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UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
August 7, 2008
Date:___________________
Daniel E. Cherry
I, _________________________________________________________,
hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of:
Doctor of Musical Arts
in:
Trombone
It is entitled:
The Pedagogical and Performance Uses of Gustav Mahler's Lieder
Transcribed for Trombone and Piano
This work and its defense approved by:
Timothy Northcut
Chair: _______________________________
Timothy Anderson
_______________________________
Robert Zierolf
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
The Pedagogical and Performance Uses of Gustav Mahler’s Lieder Transcribed for
Trombone and Piano
a document submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in the Performance Division of the College‐Conservatory of Music 2008 by Daniel E. Cherry B.M., Capital University, 1995 M.M., University of Cincinnati, 1998 Committee Chair: Timothy Northcut ABSTRACT
This document examines the pedagogical and performance uses of the songs of
Gustav Mahler. It also includes transcribed trombone versions of 32 of Mahler’s songs,
written to both emulate the original vocal pieces and to take advantage of the trombone’s
range, technical facility and dynamic capabilities. These transcriptions can be performed
with the existing vocal/piano scores. Gustav Mahler’s songs work particularly well as
instrumental transcriptions because of his beautiful melodies, his symphonic
compositional style, his emphasis of thematic development over text declamation, and his
inclusion of so many expressive elements into the accompaniments of his songs. They are
particularly well suited to performance on trombone because many are written in a
baritone register, using the full range of dynamics and articulation styles to express
various emotions and settings.
The transcribed song is truly a neglected source of music for trombonists, and
both student and professional trombonists have a great deal to gain by including
transcriptions of Mahler’s songs in their repertoires. By studying these song
transcriptions, trombonists can improve their fundamental concepts of legato style,
phrasing, and musical expression, leading to a singing style of playing. And, they can
include pieces by one of the master composers in their performance programs.
iii
© 2008
Daniel E. Cherry
All Rights Reserved
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my committee members for their time and expertise. I would
also like to thank David Vining, a great mentor who helped me get started with this
project, and my friend and colleague Shannon Thompson for her helpful suggestions.
Finally, I would like to thank my amazing wife, Amy, whose tremendous encouragement,
support and inspiration made this entire project possible.
v
CONTENTS
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES
2
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION: WHY TRANSCRIBE THE LIEDER OF
GUSTAV MAHLER FOR TROMBONE?
4
2. THE USE OF TRANSCRIBED VOCAL MUSIC IN THE
TROMBONE REPERTOIRE
7
3. THE PERFORMANCE OF TRANSCRIBED VOCAL MUSIC
ON TROMBONE
12
4. THE LIEDER OF GUSTAV MAHLER AND THEIR
SUITABILITY FOR TRANSCRIPTION
36
5. CONCLUSION: GREAT LITERATURE FOR TROMBONE–
THE UNTAPPED RESOURCE OF MAHLER’S LIEDER
42
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
44
Appendix
A. LIEDER UND GESÄNGE AUS DER JUGENDZEIT, VOL. I
51
B. LIEDER EINES FAHRENDEN GESELLEN
67
C. THE FIRST NINE WUNDERHORN SETTINGS
85
D. FÜNF HUMORESKEN
121
E. LIEDER, HUMORESKEN UND BALLADEN
139
F. THE FINAL TWO WUNDERHORN SETTINGS
176
1
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES
Example 1: Legato
Mahler/Cherry “Phantasie” mm. 14-16
14
Example 2a: Portamento
Mahler, Gustav “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht” mm. 85-88
15
Example 2b: Portamento
Mahler/Cherry “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht” mm. 85-88
15
Example 3: Vibrato
Mahler/Cherry “Nicht Wiedersehen!” mm. 63-66
16
Example 4: Characteristic singing tone
Mahler/Cherry “Serenade” mm. 28-31
18
Example 5a: Syllabic stress
Mahler, Gustav “Aus! Aus!” mm. 71-72
19
Example 5b: Syllabic stress
Mahler/Cherry “Aus! Aus!” mm. 71-72
20
Example 6a: Articulation for text declamation
Mahler, Gustav “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht” mm. 14-17
21
Example 6b: Articulation for text declamation
22
Example 7a: Phrasing for text declamation
Mahler, Gustav “Starke Einbildungskraft” mm. 15-16
23
Example 7b: Phrasing for text declamation
Mahler/Cherry “Starke Einbildungskraft” mm. 15-16
23
Example 8: Expression
Mahler/Cherry “Die zwei blauen Augen” mm. 52-54
24
Example 9: Loud volume
Mahler/Cherry “Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer” mm. 68-71
26
Example 10a: Octave displacement
Mahler, Gustav “Ging heut Morgen übers Feld” mm. 19-20
26
Example 10b: Octave displacement
Mahler/Cherry “Ging heut Morgen übers Feld” mm. 19-20
27
2
Example 11: Brassy tone
Mahler/Cherry “Revelge” mm. 126-128
28
Example 12: Muted tone
Mahler/Cherry “Der Tamboursg’sell” mm. 110-111
29
Example 13a: Elimination of repeated pitches
Mahler, Gustav “Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?” mm. 69-73
30
Example 13b: Elimination of repeated pitches
Mahler/Cherry “Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?” mm. 69-73
30
Example 14a: Change in rhythm
Mahler, Gustav “Der Tamboursg’sell” mm. 58-61
31
Example 14b: Change in rhythm
31
Example 15a: Change in phrasing
Mahler, Gustav “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt” mm. 178-181
32
Example 15b: Change in phrasing
Mahler/Cherry “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt” mm. 178-181
32
Example 15c: Change in phrasing
Mahler, Gustav Symphony No. 2 Third movement, Rehearsal 35
32
Example 16a: Change in articulation
Mahler, Gustav “Selbstgefühl” mm. 53-56
33
Example 16b: Change in articulation
Mahler/Cherry “Selbstgefühl” mm. 53-56
33
Example 17a: Change in note lengths
Mahler, Gustav “Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz’” mm. 27-29
34
Example 17b: Change in note lengths
Mahler/Cherry “Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz’” mm. 27-29
34
Example 18a: Addition to the melodic content
Mahler, Gustav “Um schlimme Kinder artig zo machen” mm. 37-39
35
Example 18b: Addition to the melodic content
Mahler/Cherry “Um schlimme Kinder artig zo machen” mm. 37-39
35
3
Chapter 1: Introduction
Why transcribe the songs of Gustav Mahler for trombone?
Musicians constantly strive to expand the repertoire for their given instrument,
and transcriptions have always been a popular method of delving into new territory.
Trombonists frequently perform pieces originally composed for cello or bassoon, and
borrow music regularly from other instruments as well. Vocal transcriptions are used less
frequently, and very few have become standard trombone recital repertoire. The
transcribed song is truly a neglected source of music for trombonists. This document
examines the pedagogical and performance uses of the songs of Gustav Mahler. It also
includes transcribed trombone versions of 32 of Mahler’s songs which can be performed
with the existing vocal/piano scores.
Gustav Mahler is best known by trombonists for his symphonies, particularly the
dramatic solos of Symphony No. 3, which are frequently included on orchestral audition
lists. Until recently, the only published music by Mahler appropriate for trombone recitals
has been a version of the Third Symphony solos with piano accompaniment.1 Many of
Mahler’s songs lend themselves to instrumental transcription, and the recent releases of
several arrangements of the song cycle Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a
Wayfarer) are a welcome addition to the repertoire.2 Even before these publications
became available, this song cycle had been performed often enough to appear on a list of
1
Gustav Mahler, Trombone Solo from the Mahler Third Symphony (1st movement). Transcribed
by Allen Ostrander (New York: Edition Musicus, 1958).
2
There are two existing published versions for trombone, one for euphonium and one for tuba.
See: Gustav Mahler, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer). Edited and arranged for
Trombone and Piano by Doug Sparkes (Vancouver: Cherry Classics Music, 2000); Gustav Mahler, Songs
of a Wayfarer (Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen). Transcribed and edited for Trombone and Piano by Eric
Carlson (Philadelphia: CEC Music, 2003); Gustav Mahler, Songs of a Wayfarer for Euphonium and Piano.
Arranged for Euphonium and Piano by James Curnow. Festival Solo Series (Wilmore, KY: Curnow Music
Press, 2005); and Gustav Mahler, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Arranged for Tuba and Piano by Dan
Perantoni (Troy, Michigan: Encore Music Publishers, 1992).
4
frequently performed trombone solos compiled by David Guion.3 Many of Mahler’s other
songs work equally well as trombone recital pieces, and in addition they are valuable
teaching tools.
Perhaps the strongest argument against using instrumental transcriptions of vocal
works in performance is the lack of text to carry the expression of the poetry. There are
strong opinions on both sides of the argument regarding the primacy of music or poetry
when the two arts are combined in song;4 however, there is a strong case to be made that
Mahler himself believed in the primacy of music over text.5 His compositional style and
treatment of poetic texts are important factors in why his songs work so well as trombone
transcriptions, suitable for performance by students and professionals alike.
The adaptations of Mahler’s songs for trombone presented in this document are
purposely labeled “transcriptions,” not “arrangements.” There is at least some confusion
over the difference between a transcription and an arrangement6–the Harvard Brief
Dictionary of Music equates the two terms.7 The term “transcription” as contained here
agrees with the following argument made by Howard Feldsher:
3
Of the 13,648 total program entries submitted to the International Trombone Association over a
twenty-five year period (1972-1997), there were 58 entries for the Gesellen cycle. See David M. Guion,
“25 Years of Trombone Recitals: An Examination of Programs Published by the International Trombone
Association.” ITA Journal 27, no. 1 (1999): 28.
4
For an excellent discussion of both sides of this argument, see E. Mary Dargie, Music and Poetry
in the Songs of Gustav Mahler (Bern, Frankfurt am Main, Las Vegas: Peter Lang, 1981), chapter 1.
5
“Schopenhauer claims that when words and music are united, music remains the more
meaningful component–a view Mahler specifically endorsed. As he told Bauer-Lechner, ‘…with
songs…one can express so much more than the words directly say.…The text actually constitutes only a
hint of the deeper content that is to be drawn out of it, of the treasure that is to be hauled up.’” Stephen E.
Hefling, “The Rückert Lieder.” In The Mahler Companion, ed. Donald Mitchell and Andrew Nicholson,
chapter 13 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 354. See also “Chapter 3: The Lieder of Gustav
Mahler and their suitability for transcription” below.
6
For a comparative analysis of these two terms, see Yuri Murata, “Reconstruction of Gustav
Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, Adagietto for Trombone and Piano” (D.M.A. document, Louisiana State
University, 2000), 1-5.
7
The Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music, ed. Willi Apel and Ralph T. Daniel (New York:
Washington Square Press, 1960). See p. 17, “Arrangement. Also Transcription.” and p. 307,
5
Music transcribed remains philosophically the composer’s, while music arranged
shifts to the arranger. The transcriber has become a translator, helping the
composer communicate with musicians and audience otherwise denied access to
the music. . . . When working on a transcription, I am an aid to the composer. 8
According to Alan Walker, Franz Liszt had three goals when he decided to create
piano transcriptions for a number of Schubert’s songs: to champion Schubert’s music; to
create music for pianists that would work on specific techniques; and, to supplement the
existing piano performance repertoire.9 This document was prepared with these same
three goals in mind, relative to the trombone transcriptions of the songs of Gustav
Mahler.
The following system of pitch classification will be used in this document:
“Transcription. Essentially an arrangement, but admitting considerable freedom in the handling of the
original material.…”
8
Howard A. Feldsher, “Transcription or Arrangement?” The Instrumentalist 25, no. 8 (1971): 39.
9
Alan Walker, “Liszt and the Schubert Song Transcriptions.” The Musical Quarterly 67:1
(January 1981): 52.
6
Chapter 2: The use of transcribed vocal music in the trombone repertoire
Pedagogical Uses of Transcribed Songs
Vocal music can be of great use to the trombonist, as an educational tool as well
as in performance. The study of song transcriptions helps to enhance the natural vocal
qualities of the trombone, derived from its means of tone production, its timbre, and its
hand slide. Song transcriptions are also a wonderful tool to improve phrasing and musical
expression. The phrase and sentence structure of a song text provides a road map for
proper musical phrasing, and the study of the poetry provides the trombonist with specific
ideas about the emotions and images conveyed through the music. These benefits, gained
from transcribing and performing songs, can help the trombonist develop a singing style
of playing that is useful throughout the entire solo and ensemble literature.
