opera Der Rosenkavalier would like to suspend time but cannot, Mahler reminds us of this feeling we all have, of life slipping forward inevitably, whether we are prepared for it, or not. Time in this symphony stops only in the final movement, when the fanfares of the last call to judgement demand an accounting of our actions here on earth, juxtaposed with sounds from heaven, which, perhaps, promise us salvation. Mahler, of course, had visited this scenario before, in the Resurrection section of the Second Symphony; here in the Sixth he is taking a new view, offering us another look at time marching us forward. All of this is introduced even before Mahler dives into the opening movement’s second subject, which Alma, his wife, claimed to be a portrait of her. Yes, this music is passionate, just as she was. And it is also erratic, as she was. Yet I am not sure that Mahler really intended this music to represent his wife. To me, it does not match up with all that he said and wrote in words about his “Almschi” over their years together. Perhaps his view kept changing, as it does for any of us with a longtime friend or companion. Next, after repeating the musical elements thus far, to make sure we have all the essential ideas clearly in mind, Mahler works the musical themes and ideas against one another, almost like a sudden street brawl. The resulting fire and ire illuminates the conflicts, then dies away to a peaceful moment. Here, Mahler gives us a brief preview of the calm atmosphere that will pervade the next movement. Here, for just a few moments, quietly, the key of E-flat major yet to come is also previewed, briefly. The stormy process returns and continues, wild and restless. This leads us into the movement’s recapitulation, stating once more all of the initial themes — this time with even more anxiety, more nerves exposed, and shorter than the first time. Finally, Mahler tries, in the movement’s last major section, to take charge of the March, to flip it toward a message of triumph. With enormous effort, the materials coalesce; Mahler is on the verge of succeeding, of remembering joy. But, now, returning to A major, he shows us that this key is dangerous. The key A major may seem like the lightest and least confrontational of scales for music, but it is also the one most in danger of falling apart. And so it happens. The Severance Hall 2017-18
About the Music
Alma Mahler in 1909. After Mahler’s death, she claimed that one of the musical themes in the first movement of his Sixth Symphony is a portrait of her. They had a strongwilled and tempestuous relationship, shattered by the death of one of their daughters and her affair with Walter Gropius.
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