Posted by John Rasmussen on January 10, 19103 at 15:25:24:

In Reply to: Mahler and Death posted by James Taylor on January 05, 19103 at 06:38:14:

As you have probably discovered, Mahler had the reputation of being obsessed by death. However, as Deryck Cooke pointed out in his liner notes for the first Solti symphonic set, only one of his symphonies, the Sixth, truly ends tragically. I would say that death was only one of his obsessions, but a major one.

The Second's theme, of course, is resurrection's victory over death, while the Sixth is perhaps a premonition of death (his own or that of his daughter), and in Das Lied von der Erde and the Ninth and Tenth Symphonies, the theme seems to be resignation to death. But in contrast, hear the glorious Third and Eighth Symphonies, two affirmations of life as glorious as I know.

(I know it's strange to talk about a symphony's theme, but Mahler himself believed that every one from Beethoven to his own time had an implied program, although he caviled at putting the themes of his own symphonies into words.)

Happy writing!

Follow Ups:

• Re: Mahler and Death Alex 01:05:39 1/12/103 (1)
  • Re: Mahler and Death John Rasmussen 18:33:49 1/12/103 (0)

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