The human voice is capable of varying degrees of articulation to define the end of
one note and the start of another, including portamento.1 Like the voice, the trombone
slide allows the performer complete control over the amount of portamento (if any) to
allow in the legato. The slide also allows the trombonist to determine the exact amount of
interruption of the airflow the tongue will cause; this is unique to the trombone in the
brass family, because there is no interruption of the air caused by valves as on other brass
instruments. Careful study of the text, as well as the overall style and character of a
specific song, can help the trombonist to determine the appropriate articulations to use,
including the degree of connection in the legato, from one phrase to another.
The trombone tone is produced when air passes through the player’s embouchure
and into the instrument, causing both the lips and the air column inside the trombone to
1
Portamento: “A special manner of singing, with the voice gliding gradually from one note to the
next. The same effect is possible on the violin and trombone, where it is somewhat incorrectly called
glissando.” The Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music, 230.
7
vibrate. The vibrating lips are analogous to a singer’s vocal cords. The shape of the oral
cavity and the placement of the tongue inside the mouth have a direct effect on the
timbre. Trombonists often use higher and lower tongue placements (shaping the oral
cavity for specific vowel sounds) to affect both range and tone color. As Glen Law
explains,
The position of the tongue affects tone production. When vocalizing, the singer
employs vowels for resonance and quality in various registers. Adjustments are
also necessary for different qualities throughout the range of brass instruments.2
These aspects of tone production, along with the physical characteristics of the
instrument, give the trombone a naturally vocal timbre in medium to soft dynamics and
the ability to manipulate the tone color for expressive purposes.
There is a traditional, historical association between the trombone and the human
voice. Randall Mitchell makes this point very concisely:
Over the ages, composers have recognized the inherent lyrical capability of the
trombone. A consistent line of vocal compositional style and allusions to the
vocal qualities of the trombone may be traced back to the first use of the
instrument as it is known today.3
George Duerksen also addresses the relationship between the trombone and a singing
style of playing in his article “The Voice of the Trombone.”4 Currently, vocalises are
used frequently as pedagogical exercises in trombone teaching. There is also the
performance tradition of having the trombones double the voices in some large choral
works. And it is not uncommon to find original trombone compositions that take
2
Glen Law, “Development of Brass Tone,” Brass Anthology (Northfield, Illinois: The
Instrumentalist Publishing Company, 1991), 187.
3
Randall Thomas Mitchell, “The Use of Selected Vocalises of Marco Bordogni in the
Development of Musicianship for the Trombonist, a Lecture Recital, Together with Three Recitals of
Selected Works by Eugene Bozza, Jacques Casterede, Pierre Max Dubois, Christian Gouinguene, Axel
Jorgensen, Richard Monaco, Lars-Erik Larsson, Erhard Ragwitz, and Others” (D.M.A. diss., University of
North Texas, 1989), 14.
4
George Duerksen, “The Voice of the Trombone,” Brass Anthology (Northfield, Illinois: The
Instrumentalist Publishing Company, 1991), 235-236.
8
advantage of this inherent lyrical capability with passages or entire pieces written in a
singing style.5
The study of the poetic texts of transcribed songs can be a wonderful aid in the
development of musical phrasing. “Good phrasing in music is very much like good
phrasing in speech. . . . It has measured phrases that make sense.”6 Not only are the starts
and ends of phrases easily identified, but understanding the text can help determine where
the climax of a phrase should be and how the phrases relate to each other. Speaking or
singing the text phrases will help the trombonist to determine the proper approach when
playing a section of music. It is also important to understand if and when an instrumental
transcription breaks the original text phrasing (and why). Once a trombonist is familiar
with the relationship between text phrasing and good musical phrasing, he or she will be
better equipped to implement the following idea from Edward Kleinhammer and Doug
Yeo:
Singers have an added advantage through the use of words, which help to carry
the line forward. Try creating words to fit an instrumental part: this helps the
feeling of ‘going somewhere’. Attention to this one small nuance can help breathe
life into a solo line or ensemble passage.7
Musical expression involves more than just phrasing. A variety of articulation
styles, dynamics, tone colors and other musical elements are used to depict different
characters, emotions, and other programmatic elements within a transcribed song. The
intentional portrayal of these various elements can be guided by the poetry of the original
songs. Most original instrumental music does not provide such an obvious framework to
5
Ibid., 236. See also Randall Thomas Mitchell, 9-14 and examples from the trombone solo
literature such as Šulek’s Sonata Vox Gabrieli, Bozza’s Ballade, Defaye’s Deux Danses and others.
6
John R. Griffiths, Low Brass Guide, 2d ed. (Roswell, Georgia: E. Williams Music Publishing,
1999), 78.
7
Edward Kleinhammer and Douglas Yeo, Mastering the Trombone (Hannover, Germany: Edition
Piccolo Music Publishers, 1997), 61.
9
help a young trombonist explore the wide variety of expressive colors at his or her
disposal. Transcribed songs are an invaluable pedagogical tool that compels instrumental
musicians to achieve very specific musical expressions.
Performance Uses of Transcribed Songs
There are three major uses for song transcriptions in trombone performance:
performing music by major composers who wrote little or no solo music for the
trombone, achieving greater diversity of programming, and performing high quality
music that is less taxing on the embouchure. By delving into the vocal music repertoire
trombonists can perform great masterpieces by composers who did not write music for
the solo trombone. Bach, Brahms, Copland, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, Schumann,
Tchaikovsky, Vaughan Williams–these and other composers’ works can be added to the
trombonist’s recital repertoire in the form of song transcriptions.
Lighter, lyrical songs can provide contrast to the heavier, technical pieces on a
trombone recital. Song transcriptions bring lush, legato melodies, rustic folk songs, and
light character pieces into the trombonist’s repertoire. Transcribed songs also tend to be
shorter than many standard works, providing an opportunity to include a variety of
composers or styles within one set of pieces. This can be a source of variety for both the
audience and the performer.
An individual or set of songs within a recital program can also help to maintain
the resilience of the embouchure muscles; the range in these pieces is small compared to
many original trombone works, and playing in a lower tessitura can provide a brief
respite for the performer. Songs also allow a trombonist to spend more time playing at
soft dynamic levels. The melodic contour of original trombone solos often includes many
10
demanding interval leaps, which can be a serious drain on endurance. Challenging
technical passages are also taxing on the muscles of the embouchure, tongue, and even
the arm. Transcribed songs are much less likely to pose such demands.
When programming any recital it is important that the performer does not
compromise the quality of the literature for the sake of endurance considerations.
Original trombone literature that has limited range and less demanding technique will
usually fall under the category “easy pieces for beginners.” These pieces are generally not
great works of art and would not be appropriate for a serious student or professional
trombone recital. Transcribed songs allow the trombonist to include masterworks of the
music literature in a variety of styles while incorporating less taxing pieces into a recital
program.
Conclusion
Trombonists benefit in many ways through the transcription of songs. Both the
performer and the audience profit when great works of master composers are included on
trombone recitals. In her dissertation, “Allusions to the Vocal Art in Selected Wind
Instrument Pedagogical Sources,” Barbara Comelek found that vocal and wind
instrument teachers throughout history have used a common body of pedagogical
theories.8 The study and programming of transcribed songs helps trombonists of all ages
and ability levels connect to the historical relationships in both pedagogy and
performance between instrumental and vocal music.
8
Barbara Comelek, “Allusions to the Vocal Art in Selected Wind Instrument Pedagogical
Sources” (D.A. diss., Ball State University, 1985), 101.
11
Chapter 3: The performance of transcribed vocal music on trombone
There are specific elements necessary for the successful transfer from the original
vocal version to a trombone transcription of a song. These elements include:
1) bringing out the trombone’s natural singing qualities, such as legato style, use
of portamento and vibrato, and tone color;
2) declamation of the text through syllabic stress, phrasing, articulation, and
musical expression;
3) accentuating the qualities inherent in the song that take advantage of the
trombone’s innate characteristics such as a wide dynamic spectrum, large pitch
range, variety of articulations and tone color; and
4) adjustments to the melodic content to create a more “instrumental” version of
the song through elimination of some repeated pitches; changes in phrasing,
articulations, and note lengths; and additions to the melodic content.
It is within this framework that I have created a transcription of each of these songs by
Gustav Mahler for performance on the trombone.
The trombone’s singing qualities
Vocal legato style: In his study of the vocalises of Marco Bordogni, Randall
Mitchell comes to the following conclusion:
For both the singer and the trombonist, the basis of good musical style and agility
is a well developed legato technique. The fundamentals of this technique are
virtually the same for both the singer and the trombonist.1
1
Randall Thomas Mitchell, “The Use of Selected Vocalises of Marco Bordogni in the
Development of Musicianship for the Trombonist, a Lecture Recital, Together with Three Recitals of
Selected Works by Eugene Bozza, Jacques Casterede, Pierre Max Dubois, Christian Gouinguene, Axel
Jorgensen, Richard Monaco, Lars-Erik Larsson, Erhard Ragwitz, and Others” (D.M.A. diss., University of
North Texas, 1989), 21.
12
The slide gives the trombonist true control over the legato without any of the unintended
interruptions of the air stream caused by the valves on other brass instruments. Various
slurs and articulation techniques at the player’s disposal allow subtle variances in the
connections between notes. Alternate positions can often be used to create or break slurs
and to control the direction and distance of the slide movement.2 As Edward
Kleinhammer states,
In legato passages the trombone sings in many moods, and in the hands of a
capable player it is closer to the human voice in character than is any other brass
instrument.3
This sentiment is echoed by other notable trombone pedagogues as well.4 By taking
advantage of the trombone’s naturally vocal legato abilities, song transcriptions can be
performed in the most musically satisfying way.
The following phrase, transcribed from “Phantasie,” makes use of both natural
slurs and legato tonguing in an overall legato line; the legato style is not specifically
marked in the original score, but is implied by the mood of the song (marked
Träumerisch/Dreamily) and the text of the poem:
2
For a good overview of the various uses of alternate positions in legato trombone playing, see
Randall Thomas Mitchell, 52-55.
3
Edward Kleinhammer, The Art of Trombone Playing (Miami: Summy-Birchard Music, 1963),
69.
4
“Dennis Wick states that “the human voice is probably the only musical instrument that is better
equipped” to produce a good legato style. Lafosse directs trombone teachers to use the example of “how a
good singer sustains legato in song” as a model for the desired trombone legato.” Randall Thomas Mitchell,
20-21.
13
Example 1: Legato
Mahler/Cherry “Phantasie” mm. 14-16
Portamento: In his book The Art of Singing, W.J. Henderson gives the following
definition of portamento:
Portamento means the sliding of the voice through the infinitesimal gradations of
tone lying between a note and the ensuing one. This languorous progress of the
voice is capable of much expression when judiciously employed, but when it
becomes a habit it is deplorable, because then it leads to scooping.5
He goes on to caution against overusing this technique, reserving it for distinctive
moments to add expressive beauty to the melodic line.6 The trombone slide allows a true
connection of pitches (glissando) within certain interval limitations, and bends/scoops
into or out of pitches when true glissandi are not possible. Alternate positions will also
have an effect on portamento options by creating or avoiding natural slurs, while slide
speed and breath pressure are used to intensify or lighten the effect as desired. Of course,
as suggested above, this effect should be used intentionally and sparingly for the purpose
of expression. However, a slight hint of portamento in legato playing can be part of an
overall singing style, as Edward Kleinhammer explains:
. . . if you listen to your singing or that of a professional singer at half-speed [on a
recording], one will hear some fast glissandi in tone connections. This is the
technique of legato vocalise. Very often a student will feel like the playing is
5
6
W. J. Henderson, The Art of Singing (Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1938), 86.
Ibid., 87.
14
slightly sloppy when the legato is actually sounding quite good. It can be adjusted
to your taste and tongue movement.7
Fine jazz trombonists also use this technique in the upper register to create “contrasts
between valve-like slurs in contrary motion and ‘portamento’ in similar motion.”8
In addition, it may be desirable to make use of an intentional, drawn out
portamento effect to express the emotion of a word or phrase. In the following example
from “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht,” I have added one such portamento between
the moving notes g and b-flat during the first syllable of the word Lei-de (grief) in m. 87:
Example 2a: Portamento
Original version of Mahler’s “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht” mm. 85-88
Example 2b: Portamento
Vibrato: Trombonists have three vibrato types at their disposal–(1) lip/jaw, (2)
slide, and (3) breath/diaphragm. The lip/jaw vibrato is most suited to imitating a vocal
7
8
Kleinhammer and Yeo, 44-45.
Denis Wick, Trombone Technique, 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1984), 56.
15
style of vibrato because it creates a true variation in pitch, as well as coloring the tone in
a way that best matches the singing voice.9 Both the frequency (speed) and amplitude
(width) of the vibrato can be controlled and manipulated to achieve the desired effect. It
has long been accepted that instrumentalists should look to singers as models for
producing an effective vibrato: in a letter, Mozart described his desire to imitate the
nature of a vocal vibrato on instruments.10 Whichever type of vibrato is used, listening to
great singers will allow the trombonist to hear various vocal vibrato styles to emulate.
