyes for this marvel! How we have made everything around us clear and free and easy and simple! How we have been able to give our senses a passport to everything […]

Listening Guide The Work Tempo: Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz. (Stormily agitated, with the greatest vehemence). Key: A minor, F minor in the second theme, with various major and minor key modulations; E minor for the second theme in the recapitulation and D major for the Grand Chorale. Time Signature: 2/2 Form: ABABA with introduction […]

Listening Guide The Work Tempo: Trauermarsch. In gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein Kondukt. (Funeral March. In measured tread, austere, like a funeral cortège.) Key: C-sharp minor (modulating to A-flat, then to B-flat minor for the first trio, D-flat major and then A minor for the second trio, etc.) Time Signature: 2/2 Rhythm: funeral march. Form: […]

Listening Guide The Work Date(s) of Composition: 1901-02; published by C. F. Peters (1904), revised edition, 1919. Place of Composition: Maiernigg and Vienna Premiere: Cologne, 18 October 1904. Orchestration: 4 flutes (3rd and 4th double with piccolo); 3 oboes (3rd doubles with English horn); 3 clarinets (3rd doubled with bass clarinet); 3 bassoons (3rd doubles […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: B minor in the piano version and the Kritische Gesamtausgabe; B-flat minor and A minor in other orchestral editions. Tempo: Ruhig. Gleichmässig. (Restful, evenly) Time Signature: 3/2, alternating with 2/2, 4/2 and 6/2. Orchestration: no strings; 2 flutes; 2 oboes (oboe d’amore in A minor version); 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: F major in piano version; E-flat major in orchestral version (with modulations into A-flat and then C major and minor. [N.B., the volume of the Critical Edition of Mahler’s works prepared under the auspices of the International Gustav Mahler Gesellschaft, Vienna, devoted to the orchestral version of four Rückert-Lieder includes […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: C major. Tempo: Innig, fliessend (tender, flowing) (fliessend does not appear in the orchestral score) Time Signature: 3/4 with numerous changes. Form: simple strophic form Orchestration: According to the original orchestral score, published by C. F. Kahnt, this song was not orchestrated by Mahler, but by an employee of the publisher, […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: D major (E-flat major in final verse) Tempo: Sehr zart und innig (Very tender and intimate) Time Signature: 6/4 (3/4 in final six measures) Rhythm: continuous eighth-note ostinato interwoven around the quarter-notes of the vocal line like Athe gentle rocking rhythm of a lullaby. Form: Two-part song form. Orchestration: 1 […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: F major (second and final verse in the minor key) Tempo: Sehr Lebhaft (Very fast). Time Signature: 2/2 Rhythm: nearly moto perpetuo eighth-notes Form: AA’; AA’ (A’ episodes in the minor) Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder! Meine Augen schlag’ ich nieder, Wie ertappt auf böser Tat. Selber darf ich […]

Listening Guide The Work Dates of Composition: 1901 (Rückert-Lieder); 1902 (Liebst du um Schönheit); published as Sieben Lieder Aus Letzter Zeit 1910 (C. F. Kahnt). Place of composition: Maiernigg Type of composition: 5 Songs in versions with piano and orchestral accompaniment. Blicke Mir Nicht In Die Lieder Janet Baker, mezzo‑soprano New Philharmonia Sir John Barbirolli, conductor […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: D minor (with occasional hints of B-flat and A major), ending in D major. Tempo: Mit ruhelos schmerzvollem Ausdruck (With a restless, painful expression). Time Signature: 4/4 Form: free strophic form with a prelude and postlude, each verse being separated by an interlude of varying length. The last verse is […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: E-flat major (with each verse beginning in the minor), modulating to G-flat during each verse. Tempo: Ruhig bewegt, ohne zu eilen (calmly restless, without hurrying) Time Signature: 2/2 (with a few bars of 3/2) Form: ABABAB Oft denk’ ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen! Bald werden sie wieder nach hause gelangen! […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: C minor (modulating to G minor). Tempo: Schwer, dumpf (Weighty, muffled) Time Signature: 4/4 alternating with 3/2. Form: ABAB. Wenn dein Mütterlien tritt zur Tür herein, und den Kopf ich drehe, ihr entgegen sehe, fällt auf ihr Gesicht erst der Blick mir nicht, sondern auf die Stellen, dort, wo würde […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: C minor (original piano version in C-sharp minor) with several modulations to C major, D major, G minor and B-flat major. Tempo: Ruhig, nicht schleppend (Restful, do not drag) Time Signature: 4/4 (with a few measures of 3/2 and 2/4) Form: ABCB (with a brief introduction and coda) Nun seh’ […]

Listening Guide The Work Key: D minor/major with various modulations. Tempo: Langsam und schwermütig; nicht schleppend (Slow and melancholy; do not drag) Time signature: 4/4 Form: AABA based upon the four verses of the poem. Nun will die Sonn’ so hell aufgeh’n Als sei kein Unglück die Nacht gescheh’n. Das Unglück geschah nur mir allein. […]

Listening Guide The Work 5 Songs on Poems by Friedrich Rückert Dates of composition: The first, third and fourth songs were written during the summer of 1901; the second and fifth were added in June, 1904. Pub. (C.F. Kahnt 1905). Place of composition: Maiernigg Type of composition: 5 Songs in versions with piano and orchestral accompaniment. A […]

Listening Guide The Work Tempo: Sehr Behaglich (Very Relaxed). Key: G major (ending in E major). Time Signature: 4/4 Form: strophic in 4 verses with a prelude and postlude. Text: Das Himmlische Leben from Des Knaben Wunderhorn (1892) Wir genießen die himmlischen Freuden, D’rum tun wir das Irdische meiden. Kein weltlich’ Getümmel Hört man nicht […]

Listening Guide The Work Tempo: Ruhevoll (poco adagio) (restful). Principal Key: G major Time Signature: 4/4 Form: Double theme and variations (ABABA Coda)

Listening Guide The Work Tempo: In gemächlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast. (In an easy motion. Without haste). Key: C minor/major (with an F major trio) Time Signature: 3/8 Rhythm: slow ländler Form: scherzo with two trios.