Navigating Mahler's Second Symphony

Ahead of Classical Sheffield’s 2023 grand finale at Sheffield City Hall on 19th March (which I’m playing in!), I have written the following overview of the piece that will be played, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. This overview is aimed primarily at younger audience members who are perhaps coming to one of their first classical concerts, but can also be used by anyone to help navigate this enormous piece!

The Symphony

Gustav Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, also called his ‘Resurrection’ Symphony, is a huge piece which often lasts about an hour and half, and features an extra large orchestra and choir, as well as two solo singers and an organ. Normally, symphonies last about somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes and are played by an orchestra - usually in about 4 sections of music (called movements). Mahler makes this super-sized, which you can see by the fact that we’ve combined two whole orchestras and choirs to perform it!

Even though the piece is quite long, the great thing about it is that there’s so much variation inside it. There are five movements, but there are actually lots of different sections within most of the movements. The music is constantly changing, exploring all kinds of different sounds. Sometimes, everybody is playing at full-pelt, other times the sound is much gentler, and sometimes a mixture of the two. 

Listening to the Piece

When you’re listening (and in fact, this is true for any concert, as long as you’re not performing!) don’t worry if your mind wanders. As well as enjoying the sounds and performances, one of the great things about music is that it can spark your imagination. Everybody listens differently, so the important thing is that you find the parts of the piece which you like the most which inspire and captivate you.

There’s so much that can be said about this piece as the music is so detailed and clever. I’ve just included some pointers to listen out for and think about below, but this is by no means a list of absolutely everything. See if you can spot anything interesting or exciting that’s not mentioned here.

From Darkness to Light

It’s not really a surprise that the part of the symphony that people talk about most is its ending. Overall, the entire symphony journeys (via a long and winding route) from a dark, angry sound to a joyful and triumphant one. In other words, a journey from darkness to light. The end of the symphony is where it gets its ‘Resurrection’ title from, with the choir entering singing ‘Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh’n’ (‘Rise again, yes, rise again’). In fact, it might be argued that the music at the end of the piece inspired the composition of the music that comes before it, as lots of the tunes from the finale are secretly hidden, slightly changed, and gradually grow throughout the whole piece.

Movement 1

The first movement starts with an angry cello and bass ‘recitative’ (almost like they’re talking expressively, without a strong sense of the beat) which quickly turns into a more rhythmic funeral march, which then begins to grow. Through this movement there are lots of big, epic moments which sound angry, dramatic or solemn, but there are some brighter moments too, and moments of peace. These two overall moods interact a lot, and there are lots of bursts of emotion from all over the orchestra. You could say that darkness and light are fighting, with darkness winning this movement, as it ends with one final funeral march and a quick downwards scale.

Mahler says in his score that there should be a small break of a few minutes in between the first movement and the rest of the piece. Usually, this is the point in which the two solo singers will enter the stage ready for the final two movements.

Movement 2

The second movement is another that explores darkness and light, but this one starts with the lighter music, in a waltz that is written to be played ‘Sehr gemächlich’ (very leisurely) and in a major key. This quickly changes as a much more frantic, minor idea takes its place. These two ideas are constantly swapping, and mostly remaining separate from each other in this movement. Listen and watch out for the strings playing different music from the person sat next to them - this is because Mahler often divides each part into two (or sometimes more) so that there are even more interesting layers to the music. The minor section sounds similar to the second movement of Beethoven’s ninth symphony, written over 70 years before this piece. This is another big symphony with a choir at the end, so clearly Mahler was inspired by this when he wrote this piece.

Movement 3

The third movement begins with two quick, loud notes from the timpani, and settles into another type of dance, called a scherzo (which is faster). This time the darkness and light are more layered, which sometimes means the music feels mischievous. Near the end of this movement, the music builds to what is often described as a ‘death shriek’ or ‘cry of despair’, and this isn’t the last time you’ll hear this huge chord in the symphony. 

Movement 4

The fourth movement is very different again. The alto soloist (the lower of the two solo singers) sings a song beginning ‘O Röschen rot!’ (‘O little red rose!’), which is a song of despair but also with glimmers of hope. The subtitle for this movement is Urlicht, meaning Primeval Light. 

Movement 5

The final movement begins with the same cry of despair that was last heard at the end of the third movement. This is the longest movement in the piece, and can be divided into two parts - the first is entirely played by the orchestra, and the second is when the choir and soloists start singing. In a lot of ways the melodies heard in the first half are building to the second, teasing the arrival of the choir. Listen out for musical ideas which keep repeating, and listen out for the ways they are changed when they do repeat. Some of the music here sounds similar to the beginning of the symphony too, so ties together the themes of the whole piece. Also, listen out for the off-stage brass and percussion, which sound slightly out of reach, perhaps signalling that something big is coming. There are some massive moments, usually featuring some very impressive percussion - try and listen out for the different kinds of percussion instruments playing. 

When the choir begins to sing, almost taking on the role of angels, their lyrics are about rising from despair and darkness into hope and light. This ending is light’s ultimate triumph over darkness, and as the piece builds to its epic climax the music very much reflects this. 

In Conclusion

Overall, this symphony is a powerful reminder that despite difficulties and challenges, there is hope to be found at the end. It shows how darkness and light can colour our lives. Without the dark and stormy opening to this piece, the joyful conclusion wouldn’t have as much of an impact. If you enjoy this piece, have a listen to some of Mahler’s other music as well as Beethoven’s ninth symphony (to see how it might have inspired Mahler’s second). And, when you can, do come along to more classical, orchestral and choral concerts in Sheffield (or wherever you live!).

Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 will be performed at Sheffield City Hall on 19th March at 19.00. You can purchase tickets here.