The most effective use of vibrato will sound natural, expressive, and fluid.
The following passage from “Nicht Wiedersehen!” works particularly well with a
warm, lush vibrato throughout. The longer, middle-register notes lend themselves to a
wider, slower vibrato, while the intensification into the higher notes of measure 65 calls
for a vibrato that increases in speed while decreasing the amount of pitch variance:
Example 3: Vibrato
Mahler/Cherry “Nicht Wiedersehen!” mm. 63-66
9
There is some disagreement on this issue. Reginald Fink agrees that “the lip vibrato varies not
only the pitch, but also varies the loudness and tone color of the sound in much the same manner as a vocal
vibrato.” Reginald H. Fink, The Trombonist’s Handbook: A Complete Guide to Playing and Teaching the
Trombone (Athens, Ohio: Accura Music, 1977), 113. However, Denis Wick feels that the “diaphragm
vibrato is possibly the best way to imitate vocal technique and, if carefully studied, can impart a singing
quality to solo passages.” Wick, 61. Finally, Tommy Dorsey, perhaps the most notable trombonist to play
in a singing style, was famous for the sound of his slide vibrato.
10
Barbara Comelek, “Allusions to the Vocal Art in Selected Wind Instrument Pedagogical
Sources” (D.A. diss., Ball State University, 1985), 69.
16
Tone Color: The overall character of a trombone sound is multifaceted; it can be
bright or dark, mellow or intense, brassy or dull. It is a very versatile and expressive
instrument, much like the human voice. The similarities between a characteristic
trombone tone and the sound of the singing voice have been noted for centuries, up to
and including current practice among trombone professionals. Randall Mitchell points
out an early description of the ideal trombone tone by Marin Mersenne:
In his Harmonie Universelle (1636), he [Marin Mersenne] states that the
trombone should not be sounded in imitation of the trumpet. Instead, it should be
sounded “so that it imitates the voice and the most excellent method of singing
well.”11
In Mastering the Trombone, Edward Kleinhammer simply states “In the hands of a fine
player, the sound of the trombone can be like the human voice in character.”12 In his book
A “Singing” Approach to the Trombone (and other Brass), Charles Vernon makes
several allusions to a singing tone in describing both mouthpiece buzzing and playing.13
Finally, in his pedagogical article “Development of Brass Tone,” Glen Law gives the
following advice:
The similarity of brass performing to singing can be utilized to strong advantage.
In order to convey musical meaning to the listener, the instrumentalist should
conceive of his playing as being related to the expressive qualities of the human
voice. The sound emitted by the brass player should be comparable to the freedom
of tone projected by an excellent singer; otherwise the performance becomes
over-technical and impersonal. Tone on brass instruments should be executed
with a communicative force that emulates fine singing.14
This singing quality of sound can be used to great effect in soft, lyrical passages.
11
Randall Thomas Mitchell, 6.
Kleinhammer and Yeo, 44.
13
Charles G. Vernon, A “Singing” Approach to the Trombone (and other Brass). 1995 rev. ed.
(Atlanta: Atlanta Brass Society Press, 1995), 1-3.
14
Glen Law, “Development of Brass Tone,” Brass Anthology (Northfield, Illinois: The
Instrumentalist Publishing Company, 1991), 186.
12
17
The following example from “Serenade” is not only soft and lyrical, but includes
other elements that are suited to a singing style of playing: limited range in the middle
register, various note lengths to incorporate vibrato, and an expressive arch to the third
phrase group:
Example 4: Characteristic singing tone
Mahler/Cherry “Serenade” mm. 28-31
Declamation of the text
“The text often determines how one would present a phrase or idea, and
knowledge of it is necessary so that the instrumentalist and accompanist are able to think,
breathe, and play like a singer.”15 But how, one might ask, is it possible to actually
communicate the text of a poem in an instrumental transcription of a song? Franz Liszt
felt that it was crucial for performers to know the original settings of the text, note for
note and word for word, in his transcriptions of Schubert’s songs for the piano.16 By
emulating a singer’s syllabic stress, articulation, phrasing, and musical expression the
trombonist can convey the sound and meaning of the missing words in a transcribed
song.
15
Robin Jean Arrigo, “Transcription of Vocal Literature for Solo Instrument and Piano
Accompaniment: A Unique Challenge for Accompanists” (D.M.A. thesis, University of Miami, 1998), 5.
16
Alan Walker, “Liszt and the Schubert Song Transcriptions,” The Musical Quarterly 67:1
(January 1981): 55.
18
Syllabic Stress: The words of the original German used in Mahler’s songs have
strong and weak syllables that give the poetry rhythm and cadence. Understanding the
syllabic stress17 of the words will help the trombonist to emulate those natural text sounds
by leaning on some notes with extra weight or volume while de-emphasizing others. The
poetry is frequently set to music in a way that takes advantage of the inherently strong
and weak beats within a given meter, although it is also important to be aware when this
is not the case.
In the following example from “Aus! Aus!”, the strong syllables Tröst and lie
(underlined in the example) fall naturally on the strong beats and on longer note values;
because this melodic phrase has been loud and accented throughout the piece, it is
important to maintain the proper syllabic stress in this soft, unaccented version of the
passage. Tenuto marks have been added to the trombone part to reinforce the weight of
these two syllables:
Example 5a: Syllabic stress
Original version of Mahler’s “Aus! Aus!” mm. 71-72
17
For helpful guides to the pronunciation (including syllabic stress) of German words commonly
found in song literature, see: Cheri Montgomery, German Lyric Diction Workbook: A Graded Method of
Phonetic Transcription which employs Frequently Occurring Words from German Art Song Literature
(Nashville, Tennessee: S.T.M. Pub., 2004) and William Odom, German for Singers: A Textbook of Diction
and Phonetics (New York: Schirmer Books, 1981).
19
Example 5b: Syllabic stress
Mahler/Cherry “Aus! Aus!” mm. 71-72
Articulation: In the original vocal versions of these songs, the consonants of the
text will also be inherently strong or weak, hard or soft. There will also be cases where a
word starts on a vowel sound or changes pitch in mid-syllable. While it is not possible or
desirable to emulate the consonant or vowel sound that begins each and every note of a
song, all of these factors should be considered when choosing the right articulations to
help convey the text. The trombonist has a wide array of articulation choices; there is no
need to limit attacks to simply slurred or tongued.
Throughout history, instrumentalists have viewed their articulations as similar to
the enunciation of the speaking or singing voice. Trevor Herbert points out that, from the
earliest uses of the instrument, “. . . trombonists could articulate in a manner that was
sympathetic to the enunciation of words in vocal music.”18 Barbara Comelek gives this
brief synopsis of the understood relationship between instrumental articulation and
declamation of text:
As early as four hundred years ago, tonguing was utilized as the means of
‘speaking’ through an instrument. Some Bendinelli trumpet sonatas, believed to
have been written ca. 1580, contained examples of both hard and soft tonguing,
and Bendinelli taught his students to ‘sing’ through the trumpet in this manner.
Boehm called this practice ‘articulation’ and acknowledged it as the means of
“. . . declamation or correct expression of the words of a text on an instrument. . .
18
Trevor Herbert, The Trombone (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006), 45.
20
.” Colin wrote about articulation as a way of “. . . making his instrument talk. . .
.”19
The most directly applicable examples of this relationship in song transcriptions are use
of accents for hard consonant attacks and slurs for melismatic passages, but there are
many subtle articulation variances which should used.
The following phrase from “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht” includes several
added articulations to reflect various aspects of the original German text. The first four
syllables (hab' ich meinen) all have soft articulations and flow together nicely as a single
slurred group. The two-note slur on the syllable trau of traurigen has been preserved
from the original version, but tenutos have been added over the final two syllables of the
word (ri-gen) to reflect both the stronger articulations of the consonants and the dramatic
weight of the word (traurigen = sorrowful/mournful). Finally, a breath accent has been
added over the strong consonant that starts the word traurigen, and a marcato accent has
been added over the hardest consonant attack on the word Tag!:
Example 6a: Articulation for text declamation
Original version of Mahler’s “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht” mm. 14-17
19
Comelek, 81.
21
Example 6b: Articulation for text declamation
Phrasing: The natural phrasing of the text can and should be a guide to good
musical phrasing in the instrumental transcription of a song. Just as a monotone speaker
will easily bore a listener, so will a player who does not shape the phrase. The natural
high and low points within phrases, sentences, and stanzas of the poetry are guides for the
shaping of musical phrases.20 In these German texts it is important to explore literal
translations to help achieve proper phrasing; poetic translation underlays can be
deceiving because of the differences in word order between German and English. If the
study and performance of a song transcription is successful, the trombonist should be able
to “feel the lyrics and shape the phrases.”21 The following example from “Starke
Einbildungskraft” shapes the phrases by intensifying towards the word dich (you) and
then relaxing away.
20
For examples that relate musical phrasing to speech, see Philip Farkas, The Art of Musicianship
(Bloomington, Indiana: Musical Publications, 1976), passim. and John R. Griffiths, Low Brass Guide, 2d
ed. (Roswell, Georgia: E. Williams Music Publishing, 1999), 77-78.
21
Griffiths, 80.
22
Example 7a: Phrasing for text declamation
Original version of Mahler’s “Starke Einbildungskraft” mm. 15-16
Example 7b: Phrasing for text declamation
Mahler/Cherry “Starke Einbildungskraft” mm. 15-16
Musical Expression: Even without the words to tell the story, the mood, drama,
emotions, and characters of a poem can come through in the overall expression of the
music. The instrumentalist performing song transcriptions needs to be sure that each song
or section within a song has its own character that reflects the missing poetry. The
audience should be able to imagine a dark and stormy night because of the sounds they
hear, even without the words to explain the setting. The trombonist is particularly suited
to this task, because the trombone is an extremely expressive instrument; as Berlioz
proclaims in this famous quote beloved by all trombonists:
In my opinion the trombone is the true head of that family of wind instruments
which I have named the epic one. It possesses nobility and grandeur to the highest
degree; it has all the serious and powerful tones of sublime musical poetry, from
religious calm and imposing accents to savage, orgiastic outbursts. Directed by
the will of a master, the trombones can chant like a choir of priests, threaten, utter
gloomy sighs, a mournful lament or a bright hymn of glory; they can break forth
23
into awe-inspiring cries and awaken the dead or doom the living with their fearful
voices.22
In the following excerpt from “Die zwei blauen Augen,” several performance
elements work together to create the overall mood of resignation: the pp dynamic in the
middle-upper register, the timbre of the muted tone, and the expressionless style of
playing (marked without emotion) achieved by the elimination of vibrato, the evenness of
articulation, and the lack of dynamic contour. These elements combine to create a sound
that effectively communicates the mood of the final stanza of the poem, as the heartbroken Wayfarer resigns himself to the peace found only in death:
Da wußt' ich nicht,
Wie das Leben tut,
War alles, alles wieder gut!
Alles! Alles, Lieb und Leid
Und Welt und Traum!
I did not know
How life went on,
And all, all was well again!
All! All, love and sorrow
And world and dream!
Example 8: Expression
Mahler/Cherry “Die zwei blauen Augen” mm. 52-54
In the songs of Gustav Mahler, the overall expressions of the poems are
frequently evident in the accompaniment figures and/or in the structural, harmonic, and
22
Hector Berlioz and Richard Strauss, Treatise on Instrumentation. Trans. Theodore Front (New
York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991), 302.
24
melodic features of the music. Expressive elements for specific songs will be discussed in
later chapters. By working to communicate the expressive elements of transcribed songs,
instrumental musicians will learn valuable tools to enhance their interpretive abilities.
The similarities between musical expression and interpretation are described by Barbara
Comelek:
Interpretation was seen by instrumentalists as the way to transform instrumental
music into a means of expressing thoughts and feelings. The performer was
compared to an actor who experimented with different ways of delivering a line in
order to create a desired effect. The performer, as interpreter, was expected to
explore many ways of playing a note or phrase before selecting the way he
thought best illuminated the poetic meaning of the music.23
Exploring the songs’ instrumental qualities
Dynamics: The trombone is capable of achieving an incredibly wide range of
dynamics. A trombonist’s softest phrases can rival a singer’s most delicate moments, and
the instrument is capable of an enormously loud sound. Intensely dramatic phrases within
a transcribed song, both loud and soft, can be performed with great effectiveness on the
trombone. The loudest moments can likely be made even more intense in a transcription
than was possible in the original vocal version.
