Today I received Mahler Symphony #8 in the mail, as well as Das Lied von der Erde and Aaron Copland's "What to Listen for in Music." I find it a bit strange that Mahler's Eighth, while being as fantastic and colossal a work as all his others, is divided into two "parts", rather than the usual 4-5/6 movements. I am relatively new to Classical Music, but I am wondering, is this common for a symphony to be divided into parts rather than movements, or is Mahler 8 just an exception?
You can actually divide the 8th in more sections, the second part I mean (that's what the EMI booklet for Tennstedt shows, I'll transcribe it later for you as I can't seem to find the cd right now).
Yes, glad you brought that up, The Mad Hatter. The Fifth is arranged in three parts, though these "parts" are still consisted of movements, whereas the Eighth seems to be just two parts, without specific movements titled with tempo markings, unlike all of his others.
Poco Adagio:
'Waldung, Sie Schwankt Heran'
'Ewiger Wonnebrand' - Jorma Hynninen
'Wie Felsenabgrund Mir Zu Fussen' - Hans Sotin Allegro deciso:
'Gerettet Ist Das Edle Glied'
'Uns Bleibt Ein Erdenrest'
'Hier Ist Die Aussicht Frei' -
'Hochste Herrscherin Der Welt' - Adagissimo:
'Dir, Der Unberuhrbaren'
'Bei Der Liebe, Die Den Fussen' -
'Neige, Neige, Du Ohnegleiche' -
'Blicket Auf Zum Retterblick' -
'Alles Vergangliche'
'Gloria Patri Domino'
It makes sense for me. But can't check with other recordings as this is the only original one I have. All the other 8th's in my posession come from broadcasts and rare stuff.
Part I is indeed continuous, but as Manuel states, Part II can be broken down into 3 sections.
Incidentally, these 3 sections loosely correspond to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th mvmts of a standard symphony, and Adagio, a Scherzo and a Finale... loosely.
The 1916 American premiere of Mahler's 8th, Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Notice the 2nd violins on the outside, the cellos on the inside and the contrabasses behind the 1st violins. Cruicial seating for Brahms, Bruckner and Mahler (Vienna).
Yes I have seen that picture before, Kurkikohtaus, very cool, though I never before noticed the different seating until what you said. Very interesting...Thanks for pointing that out!
One salient comment on the structure of Mahler's 8th was articulated by program annotator Michael Steinberg, who said that we'd call it an oratorio, if Mahler hadn't called it a symphony. The whole issue of nomenclature of works is interesting. My impression is that we give wide latitude to composers in this regard. What makes Berlioz' Fantastique a symphony, but Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade a "symphonic suite," other than the appelations of their creators? Das Lied has been called a "symphony disguised as a song-cycle," but if so, it's a disguise that's a virtual embodiment. Alternatively, Shostakovich 14 can be accurately enough called a "song-cycle disguised as a symphony." An instance where nobody's fooled is Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole, which is called a "concertante work for violin & orchestra," even if it contains stretches that have the feeling of a full-blown concerto.
Along the lines of nomenclature that Chi_Town is discussin, Sibelius 7th was premiered in 1924 under the title Fantasia Sinfonica, when the work was still unpublished. It was published a year later with the final title Symphony No. 7.
Today I received Mahler Symphony #8 in the mail, ... I find it a bit strange that Mahler's Eighth, while being as fantastic and colossal a work as all his others, is divided into two "parts", rather than the usual 4-5/6 movements.
And there's me thinking a new member kicked this thread up.
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