Mahler - Symphony no.2 "Resurrection" (movement 5): Score and Analysis

Fischer & Budapest festival orchestra
Introduction to the finale and the text can be found in the comments.


INTRODUCTION
0:00 – The movement opens with the scream of terror that we previewed in the third movement, only with added brass fanfares. As it collapses, the chaos and terror are replaced by a sublime and pastoral atmosphere, where we hear the first hints of the rising theme – for now still fragmented and very quiet.

EXPOSITION
1:50 – The brass fanfare heard in the scream is now transformed into a much more subtle horn call, calling forth the exposition material from far away. Its principal motives already get developed.
3:17 – Dies Irae, a chorale from the first movement is first to answer the call. For now, it is still without much power.
3:46 – The second part of the chorale features a noble rising melody – I'll refer to it as the Auferstehen motive.
4:16 – Horn call returns, now a little closer. The developed version of its triplet motive can be heard in a duet with its original statement.

5:32 – We reach an extremely passionate theme, which could be called the second subject in the sonata form. It consists of dissonant, stabbing, sigh-like gestures that overlap in the different instruments, gradually thickening the texture.
6:37 – Dies Irae returns, now in its base form – a brass chorale.
7:09 – Auferstehen.
7:48 – The horn call returns for the third time, this time very close. A new melody forms over the fanfares, which prefigures the rising theme, but it is quickly replaced by a developed version of the Auferstehen motive.


DEVELOPMENT
10:00 – Two violent timpani rolls transition us into the chaotic development section. Panic, dissonance, and polyphony are the keywords. This section is loosely based on the passionate second subject and the chaotic introduction.
10:44 – Dies Irae enters into the texture and starts to be transformed.
11:00 – Dies Irae finishes its transformation into a proud march. A melody based on the Auferstehen motive soon starts playing above it, rising to a climax.
12:31 – The chaos returns, starting to overpower the Dies Irae.
12:58 – Dies Irae returns with all of its might, and transforms the previous chaotic material into noble accompaniment.
13:23 – The second part of the chorale is revealed to be a quote from the first movement (Ab major heroic reimagining of the funeral march).
13:35 – The music starts to violently modulate, which leads back into chaos. Motives from the introduction return.

14:09 – The extremely passionate second subject takes the stage.
14:40 – The chaos from the previous section can be heard suppressed in the background, building an insane amount of tension, as we can only wait for it to explode.
15:37 – Chaos manages to invade the music, causing a storm of motives, and leading to the recapitulation of the introduction.


RECAPITULATION (wrong key)
16:03 – Scream.
16:20 – We are treated to extended snippets of the rising theme.
17:50 – The horn call again sounds from a great distance. This passage is greatly extended with the flute and piccolo joining the off-stage horns, calling forth the choir.

20:33 – In a sublime moment, the choir starts softly singing the Auferstehen motive, expanding the motive into a fully realized chorale. The soprano soon joins the choir, and gradually breaks through the texture.
22:15 – The horn call returns with more power. Snippets of the rising theme once again start to materialize over the fanfares, gradually gaining strength.
23:37 – The choir further elaborates on the Auferstehen motive. This once again leads to the soprano gradually breaking through the texture in another moment that should give you certified goosebumps.
25:19 – The rising theme appears for the first time in its entirety, however, it is still played at a very low volume.
26:57 – The passionate second subject is handed to the solo alto, making it even more intimate. Soon, it is freed from being able to only speak in stabbing fragments, as the soloist concludes the theme with a long, beautiful phrase.
28:24 – The choir returns to the Aufersehen motive. Through it, the music finally finds strength and delivers some very powerful statements. As it ends, the sonata portion of the movement is concluded.

CODA
29:54 – The rising theme finally moves to the foreground through a heavenly alto and soprano duet, slowly gaining power and expanding into colossal proportions. This section resembles the climax of the 4th movement.
30:33 – The rising theme is FINALLY sung by the full choir, and at the same time, we reach Eb major.
31:21 – Rising theme is fully realized in powerful statements, slowly rising to one of the most heavenly climaxes in classical music.



Mahler Symphony no.2 playlist:    • Mahler - Symphony no.2 "Resurrection"...