The following example from “Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer” is the climactic
moment of the entire Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen cycle. I have adjusted Mahler’s
original indication of ff and mit grösster Kraft (with greatest strength) to fff and
“powerfully!” to indicate a clear difference in volume and tone from the other ff phrases.
The trombonist can produce an intense, powerful sound in this dramatic passage:
23
Comelek, 95.
25
Example 9: Loud volume
Mahler/Cherry “Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer” mm. 68-71
Pitch range/Octave displacement: The playing range of a trombonist (at least
two-and-one-half octaves, and some professionals may exceed four octaves) will likely
exceed the range demands of a transcribed song. In these songs, only “Lob des hohen
Verstands” exceeds two octaves, and only by a minor second. This extended range allows
not only a choice of key areas, but also the possibility of using octave displacements to
enhance the expression of a song.
This birdcall from Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen provides one
example of an expressive use of octave displacement. The lip trill has also been added,
effectively increasing the range by an octave plus a major second:
Example 10a: Octave displacement
Original version of Mahler’s “Ging heut Morgen übers Feld” mm. 19-20
26
Example 10b: Octave displacement
Mahler/Cherry “Ging heut Morgen übers Feld” mm. 19-20
Tone Color: The trombone is capable of producing a variety of tone colors,
including all the qualities of sound that will help to express the dramatic elements needed
to successfully perform song transcriptions. Choices of register and volume play very
significant roles in determining the trombone’s tone color, and the songs of Mahler lie
well on the trombone in a way that takes advantage of these elements. Generally
speaking, the characteristic tone of the trombone can be described as warm, rich, and full.
This characteristic tone is most easily achieved at medium to medium-loud dynamics in
the middle register, but a good trombonist can maintain this quality of sound at all
dynamic levels in all registers. It is also relatively easy to produce a light, delicate tone at
soft volumes and an extremely aggressive (“brassy” or “edgy”) sound in fortissimo
playing. The trombonist can generally produce all of the necessary changes in tone color
that a singer would, as well as an even more dramatic or aggressive loud sound.
The “brassy” or “edgy” trombone tone can be used to great effect in the most
powerfully dramatic phrases, such as this moment in “Revelge” when the singer is
directed to shout or scream (geschrieen) the final Tra-la-li of the verse:
27
Example 11: Brassy tone
Mahler/Cherry “Revelge” mm. 126-128
In addition, mutes can be added to further manipulate the sound quality of the
trombone. There are a wide variety of mutes to choose from, and each will provide a
different timbre. Berlioz described the sound of a muted trombone in soft passages as
“tremendously gruesome, fantastic and gloomy”24–this is an effect that can certainly be
used in these transcriptions. Some mutes will effectively soften the sound, but some
metal mutes can actually project more than an unmuted sound. There are some
suggestions for the use of mutes in these transcriptions, but each performer should
experiment with this manipulation of the sound just as he or she would otherwise work to
achieve the proper characteristic tone quality. In the following example from “Der
Tamboursg’sell,” Mahler’s instruction is to play the passage “in a restrained tone” (mit
verhaltenem Ton)–this sound quality is reinforced with the use of a mute:
24
Berlioz, 329.
28
Example 12: Muted tone
Adjustments to the melodic content
In the adaptation of texted vocal music for instrumental performance some
choices may be made which alter elements of the original melodic line. Decisions need to
be made that attempt to balance the original intentions of the composer with an effective
instrumental version of the music. Suggestions for eliminating some repeated pitches,
altering the original rhythm, phrasing, articulations, and note lengths, and adding to the
melodic content are presented in the following paragraphs. Since the goal in a trombone
transcription is to communicate the expression of the poetic text, care must be taken in
these decisions. As Douglas Camp explains it, “Thoroughly understanding the drama of
the text guides the process of editing the stylistic markings of the music (dynamics,
tempi, and articulation).”25
Elimination of repeated pitches: There may be cases where the melodic line uses
repeated pitches as a means to “fit” the text into a melodic line. These pitches are often
on small words like articles or conjunctions. In cases where the piano accompaniment
doubles the sung melody, the “extra” notes may become more apparent. The melody can
have a cleaner sound, better flow or more characteristic style when these pitches are
25
Douglas W. Camp, “The Preparation and Performance of Selected Schubert Songs for Bass
Trombone and Piano” (D.M.A. document, University of Arizona, 2007), 25.
29
eliminated in an instrumental transcription. Eliminating such pitches also allows for some
rhythmic patterns to be established from one phrase to another.
In this excerpted phrase from “Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?” the repeated
pitches at the beginnings of measures 70, 71, and 72 have all been eliminated: the first
two pairs of eighth notes have been changed to quarter notes, and the eighth and sixteenth
in measure 72 have been tied together. This changes the character of the melodic line, as
well as creating a nice flow to the musical phrase:
Example 13a: Elimination of repeated pitches
Original version of Mahler’s “Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?” mm. 69-73
Example 13b: Elimination of repeated pitches
Mahler/Cherry “Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?” mm. 69-73
Changes in rhythm, phrasing, articulations and note lengths: Again, in some
cases melodic patterns may emerge that are contrary to the grouping of words or syllables
of text. The piano part may be one key to determining if this is the case, and parallel or
similar phrases elsewhere in the song can help to shed some light on possible melodic
30
restructuring. A choice might be made that seems truer to the music than the text; this is a
decision that should be made with care when creating an instrumental transcription.
In this example from “Der Tamboursg’sell,” the selected phrase is the third
repetition of the opening ‘A’ material. The change from the pair of even quarter notes to
the dotted-quarter/eighth rhythm, inspired by the same rhythm found in the piano
accompaniment, serves two purposes: it provides variation to the thematic material, and it
reinforces the military imagery of the soldiers marching by.
Example 14a: Change in rhythm
Original version of Mahler’s “Der Tamboursg’sell” mm. 58-61
Example 14b: Change in rhythm
The following example is from “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt.” This was
an interesting song to prepare for transcription because of its adaptation (in a purely
instrumental version) for the third movement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. The melodic
content of the song is somewhat repetitive, so I looked to the symphony for variety. This
excerpted phrase was inspired by the wind parts, particularly the bassoons, at rehearsal
31
35. Rather than following the original vocal model, this phrase connects what were two
separate text phrases with a dramatic arch, including a dynamic swell and accent:
Example 15a: Change in phrasing
Original version of Mahler’s “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt” mm. 178-181
Example 15b: Change in phrasing
Mahler/Cherry “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt” mm. 178-181
Example 15c: Change in phrasing
Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, third movement, bassoons at rehearsal 35
In the following passage from “Selbstgefühl,” several adjustments have been
made to the articulations that are contrary to the original setting of the text. However,
these changes are directly reinforced by the piano accompaniment. The grouping of the
first four notes under a slur matches the piano, as does the elimination of the slur over the
32
pair of eighth notes on beat 1 of measure 55 (the text syllable wie). Both the slur and the
accent in measure 54 (on the text Nun weiss) correspond to earlier examples of the same
motive found in the piano accompaniment. Finally, the tenuto over the downbeat c-sharp’
in measure 54 reinforces both the interesting harmonic change and the length of the half
note sounding in the piano accompaniment:
Example 16a: Change in articulation
Original version of Mahler’s “Selbstgefühl” mm. 53-56
Example 16b: Change in articulation
Mahler/Cherry “Selbstgefühl” mm. 53-56
In this phrase from “Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz’,” the dotted eighth notes of the
original version have been shortened to eighth notes followed by eighth rests in the
trombone transcription. The short, crisp sound created by this change heightens the drama
by enhancing the military flavor of the piece and reinforcing the fear felt by the narrator
as he awaits his coming execution.
33
Example 17a: Change in note lengths
Original version of Mahler’s “Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz’” mm. 27-29
Example 17b: Change in note lengths
Mahler/Cherry “Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz’” mm. 27-29
Additions to the melodic content: Because of range or technique, there may be
some melodic phrases that are left to the piano. Such phrases could be added to the
instrumental melody; this may, in fact, provide a more complete or logical version of the
melody. Also, when strophic songs are performed without text they often lose the only
element of variation that existed in the melody. It may be possible to create variety in an
instrumental transcription through the addition of ornamentation, countermelody, etc. The
following example from “Um schlimme Kinder artig zo machen” makes use of both an
ornamentation of the melody for contrast in the final verse (m. 37 beat 3) and the addition
of the final tag from the piano part to complete the phrase (last 8th note of m. 38 through
m. 39 beat 3):
34
Example 18a: Addition to the melodic content
Original version of Mahler’s “Um schlimme Kinder artig zo machen” mm. 37-39
Example 18b: Addition to the melodic content
Mahler/Cherry “Um schlimme Kinder artig zo machen” mm. 37-39
Conclusion
In creating a trombone transcription of a vocal work, there are many elements to
consider. By taking advantage of the instrument’s natural singing qualities and studying
the syllabic stress, articulation, phrasing, and expression of the poetic text, it is possible
to create an instrumental version of a song that remains true to the original vocal model.
However, it is also possible (and advisable) to take advantage of the qualities and abilities
of the trombone in order to create a characteristic, expressive transcription that provides
valuable opportunities for both study and performance.
35
Chapter 4: The Lieder of Gustav Mahler and their suitability for transcription
Gustav Mahler’s Lieder are well-suited to instrumental transcription for several
reasons: the choice and treatment of texts, the compositional style, and the melodic
relationships that exist between the songs and the symphonies. Carol Kimball gives the
following overview of Mahler’s Lieder which reinforces the very reasons they make such
good transcriptions for trombone performance:
Most of Mahler’s songs are lengthy, and are written for heavy voices that have
extensive range and dynamic facility. . . . He used developmental techniques in
his accompaniments that parallel symphonic style, and wrote accompaniments
that continually commented on the text or heightened the emotional content of the
words. Many of these songs feature two-part linear texture in which vocal line and
accompaniment interweave.1
The Wunderhorn songs are particularly suited to performance on the trombone because
so many of them were composed for baritone voices (singing in the heart of the trombone
range) with a strong, full tone, yet capable of lightening the sound and style for dramatic
effect.
Choice of texts
The poetry used for the vast majority of Mahler’s songs is drawn from the
collection of folk poems titled Des Knaben Wunderhorn, an anthology of traditional
German poems and songs compiled and edited by Arnim and Brentano and published in
1806. The Wunderhorn anthology allowed Mahler to draw on several sources for his
musical material: children’s songs, dances, military music, and nature. The use of folk
poems for his song texts also helped him avoid a potential conflict between the separate
arts of poetry and music. As La Grange explains,
Mahler almost never used for his compositions the poems he admired most. . . .
The lyrics of Mahler’s songs were taken either from Friedrich Rückert, a minor
1
Carol Kimball, Song: A Guide to Style and Literature (Seattle: Pst. . . Inc., 1996), 132.
36
romantic poet, or from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, a folklore anthology. He was
too receptive to poetry not to understand that the most beautiful, the most perfect
poems are complete in themselves and that, in consequence, the greatest poets are
always betrayed by composers.2
Mahler’s commitment to the folk-like quality of his Wunderhorn settings had a
direct effect on the relationship that would evolve between the words and the music of his
songs. According to Edward Kravitt,
He knew that in order to create a convincing volkstümliches Lied [a traditional or
nationalistic folksong] he must try to bring the words and the music into the same
type of union found in the typical folksong–a marriage in which one partner, the
music, dominates the other.3
This relationship, discussed in greater detail in the following section, is one of the
primary reasons that Mahler’s songs translate so successfully to an instrumental medium.
Treatment of texts
“For Mahler poetry is not a guide . . . but serves as a stimulus for the composer’s
own thoughts.”4 There are many anecdotes of Mahler composing a piece of symphonic
music only to discover that one of the Wunderhorn poems would fit it perfectly. The
imagery and expressions of these poems went hand in hand with the ideas and emotions
Mahler was trying to convey in his music. As he stated in a conversation with Natalie
Bauer-Lechner,
. . . you can express so much more in the music than the words directly say. The
text is actually a mere indication of the deeper significance to be extracted from it,
of hidden treasure within.5
To Mahler, the music was the vehicle of expression, not the words.
2
I, 104.
Henry-Louis de La Grange, Gustav Mahler. 3 vols. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995),
3
Edward Kravitt, “The Trend Towards the Folklike, Nationalism, and Their Expression by Mahler
and His Contemporaries in the Lied,” Chord and Discord 2.10 (1963): 51.
4
Ellen Carole Bruner, “The Relationship of Text and Music in the Lieder of Hugo Wolf and
Gustav Mahler” (Ph.D. diss., Syracuse University, 1974), 351.
5
Natalie Bauer-Lechner, Recollections of Gustav Mahler. Trans. Dika Newlin. Ed. Peter Franklin
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980), 32.
37
Further evidence of Mahler’s use of poetry to help express his musical ideas can
be found in an examination of how he modified and adapted his song texts to fit his
melodies. As Deryck Cooke explains,
He [Mahler] uses the poems freely as a basis for brief ‘movements’ built out of
short motives: the texts are often lopped or modified, the words repeated or drawn
out to fit the thematic development; the voice is just one more instrument (a
highly expressive one) in the motivic texture.6
It would certainly seem that Mahler did, in fact, seek out poems to express his music,
rather than composing music to express the poetic text. This was not the standard practice
of the traditional German Lied, and Mahler was sometimes criticized for his lack of
refinement in setting words to music. Edward Kravitt again has some insight into
Mahler’s use of poetry:
Therefore, unlike most of his contemporaries, he approached the composition of
the lied via the music. In fact, his attention, while setting a text, was absorbed by
purely musical considerations. Consequently, he did not exercise special care to
the parallel metre of the poetry in the rhythm of his vocal line. To be specific: he
often applied rhythmic patterns, melodic sequences, or figures associated with the
dance or the march to phrases of text. Then too, he would call for a regularity of
musical stresses which produces a tripping and jigging rhythm, a metre not
present in each line of poetry thus set. And he often juxtaposed two groups of
time values such as eighths and sixteenths instead of assigning the longer and
shorter values to the words according to their relative importance in the central
meaning of the poem. And examples of incorrect accentuation of individual words
are not infrequent.7
Mahler himself was aware of this lack of “refinement” in his text setting, but the
music, not the setting of individual words, was Mahler’s chief concern; in fact, he
emphatically argued “I demand a theme, development of a theme, thematic manipulation,
song, not declamation!”8 His songs are able to express the poetic imagery of the text,
6
Deryck Cooke, Gustav Mahler: An Introduction to his Music (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1997), 43.
7
Kravitt, 51-52.
8
This statement was quoted in two sources: see Bruner, 192 and Kravitt, 52.
38
including the unfolding of events and subtle changes in emotions, through this
developmental process.9 This is another reason that they work so well as trombone
transcriptions.
Compositional style
Mahler’s musical style is often described as including elements of parody or
irony. These traits can be found in the juxtaposition of key areas and the blending of folklike styles of music such as popular dance forms, children’s songs and military music
with sophisticated harmonization and developmental forms. In some cases, an intricate
accompaniment is juxtaposed with a relatively simple, folk-like melody. Often, the
accompaniment provides the most of the musical elements that express the poetry. Some
examples including shifting key areas and modality, unusual harmonic progressions,
simulations of shepherds pipes and military drums, and rhythmic motives from dances
and marches. A great deal of the poetic expression in Mahler’s songs can be heard
without the words being sung because so much of the imagery is contained in the music
itself.
Another important element of Mahler’s compositional style which should be
considered is the continual development of themes and melodies. As he explained to
Natalie Bauer-Lechner,
I have come to realize the perpetual evolution of the song’s content–in other
words, through-composition {das Durchkomponieren}–as the true principle of
music. In my writing, from the very first, you won’t find any more repetition from
strophe to strophe; for music is governed by the law of eternal evolution, eternal
development–just as the world, even in one and the same spot, is always
changing, eternally fresh and new. But of course this development must be
progressive, or I don’t give a damn for it!10
9
Zoltan Roman, “Structure as a Factor in the Genesis of Mahler’s Songs,” The Music Review 35
(1974): 166.
10
Bauer-Lechner, 130.
39
This developmental style of composition is very instrumental in nature; it is another
important aspect of Mahler’s song writing that is strongly suited to instrumental
transcription.
Relationships between songs and symphonies
There are many and varied relationships between Mahler’s songs and his
symphonies. In fact, many trombonists should already be familiar with the melodies of
these Wunderhorn and other songs because of these relationships. Of the songs
transcribed for this project, seven of them are used in a direct, thematic way in
Symphonies 1, 2 and 3:
1. “Ging heut Morgen übers Feld”
2. “Hans und Grethe”
3. “Die zwei blauen Augen”
4. “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt”
5. “Urlicht”
6. “Ablösung im Sommer”
7. “Es sungen drei Engel einen süssen Gesang”
Sym. 1 mvt. 1
Sym. 1 mvt. 2
Sym. 1 mvt. 3
Sym. 2 mvt. 3
Sym. 2 mvt. 4
Sym. 3 mvt. 3
Sym. 3 mvt. 5
Numbers 1, 3, 4 and 6 above have direct thematic quotations in the symphonies; number
2 is used motivically; number 5 was originally written as a solo song and later
incorporated into the symphony, while number 7 was originally written for the symphony
and later re-worked as a solo song. Although sometimes labeled with the term “songsymphonist” as a criticism, Deryck Cooke believes that “Mahler was no ‘songsymphonist’, in the sense of an inflator of lyrical material to monumental proportions; his
songs flower naturally into symphonic movements, being already symphonic in cast.”11
11
Cooke, 43.
40
Mahler’s use of his own songs in these symphonic settings provides a strong
precedent for their use as instrumental transcriptions. The thematic writing simply lends
itself to instrumental performance. As Donald Mitchell explains,
It is not accidental that the characteristic ‘contents’ of the songs, whether lighthearted or broken-hearted, sunlit or spectral, caustic or gay, and the musical
imagery (e.g. military fanfares) and forms (e.g. funeral marches, Ländler-like
dances) associated with them, should emerge so powerfully in those symphonies
which in a very meaningful sense were born out of Mahler’s immersion in the
Wunderhorn world. Nor does one forget the sometimes ironic and parodistic tone
of these unconventional, indeed often uncomfortable texts, for which Mahler
found a comparably biting musical voice, thus creating a musical sarcasm (a
genuine extension of the vocabulary of music) which, as he proved as early as the
slow movement of the first of his symphonies, did not necessarily depend on the
stimulus or presence of the words.12
Conclusion
Ellen Carole Bruner explains why Mahler’s vocal melodies translate so well to
instrumental performances:
The lyricism and formal perfection of Mahler’s vocal lines make them attractive
and meaningful even when divorced from the texts on which they are based. Their
success as independent melodies is evidenced in Mahler’s symphonies where they
frequently form the thematic basis for an entire instrumental movement.13
Considering the many expressive elements Mahler wrote into his accompaniment parts,
and his own placement of the music above the text, it is no wonder that little if anything
is lost when his songs are performed as instrumental transcriptions.
12
Donald Mitchell, Gustav Mahler: The Wunderhorn Years (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press,
1976), 88-90.
13
Bruner, 346.
41
Chapter 5: Conclusion
Great Literature for Trombone: The Untapped Resource of Gustav Mahler’s Lieder
Mahler’s early Lieder und Gesänge and his many Wunderhorn songs are
examples of the large quantity of vocal music that is currently unused by most trombone
players. These pieces have great value as teaching tools and as additions to the recital
repertoire. By studying these song transcriptions, trombonists can improve their
fundamental concepts of legato style, phrasing, and musical expression, leading to a
singing style of playing. They can include pieces by one of the master composers in their
performance programs. And, they can reach a new level of accomplishment in their
playing. As Douglas Camp explains, “communicating [the] ideas and emotions [of
transcribed songs] through music, without the sung words, demands the highest level of
instrumental performance.”1
Gustav Mahler’s songs work particularly well as instrumental transcriptions
because of his beautiful melodies, his symphonic compositional style, his emphasis of
thematic development over text declamation, and his inclusion of so many expressive
elements into the accompaniments of his songs. They are particularly well suited to
performance on trombone because many are written in a baritone register, using the full
range of dynamics and articulation styles to express various emotions and settings. An
accomplished trombonist is more than capable of meeting the expressive demands of
these songs.
The following transcriptions of Mahler’s songs are written to both emulate the
original vocal pieces and to take advantage of the trombone’s range, technical facility,
1
Douglas W. Camp, “The Preparation and Performance of Selected Schubert Songs for Bass
Trombone and Piano” (D.M.A. document, University of Arizona, 2007), 10.
42
and dynamic capabilities. They are an incredibly diverse resource of musical materials
and should find use among both student and professional trombonists. These
transcriptions are intended to be performed with the original piano/vocal scores, which
should be studied along with the guides found in the appendices below.
43
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Musical Scores:
Original Works by Gustav Mahler
24 Songs for voice and piano, 4 vols. New York: International Music Company, 1950.
Des Knaben Wunderhorn and the Rückert Lieder. For voice and piano. Mineola,
New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1999.
Fünfzehn Lieder, Humoresken und Balladen aus “Des Knaben Wunderhorn” für
Singstimme und Klavier (nach dem Text der Kritischen Gesamtausgabe). Edited
by Renate Hilmar-Voit and Thomas Hampson. Vienna: Universal Edition A.G.,
1994.
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Vocal score, edited with a new translation by Colin
Matthews. Introduction by Donald Mitchell. London: Josef Weinberger Ltd.,
1977.
Songs of a Wayfarer. Full score. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1990.
Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2. Full score. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1987.
Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4. Full score. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1989.
Three Song Cycles in Vocal Score: Songs of a Wayfarer, Kindertotenlieder and Das Lied
von der Erde. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991.
Arrangements/Transcriptions of Works by Gustav Mahler
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Arranged for tuba and piano by Dan Perantoni. Troy,
Michigan: Encore Music Publishers, 1992.
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer). Edited and arranged for
trombone and piano by Doug Sparkes. Vancouver, B.C.: Cherry Classics Music,
2000.
Mahler Songs for Trumpet: 12 Lyrical Sketches Drawn from the Songs of Gustav Mahler.
Arranged by Robert Thompson. Vienna: UE Publishing Musikverlags GmbH,
1999.
Primeval Light. Transcribed by Quinto Maganini. New York: Edition Musicus, 1972.
44
Songs of a Wayfarer for Euphonium and Piano. Arranged for Euphonium and Piano by
James Curnow. Festival Solo Series. Wilmore, KY: Curnow Music Press, 2005.
Songs of a Wayfarer. Arranged for trombone and piano by Eric Carlson. Philadelphia:
CEC Music, 2003.
Trombone Solo from the Mahler Third Symphony (1st movement). Transcribed by Allen
Ostrander. New York: Edition Musicus, 1958.
Sound Recordings:
Original Works by Gustav Mahler
Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Compact disc D101590. Teldec, 1993.
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Compact disc 431 682-2. Deutsche Grammophon,
1991.
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Kindertotenlieder, 5 Lieder. Compact disc
7243 5 74738 2 8. EMI Classics, 2001.
Symphony No. 4, 5 Lieder. Compact disc 7243 5 67035 2 0. EMI Classics, 1999.
Symphony No. 7, Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Compact disc 414 675-2. Decca Record
Company, 1985.
Trombone Recordings of Transcribed Vocal Music
Davis, JoDee. In the Moment. Compact disc TROY464. Albany Records, 2001.
Haroz, Nitzan. Towards the Light. Compact disc. Self published.
Hawes, Randall. Melodrama. Compact disc TROY549. Albany Records, 2003.
Hetzler, Mark. Serious Songs, Sad Faces. Compact disc DCD 347. Summit Records,
2003.
Kanda, Megumi. Gloria. Compact disc TROY694. Albany Records, 2004.
Knaub, Donald. Sound Waves. Compact disc CD680. Crystal Records, 2000.
Lindberg, Christian. Songs for Sunset. Compact disc BIS-CD-808. Grammofon AB BIS,
1996.
45
Other Sources Consulted:
Arrigo, Robin Jean. “Transcription of Vocal Literature for Solo Instrument and Piano
Accompaniment: A Unique Challenge for Accompanists.” D.M.A. thesis,
University of Miami, 1998.
Aston, Elizabeth Darlene. “A Comparative Analysis of Thematic Material found to be
Related in Gustav Mahler's Vocal and Instrumental Compositions.” M.A. thesis,
Texas Woman’s University, 1972.
Barford, Philip. Mahler Symphonies and Songs. BBC Music Guides. London: British
Broadcasting Corporation, 1970; reprint, London: Spottiswoode Ballantyne Ltd.,
1982.
Bauer-Lechner, Natalie. Recollections of Gustav Mahler. Trans. Dika Newlin. Ed. Peter
Franklin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980.
Baxter, Leroy Everette. “The Use of Selected Vocal Materials from the Classical and
Romantic Periods as a Method of Teaching Musical Style Characteristics to
Trombone Students.” Ed.D. diss., Arizona State University, 1973.
Berlioz, Hector and Richard Strauss. Treatise on Instrumentation. Trans. Theodore Front.
New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991.
Boyd, James William. “Tonality, Genre and Form: Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden
Gesellen.” Ph.D. diss, University of Michigan, 1994.
Bruner, Ellen Carole. “The Relationship of Text and Music in the Lieder of Hugo Wolf
and Gustav Mahler.” Ph.D. diss., Syracuse University, 1974.
Camp, Douglas W. “The Preparation and Performance of Selected Schubert Songs for
Bass Trombone and Piano.” D.M.A. document, University of Arizona, 2007.
Comelek, Barbara. “Allusions to the Vocal Art in Selected Wind Instrument Pedagogical
Sources.” D.A. diss., Ball State University, 1985.
Cooke, Deryck. Gustav Mahler: An Introduction to his Music. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1997.
Cryder, Richard L. “Transcription of Six Vocal Compositions as Trombone Studies.”
M.M. thesis, Kent State University, 1971.
Dargie, E. Mary. Music and Poetry in the Songs of Gustav Mahler. Bern, Frankfurt am
Main, Las Vegas: Peter Lang, 1981.
46
DePoy, Brian W. “Gustav Mahler: ‘Mahler Songs: 12 Lyrical Sketches from the Songs of
Gustav Mahler,’ Arranged by Robert Thompson.” ITG Journal 26:2 (January
2002): 55.
DeYoung, Derald. “Singing As an Aid to Brass Performance,” Brass Anthology.
Northfield, Illinois: The Instrumentalist Publishing Company, 1991, 507-508.
Duerksen, George. “The Voice of the Trombone,” Brass Anthology. Northfield, Illinois:
The Instrumentalist Publishing Company, 1991, 235-236.
Espina, Noni. Repertoire for the Solo Voice. Metuchen, New Jersey: The Scarecrow
Press, Inc., 1977.
Ezust, Emily. “The Lied and Art Song Texts Page.” <http://recmusic.org/lieder/>.
January 3, 2005.
Farkas, Philip. The Art of Musicianship. Bloomington, Indiana: Musical Publications,
1976.
Feldsher, Howard A. “Transcription or Arrangement?” The Instrumentalist 25, no. 8
(1971): 39-40.
Fink, Reginald H. The Trombonist’s Handbook: A Complete Guide to Playing and
Teaching the Trombone. Athens, Ohio: Accura Music, 1977.
Garcia, Manuel. A Complete Treatise on the Art of Singing (Paris, 1841-1872), 2 vols.
Collated, trans. and ed. Donald V. Paschke. New York: Da Capo Press, 1984.
Gazda, Frank Stephen. “The Bass Trombone Soloist: Using Transcriptions to Augment
the Repertoire.” D.M.A. dissertation project, University of Maryland, 2002.
Gorham, Charles. A Brass Player’s Guide to the German Instructions Contained in the
Symphonies of Mahler. Portland, Maine: Manduca Music Publications, 1992.
Griffiths, John R. Low Brass Guide. 2d ed. Roswell, Georgia: E. Williams Music
Publishing, 1999.
Guion, David M. “25 Years of Trombone Recitals: An Examination of Programs
Published by the International Trombone Association.” ITA Journal 27, no. 1
(1999): 22-29.
________. “Recital Repertoire of the Trombone as Shown by Programs Published in the
I.T.A.,” Online Trombone Journal. www.trombone.org.
47
Hamburger, Paul. “Mahler and Des Knaben Wunderhorn.” In The Mahler Companion,
ed. Donald Mitchell and Andrew Nicholson, chapter 3. New York: Oxford
Hanson, Wesley Luther. “The Treatment of Brass Instruments in the Symphonies of
Gustav Mahler.” D.M.A. Thesis, The University of Rochester, Eastman School of
Music, 1977.
The Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music. Edited by Willi Apel and Ralph T. Daniel. New
York: Washington Square Press, 1960.
Hefling, Stephen E., ed. Mahler Studies. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge
Henderson, W.J. The Art of Singing. Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1938.
Herbert, Trevor. The Trombone. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006.
Hightower, Taylor. “Cyclical Elements in Mahler's Orchestral Lieder: a Study of
Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Fünf Rückert Lieder.” D.M. diss,
Indiana University, 2004.
Holden, Robert B. “The German Narrative Dramatic Ballad from Loewe to Mahler: The
Development of the Genre and its Use as a Teaching Tool for Communication.”
D.M.A. Thesis, Temple University, 2000.
Johnson, William L. “Thematic Sources of Gustav Mahler's First Symphony in Lieder
eines fahrenden Gesellen.” M.A. thesis, University of Wyoming, 1977.
Kennedy, Michael. Mahler. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1975; revised edition,
New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Kimball, Carol. Song: A Guide to Style and Literature. Seattle: Pst…Inc., 1996.
Kleinhammer, Edward. The Art of Trombone Playing. Miami: Summy-Birchard Music,
1963.
Kleinhammer, Edward, and Douglas Yeo. Mastering the Trombone. Hannover, Germany:
Edition Piccolo Music Publishers, 1997.
Knapp, Raymond. Symphonic Metamorphoses: Subjectivity and Alienation in Mahler’s
Re-Cycled Songs. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 2003.
Kravitt, Edward. “The Trend Towards the Folklike, Nationalism, and Their Expression
by Mahler and His Contemporaries in the Lied.” Chord and Discord 2.10 (1963):
40-56.
48
La Grange, Henry-Louis de. Gustav Mahler. 3 vols. New York: Oxford University Press,
1995.
Law, Glen. “Development of Brass Tone,” Brass Anthology. Northfield, Illinois: The
Instrumentalist Publishing Company, 1991, 186-189.
Lehmann, Lotte. Eighteen Song Cycles: Studies in their Interpretation. With a Foreword
by Neville Cardus. New York and Washington: Praeger Publishers, 1972.
Mahler, Alma. Gustav Mahler: Memories and Letters. Translated by Basil Creighton.
Enlarged edition, revised and edited by Donald Mitchell. New York: The Viking
Press, 1969.
Mayo, Carol J. “Three songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn by Gustav Mahler.” M.M.
thesis, North Texas State University, 1972.
McShane, David Harold. “Gustav Mahler’s ‘Des Knaben Wunderhorn’ Lieder.” D.M.A.
Thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1985.
Miller, Heather A. “The Relationship Between Text and Music in the Soldier Songs from
Gustav Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn.” M.A. thesis, Bowling Green State
University, 1997.
Mitchell, Donald. Gustav Mahler: The Early Years. Rev., Edited by Paul Banks and
David Matthews. London and Boston: Faber and Faber, 1980.
________. Gustav Mahler: The Wunderhorn Years. Boulder, Colorado:
Westview Press, 1976.
________. “Mahler’s ‘Kammermusikton.’” In The Mahler Companion, ed.
Donald Mitchell and Andrew Nicholson, chapter 10. New York: Oxford
Mitchell, Donald and Andrew Nicholson, eds. The Mahler Companion. Oxford: Oxford
Mitchell, Randall Thomas. “The Use of Selected Vocalises of Marco Bordogni in the
Development of Musicianship for the Trombonist, a Lecture Recital, Together
with Three Recitals of Selected Works by Eugene Bozza, Jacques Casterede,
Pierre Max Dubois, Christian Gouinguene, Axel Jorgensen, Richard Monaco,
Lars-Erik Larsson, Erhard Ragwitz, and Others.” D.M.A. diss., University of
North Texas, 1989.
Montgomery, Cheri. German Lyric Diction Workbook: A Graded Method of Phonetic
Transcription which employs Frequently Occurring Words from German Art
Song Literature. Nashville, Tennessee: S.T.M. Pub., 2004.
49
Murata, Yuri. “Reconstruction of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, Adagietto for
Trombone and Piano.” D.M.A. document, Louisiana State University, 2000.
Odom, William. German for Singers: A Textbook of Diction and Phonetics. New York:
Schirmer Books, 1981.
Phillips, Lois. Lieder Line by Line. London: George Duckworth & Co. Ltd., 1979;
revised edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996.
Roman, Zoltan. “Structure as a Factor in the Genesis of Mahler’s Songs,” The Music
Review. 35 (1974), pp. 157-166.
Smith, Warren Storey. “Mahler Quotes Mahler.” Chord and Discord. Clark L. Elbe (ed.),
Vol. 2 No. 7 (published by The Bruckner Society of America; Athens Press: Iowa
City, Iowa), 1954.
Stokes, Katarina Markovic. “The World of Mahler’s Early Symphonies: From Idea to
Form.” Ph.D. diss., Brandeis University, 2004.
Vernon, Charles G. A “Singing” Approach to the Trombone (and other Brass). 1995 rev.
ed. Atlanta: Atlanta Brass Society Press, 1995.
Walker, Alan. “Liszt and the Schubert Song Transcriptions.” The Musical Quarterly
67:1 (January 1981): 50-63.
Wick, Denis. Trombone Technique. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1984.
Williamson, John. “The Earliest Completed Works: A Voyage towards the First
Symphony.” In The Mahler Companion, ed. Donald Mitchell and Andrew
Nicholson, chapter 2. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
50
Appendix A: Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit, vol. I
This set of five songs includes Mahler’s earliest surviving Lieder: “Phantasie” and
“Serenade” are both settings of poems by Tirso de Molina, “Frühlingsmorgen” and
“Errinerung” use the poetry of Richard Leander, and “Hans und Grethe” is a setting of
Mahler’s own text. The small collection is known by several names, as Mahler originally
titled it simply Fünf Gedichte (Five Poems) before it was published as the first volume of
a group of 14 songs under the name Lieder und Gesänge1 (Songs)–the modifier aus der
Jugendzeit (of Youth) was added at a later date.
These early songs already include the stylistic traits and compositional techniques
which allow for a successful transcription to the instrumental medium; the following
summary is from Donald Mitchell’s Gustav Mahler: The Early Years:
Book I of the Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit yields two songs, Hans und
Grethe and Erinnerung, both of them rich in characteristic traits and both of them
heralds of the future: Hans und Grethe in its Ländler style, Erinnerung in its
progressive tonal structure. In short, major elements of Mahler’s maturity are
bound up with this first Jugendzeit volume. There could hardly be better evidence
of the early stage at which Mahler’s musical personality revealed certain of the
most pronounced features which we recognize today as uniquely Mahlerian.2
The imagery and emotions of the poems are expressed beautifully in the melodic writing
of these songs, and they could be performed as a set if desired. “Phantasie” in B minor
and “Serenade” in D major make a nice pair, as do “Frühlingsmorgen” (F major) and
“Errinerung” (F minor).
1
“We may note that this title introduces a distinction between the Lied, the art song, on the one
hand, and the Gesang, the unsophisticated air, on the other; e.g., Frühlingsmorgen as contrasted with Hans
und Grethe.” Donald Mitchell, Gustav Mahler: The Early Years. Rev., Edited by Paul Banks and David
Matthews (London and Boston: Faber and Faber, 1980), 199.
2
Donald Mitchell, Gustav Mahler: The Early Years, 224.
51
Title: Phantasie (Fantasy)
Text: Ludwig Braunfels after Tirso de Molina from Don Juan
Composed: 1882-1883
Key: B minor (B-flat minor)
Published: 1892 by Schott of Mainz
Range: B-f-sharp’ (1 8v + P5)
Length: 2’15’’
Translation: from http://www.recmusic.org/lieder by Emily Ezust
Das Mägdlein trat aus
dem Fischerhaus,
Die Netze warf sie ins Meer hinaus!
Und wenn kein Fisch in das Netz ihr ging,
Die Fischerin doch die Herzen fing!
The maiden stepped out
of the fisherman's hut,
and cast her nets out into the sea!
And even if no fish entered the net,
the fishergirl yet trapped some hearts!
Die Winde streifen so kühl umher,
Erzählen leis' eine alte Mär!
Die See erglühet im Abendrot,
Die Fischerin fühlt nicht Liebesnot
Im Herzen! Im Herzen!
The winds blow so coolly about,
softly telling an old folktale!
The sea gleams in the dusk,
the fishergirl does not feel love's sting
in her heart, in her heart!
Useful Information:
- simplest of all the songs
- only slight variation between the two verses
- sadness of the song depicted by the slow tempo and the minor tonality3
- folk idiom reflected in the modal quality of the lowered 7th scale degree4
Technical Considerations:
- soft, delicate playing throughout
- frequent tempo changes
- subtle but important phrasing
Transcription Issues:
- added phrase/legato marks throughout to reflect style and text phrasing
- eliminated some repeated pitches to create melodic flow or rhythmic patterns
(mm. 4, 8, 12)
- added tenuto marks to emphasize text declamation (mm. 10-11, 16-17, 25-27, 3233)
- added dynamics and shaping for expression of repeated text lines (mm. 15-17 and
31-33)
- eliminated first fermatas in mm. 11 and 27 to reduce confusion in coordinating
with piano accompaniment
3
E. Mary Dargie, Music and Poetry in the Songs of Gustav Mahler (Bern, Frankfurt am Main, Las
Vegas: Peter Lang, 1981), 75.
4
Ibid., 75.
52
Title: Serenade
Text: Ludwig Braunfels after Tirso de Molina from Don Juan
Composed: 1882-1883
Key: D major (C major)
Range: e-g’ (1 8v + m3)
Translation: from the International publication Mahler: 24 Songs Volume I
Ist’s dein Wille, süsse Maid
Meinem heissen Liebesstreben
Erst im Tode Raum zu geben
O, da wart’ ich lange Zeit
O, da wart’ ich lange Zeit
If it is your will, sweet maiden,
To my fervent wooing
Only in death to yield,
Oh, then I must wait a long time!
Oh, then I must wait a long time!
Sol lich deine Gunst geniessen
Erst nach meinem Erdengange
Währt mein Leben allzulange!
Mag es gleich im Nu zerfliessen
Mag es gleich im Nu zerfliessen
If I shall enjoy your favor
Only after my span on earth,
Then my life lasts far too long!
May it melt away this instant!
May it melt away this instant!
Ist’s dein Wille, süsse Maid
Meinem heissen Liebesstreben
Erst im Tode Raum zu geben
O das ist gar lange Zeit
Gar zu lange Zeit!
If it is your will, sweet maiden,
To my fervent wooing
Only in death to yield,
Oh, that is too long a time,
Far too long a time!
Useful Information:
- this music “communicates both the intensity and depth of unrequited love”5
- contains rhythmic repetition with melodic variation
- requires exquisite legato and delicate phrasing
- challenging upward slur leaps into mid-upper register (f-sharp and g)
- generally soft playing throughout; particularly soft on the final section
- added long phrase/legato markings throughout to coordinate with the piano
accompaniment
- changed marcato accents to breath accents throughout to imply greater note
lengths and less percussive attacks
- added tenutos to reinforce the syllabic stress of the text (mm. 5, 7, 9, 17, 19, 21,
23, 25, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37)
5
Gustav Mahler, Mahler Songs for Trumpet: 12 Lyrical Sketches Drawn from the Songs of Gustav
Mahler. Arranged by Robert Thompson (Vienna: UE Publishing Musikverlags GmbH, 1999), 10.
54
-
added crescendos to give expressive direction to the melodic line (mm. 5, 7, 17,
19, 33-35)
adjusted dynamic marking up to mp for the second verse (m. 15) and down to pp
for the third verse (m. 27) for expressive contrast
changed m. 28 beat 2 quarter note to an eighth note followed by an eighth rest to
match the piano accompaniment
55
Title: Frühlingsmorgen (Spring morning)
Text: R. Leander [pseudonym]; Richard Volkmann (1830-1889)
Composed: 1882-1883
Key: F Major (G Major)
Range: c-f’ (1 8v + P4)
Translation: from http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/ by Judith Kellock
Es klopft an das Fenster der Lindenbaum.
Mit Zweigen blütenbehangen:
Steh' auf! Steh' auf!
Was liegst du im Traum?
Die Sonn' ist aufgegangen!
The lindentree taps at the window
Branches heavy with blooms;
Get up! Get up!
Why do you lie dreaming?
The sun is overhead!
Get up! Get up!
Die Lerche ist wach, die Büsche weh'n!
Die Bienen summen und Käfer!
Und dein munteres Lieb'
hab ich auch schon geseh'n.
Steh' auf, Langschläfer!
Langschläfer, steh' auf!
The lark is up, the bushes blow!
The bees buzz, and the beetles!
Get up! Get up!
And your jolly lover
I've already seen
Get up, lazybones!
Lazybones, get up!
Get up! Get up!
Useful Information:
- playful, light-hearted style
- lilting quality emphasized by the 6/8 meter and the placement of stressed syllables
on each strong beat (dotted quarters).
- charming irony of Steh’ auf! (Wake up!) motive in the accents of a lullaby (mm.
26-29)6
- the only example of a truly through-composed form in all of Mahler’s song
output7
- maintaining a light, playful style in various ranges and dynamics
- upward leaps into the mid-upper register
- attention to the added articulations to reflect the style
- eliminated the repeated pitch in m. 17 to maintain the natural rhythmic pattern
- added tenuto marks to show syllabic stress (mm. 6, 8, 11, 21, 24, 25)
6
Donald Mitchell, Mahler: The Early Years, 214.
(1974): 165.
7
57
-
extended existing slurs through weak/de-emphasized syllables (mm. 7, 8, 9, 10,
12, 23, 24)
added slurs over two-note strong/weak syllable combinations (mm. 13, 17, 18, 20,
27)
added dynamics and breath marks to reflect text phrasing
added staccato marks (if not already accented) over the first notes of each motive
corresponding to the text Steh’ auf! (mm. 9, 10, 21, 22, 25, 28)
changed the breath accents to marcato accents to imply shorter note lengths on the
final two Steh’ auf! motives (mm. 30, 31)
58
Title: Erinnerung (Remembrance)
Text: R. Leander [pseudonym]; Richard Volkmann (1830-1889)
Composed: 1882-1883
Key: F minor (G minor)
Range: c-g’ (1 8v + P5)
Translation: International publication Mahler: 24 Songs Volume I
Es wecket meine Liebe
die Lieder immer wieder
Es wecken meine Lieder
die Liebe immer wieder
My love wakens
the songs ever anew!
My songs waken
my love ever anew!
Die Lippen, die da träumen
von deinen heissen Küssen,
In Sang und Liedesweisen
von dir die sie tönen müssen!
My lips, which dream
of your fervent kisses,
In song and melody
they have to chant of you!
Und wollen die Gedanken
der Liebe sich entschlagen,
So kommen meine Lieder
zu mir mit Liebesklagen!
And if my thoughts
would like to dismiss love,
Then my songs come
to me with love’s lament!
So halten mich in Banden
die Beiden immer wieder!
Es weckt das Lied die Liebe!
Die Liebe weckt die Lieder!
Thus I am held a captive
by these two forever!
The song will waken love!
And love wakens the songs!
Useful Information:
- play on words between Liebe (love) and Lieder (songs)
- pattern: stressed syllables in each phrase fall on the downbeats
- first manifestation of Mahler’s intense melancholy8
- obsessive rhythmic repetition reflects the character9
- earliest example of Mahler’s progressive tonality10
- generally soft (piano and pianissimo) playing with one dramatic climax in m. 32
- several sudden soft dynamics immediately following the peaks of crescendos
- several subtle tempo changes which must be coordinated with the pianist
- frequent upper/lower neighbors (major and minor seconds) require careful tuning
- challenging wide upward interval leaps: minor 7ths at mm. 8-9, 16-17, and 31-32
8
Ibid., 216-217.
10
Ibid., 219-220.
9
60
-
phrasing should reflect the syllabic patterns of the text
- added phrase/legato marks throughout to reflect the style and phrasing
- all tenuto marks have been added to reflect the syllabic stress
- marcato accents have been changed to breath accents
61
Title: Hans und Grethe (Hansel and Gretel)
Text: Gustav Mahler
Composed: 1880
Key: E-flat major (F major)
Range: B-flat-b-flat’ (2 8vs)
Translation: from the International publication Mahler: 24 Songs Volume I:
Ringel, ringel Reih’n!
Wer fröhlich ist, der schlinge sich ein!
Wer Sorgen hat,
der lass’ sie daheim!
Wer ein liebes Liebchen küsst,
Wie glücklich der ist!
Ei, Hänschen, du hast ja kein’s!
So suche dir ein’s!
Ein liebes Liebchen, da ist was Fein’s.
Juch-he! Juch-he!
Ring-around-a-rosy!
Whoever is merry let him join in!
Whoever has cares,
let him leave them at home!
Whoever kisses a dear sweetheart,
How happy is he!
Oh, Hanschen you have none!
Then look for one!
A dear sweetheart is something grand!
High-ho! High-ho!
Ei, Gretchen, was stehst denn so allein?
Guckst doch hinuber zum Hänselein!?
Und ist doch der Mai so grün!?
Und die Lüfte, sie zieh’n!
Ei seht doch den dummen Hans!
Wie er rennet zum Tans!
Er suchte ein Liebchen, Jush-he!
Er fand’s! Juch-he!
Juch-he! Juch-he! Juch-he!
Ringel, Reih’n! Ringel, Reih’n! Reih’n!
Ring-around-a-rosy!
Oh, Gretchen, why do you stand so alone?
Yet you are peeping over at Hanselein!?
And May is so green!?
And the breezes, they blow!
Oh look at stupid Hans!
How he is running to the dance!
He searched for a sweetheart, high-ho!
He found her! High-ho!
High-ho! High-ho! High-ho!
Ring-around-a-rosy!
Around-a-rosy! Around-a-rosy! A-rosy!
Useful Information:
- originally titled “Maitanz im Grünen” (“May dance in the country”)
- used as motivic material for Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, mvt. 2
- Mahler’s first use of the Ländler dance rhythm11
- shares characteristic elements with Mahler’s Ländler symphony movements12
- frequent tempo and dynamic changes
- wide upward slurs: intervals of 6ths, 7ths and octaves
11
David Harold McShane, “Gustav Mahler’s ‘Des Knaben Wunderhorn’ Lieder” (D.M.A. Thesis,
University of Texas at Austin, 1985), 22.
12
63
-
use of upper register: b-flat’ (or c’’)
- added accents or tenutos to emphasize the syllabic stress (mm. 1-3, 38-40, 79-87)
- altered melodic rhythm to match the opening phrase (mm. 38-39)
- altered melodic rhythm to match the piano accompaniment (mm. 7, 8, 10, 19, 29,
65, 74)
- adjusted the articulations (particularly the slur groupings) to better match the
piano accompaniment throughout
- added breath marks to reflect text phrasing (mm. 7, 22, 24, 27, 29, 33, 63, 65, 68,
70, 74)
- added/adjusted dynamics to reflect the gradual diminuendo (mm. 79-end)
64
Appendix B: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
This set of four songs, known also by its English title Songs of a Wayfarer, was
released in two versions–one for voice and orchestra, the other for voice and piano. The
piece was composed between 1884 and 1886, but wasn’t published until 1897 (both
versions by Josef Weinberger, Vienna.) The poetry is attributed to Mahler, although there
are significant influences from Arnim and Brentano’s anthology of German folk poetry
Des Knaben Wunderhorn, including the use of a Wunderhorn text as part of the poetry
for “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht.”
“The overall mood of Mahler’s Wayfarer cycle is set by the first song, ‘Wenn
mein Schatz Hochzeit macht,’ in which despair is ironically juxtaposed with joy.”1 The
Wayfarer, deeply saddened by his sweetheart’s marrying another man, goes out into
nature in hopes of finding peace and joy; however, his melancholy mood is reinforced to
the point that he begins having mocking, tormenting visions of his sweetheart. He wishes
for the sweet release of death, and eventually finds his peace “under the Linden tree.” It
was actually Mahler’s unhappy love affair with soprano Johanna Richter, during his
appointment at the opera house in Kassel, that was to become the inspiration for the
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. She is the sweetheart whose blue eyes torment him
throughout the song cycle.
Mahler’s Gesellen cycle is commonly considered to be his first masterpiece. As
La Grange explains,
To fit the simple, folklore style of these poems, Mahler created a style inspired by
popular music, in which the echoes of his childhood lullabies alternate with
vivacious interludes, more naïve than parodic. The combination of these two
elements forms an extremely personal musical style. For the first time, in
1
James William Boyd, “Tonality, Genre and Form: Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen”
(Ph.D. diss, University of Michigan, 1994), 75.
67
Mahler’s work, the shape and pattern of these Lieder are as perfect as their
emotional content.2
In order to give this beautiful, powerful set of songs a truly expressive performance,
trombonists are strongly encouraged to read the introduction and the section on the
Gesellen cycle of Lotte Lehmann’s wonderful book, Eighteen Song Cycles: Studies in
their Interpretation.3 All performers should study the music and poetry to the point that
one might create one’s own written interpretive synopsis of this cycle, as well as any and
all songs chosen to perform.
Some of the melodies are familiar to trombonists, as the cycle shares its thematic
material with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. The main theme of the first movement of the
symphony is the melody of song number two, “Ging heut Morgen übers Feld,” and the
third movement makes use of material from song number four, “Die zwei blauen Augen,”
just before the return of the famous minor version of the children’s song “Bruder Martin”
(Frère Jacques). This does set a precedent for an instrumental version of these themes,
and the varied melodies of all four Gesellen songs can be expressed with a great deal of
color and character on the trombone.
2
Henry-Louis de La Grange, Gustav Mahler: Volume One (New York: Oxford University Press,
1995), 120.
3
Lotte Lehmann, Eighteen Song Cycles: Studies in their Interpretation. With a Foreword by
Neville Cardus (New York and Washington: Praeger Publishers, 1972), 1-7 and 139-144.
68
Title: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen I: Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht (When my
darling has her wedding day)
Text: Gustav Mahler (adapted from Des Knaben Wunderhorn)
Composed: 1884 (piano)-1896 (completed orchestral version)
Published: both versions, 1897, Josef Weinberger, Vienna
Key: D minor, E-flat major, D-G minor
Range: B-g’ (1 octave + m6)
Length: 4’30
Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht,
Fröhliche Hochzeit macht,
Hab' ich meinen traurigen Tag!
Geh' ich in mein Kämmerlein,
Dunkles Kämmerlein,
Weine, wein' um meinen Schatz,
Um meinen lieben Schatz!
When my darling has her wedding-day,
her joyous wedding-day,
I will have my day of mourning!
I will go to my little room,
my dark little room,
and weep, weep for my darling,
for my dear darling!
Blümlein blau! Verdorre nicht!
Vöglein süß!
Du singst auf grüner Heide.
Ach, wie ist die Welt so schön!
Ziküth! Ziküth!
Blue flower! Do not wither!
Sweet little bird –
you sing on the green heath!
Alas, how can the world be so fair?
Chirp! Chirp!
Singet nicht! Blühet nicht!
Lenz ist ja vorbei!
Alles Singen ist nun aus.
Des Abends, wenn ich schlafen geh',
Denk' ich an mein Leide.
An mein Leide!
Do not sing; do not bloom!
Spring is over.
All singing must now be done.
At night when I go to sleep,
I think of my sorrow,
of my sorrow!
Useful Information:
- Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen cycle:
o considered by many as Mahler’s first masterpiece
o inspired by Kassel Theater singer Johanna Richter
- despair is ironically juxtaposed with joy, setting the mood for the entire song
cycle4
- Ultra-legato opening and closing sections
- delicate use of glissando for portamento effect
4
Boyd, 75.
69
-
contrasting moods achieved through careful attention to articulation, dynamic
and tempo markings
several soft upward slur leaps
tempo shifts throughout between melodic lines and piano interludes
- added or adjusted phrase/slur groupings to better coordinate with the piano
accompaniment (mm. 5-7, 10-11, 14-15, 26-27, 30, 35, 64-72, 79-88)
- added or adjusted phrase/slur groupings to connect strong and weak syllables
(mm. 36-37, 46-51, 54-55, 77-78)
- added tenutos to show length and weight for syllabic stress and expression
(mm. 8, 12, 16-17, 25, 30, 33, 38, 73-74, 83-84)
- added accents to reflect hard consonant attacks (m. 16 trau-) and the climactic
point of the phrase (m. 17 Tag!)
- added crescendo/decrescendo patterns for expression (mm. 5-8, 10-12, 16, 2228, 32-33, 48-49, 54-55, 64-70, 73, 78-80)
- added or adjusted dynamic markings for clarity, balance or expression (mm. 5,
30, 58-60, 64, 71, 76)
- added breath marks to show breaks in text phrases (mm. 33, 70)
- added portamento (glissando) markings for expressive effect (mm. 36, 87)
- changed marcato accents to breath accents for less percussive attacks (mm.
36, 58, 87)
70
Title: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen II: Ging heut’ Morgen übers Feld (I walked across
the field this morning)
Text: Gustav Mahler
Key: D major, B major
Range: A-a’ (b’) (2 8vs (+ M2))
Length: 4’00
Ging heut morgen übers Feld,
Tau noch auf den Gräsern hing;
Sprach zu mir der lust'ge Fink:
"Ei du! Gelt? Guten Morgen! Ei gelt?
Du! Wird's nicht eine schöne Welt?
Zink! Zink! Schön und flink!
Wie mir doch die Welt gefällt!"
I walked across the fields this morning;
dew still hung on every blade of grass.
The merry finch spoke to me:
"Hey! Isn't it? Good morning! Isn't it?
You! Isn't it becoming a fine world?
Chirp! Chirp! Fair and sharp!
How the world delights me!"
Auch die Glockenblum' am Feld
Hat mir lustig, guter Ding',
Mit den Glöckchen, klinge, kling,
Ihren Morgengruß geschellt:
"Wird's nicht eine schöne Welt?
Kling, kling! Schönes Ding!
Wie mir doch die Welt gefällt! Heia!"
Also, the bluebells in the field
merrily with good spirits
tolled out to me with bells (ding, ding)
their morning greeting:
"Isn't it becoming a fine world?
Ding, ding! Fair thing!
How the world delights me!"
Und da fing im Sonnenschein
Gleich die Welt zu funkeln an;
Alles Ton und Farbe gewann
Im Sonnenschein!
Blum' und Vogel, groß und klein!
"Guten Tag, ist's nicht eine schöne Welt?
Ei du, gelt? Schöne Welt?"
And then, in the sunshine,
the world suddenly began to glitter;
everything gained sound and color
in the sunshine!
Flower and bird, great and small!
"Good day, is it not a fine world?
Hey, isn't it? A fair world?"
Nun fängt auch mein Glück wohl an?
Nein, nein, das ich mein',
Mir nimmer blühen kann!
Now will my happiness also begin?
No, no - the happiness I mean
can never bloom!
Useful Information:
- shares melodic material with Symphony No. 1 movement 1
73
- contrasting moods throughout achieved through careful attention to dynamics,
articulations, and written instructions
- possible use of a trill to simulate birdcall (adds a whole step to the overall
range)
- key areas D major and B major with added accidentals (including double
sharps)
- needs some fluidity of tempo/rubato for expression
- added some style markings to enhance expression (m. 2 leggiero, m. 65 dolce)
- added or adjusted dynamic markings for clarity, balance, and expression (mm.
2, 8, 11, 19, 23, 30, 36, 39, 46, 71, 85, 95, 103, 108, 115, 119)
- added crescendo/decrescendo patterns for expression and/or to better
coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 14-16, 73-74, 76, 78, 81-83,
89-90, 97-98, 122)
- added, eliminated or adjusted slur/phrase groupings to better coordinate with
the piano accompaniment (mm. 4-9, 12, 14, 21, 23, 32-37, 40, 42, 49, 51-52,
76, 78, 80, 81-83, 85-86, 91-92, 95-96, 117-118, 119, 122)
- changed marcato accents to breath accents for greater note lengths and less
percussive attacks (mm. 11, 13, 39, 75, 77, 104, 109)
- added tenutos and accents for expression and to reflect syllabic stress (mm.
15-16, 24, 41, 43-44, 46-48, 53, 90, 91, 103-105, 108-110, 115-116, 119, 120)
- added glissando (portamento) markings to simulate vocal effect (mm. 53, 122)
- added octave displacement and trills to simulate bird calls (mm. 19-20)
- added breath mark to show lift and slight pause for expressive repetition of the
text (m. 119)
- added breath accents to reflect treatment of the melody in Symphony No. 1
(mm. 4, 6, 12, 14)
74
Title: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen III: Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer (I have a glowing
knife)
Text: Gustav Mahler
Key: D minor-E-flat minor
Range: B-flat-g’ (1 8v + M6)
Length: 3’30
Ich hab' ein glühend Messer,
Ein Messer in meiner Brust,
O weh! Das schneid't so tief
In jede Freud' und jede Lust.
Ach, was ist das für ein böser Gast!
Nimmer hält er Ruh', nimmer hält er Rast,
Nicht bei Tag, noch bei Nacht,
wenn ich schlief.
O Weh!
I have a red-hot knife,
a knife in my breast.
O woe! It cuts so deeply
into every joy and delight.
Alas, what an evil guest it is!
Never does it rest or relax,
not by day or by night,
when I would sleep.
O woe!
Wenn ich in dem Himmel seh',
Seh' ich zwei blaue Augen stehn.
O Weh! Wenn ich im gelben Felde geh',
Seh' ich von fern das blonde Haar
Im Winde wehn.
O Weh!
When I gaze up into the sky
I see two blue eyes there.
O woe! When I walk in the yellow field,
I see from afar her blond hair
waving in the wind.
O woe!
Wenn ich aus dem Traum auffahr'
Und höre klingen ihr silbern' Lachen,
O Weh!
Ich wollt', ich läg auf der schwarzen Bahr',
Könnt' nimmer die Augen aufmachen!
When I start from a dream
and hear the tinkle of her silvery laugh,
O woe!
Would that I lay on my black bier that I could never again open my eyes!
Useful Information:
- this is the most “trombonistic” song of the cycle
- articulations are crucial to the expression
- dynamic extremes, from whispering pp to powerful fff
- a few fast 8th-note passages
77
-
frequent tempo adjustments throughout
- added crescendos/decrescendos for expression and/or to better coordinate with
the piano accompaniment (mm. 5-6, 8, 9, 12-13, 14, 15, 22-23, 27-28, 40-42,
46-50, 53-54, 59, 60-61, 62-63)
- added or adjusted dynamic markings for clarity, balance, and/or to better
coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 12, 16, 18, 20, 62, 64, 65, 68,
72)
- added accents or tenutos for dramatic expression of the text and/or to continue
established melodic patterns (mm. 6, 7, 14-16, 26, 47, 49, 51, 54, 56, 58, 65,
66, 68-71, 73-74)
- changed marcato accents to breath accents throughout for greater note lengths
and less percussive attacks
- added or adjusted slur/phrase groupings for dramatic expression of the text
and/or to better coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 8-10, 22-23,
28-30, 40-41, 50-51, 56-59, 72)
- shortened dotted-quarter note to an 8th-note for dramatic effect and to allow
the left hand music of the piano to come through the texture (m. 11)
- added the long, sustained version of O weh! found in alternate versions of the
score (mm. 40-42)
- eliminated one repeated pitch to match one phrase to the previous phrase (m.
48)
- optional muted section for expressive timbral effect (mm. 46-66)
78
Title: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen IV: Die zwei blauen Augen (The two blue eyes)
Text: Gustav Mahler
Key: E minor, C major, F major-minor
Range: A-g’ (1 8v + m7)
Length: 5’30
Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz,
Die haben mich in die weite Welt geschickt.
Da mußt ich Abschied nehmen
vom allerliebsten Platz!
O Augen blau,
warum habt ihr mich angeblickt?
Nun hab' ich ewig Leid und Grämen.
The two blue eyes of my darlingthey have sent me into the wide world.
I had to take my leave
of this well-beloved place!
O blue eyes,
why did you gaze on me?
Now I will have eternal sorrow and grief.
Ich bin ausgegangen in stiller Nacht
Wohl über die dunkle Heide.
Hat mir niemand Ade gesagt. Ade!
Mein Gesell' war Lieb' und Leide!
I went out into the quiet night
well across the dark heath.
To me no one bade farewell. Farewell!
My companions are love and sorrow!
Auf der Straße steht ein Lindenbaum,
Da hab' ich zum ersten Mal
im Schlaf geruht!
Unter dem Lindenbaum,
Der hat seine Blüten über mich geschneit,
Da wußt' ich nicht, wie das Leben tut,
War alles, alles wieder gut!
Alles! Alles, Lieb und Leid
Und Welt und Traum!
On the road there stands a linden tree,
and there for the first time
I found rest in sleep!
Under the linden tree
that snowed its blossoms onto meI did not know how life went on,
and all was well again!
All! All, love and sorrow
and world and dream!
Useful Information:
- shares melodic material with Symphony No. 1 movement 3
o trio is taken from the F-major section of the song
- this song ends the Gesellen cycle, in death
- the most hauntingly expressive song of the cycle
- frequent soft playing with subtle gradations of volume
81
-
tone color plays important role in expression
repeated pitches require sense of direction/syllabic stress
frequent upward slur leaps in soft dynamics (4ths, 5ths, and 6ths)
- added tenutos throughout for syllabic stress/text expression
percussive attacks (mm. 10, 13-14, 28-29)
- added accents to establish melodic patterns and to better coordinate with the
piano accompaniment (mm. 29-31)
- added or adjusted dynamics for clarity, expression and/or to better coordinate
with the piano accompaniment (mm. 1, 9, (20), 26, 41, 52, 59)
- added or adjusted crescendo/decrescendo patterns for expression and/or to
better coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 7-8, 14-15)
- eliminated some repeated pitches for better melodic flow (mm. 2, 11, 19, 51)
- adjusted the rhythmic value of some pitches to establish melodic patterns
and/or to better coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 4, 5, 7, 30,
45, 49, 54, 56)
- added, removed or adjusted slur/phrase groupings for expression and/or to
better coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 7, 9, 12-15, 20, 21-24,
26-32, 41, 44, 46, 47-48, 52-58)
- added mute to the softest without emotion sections for color and ease of
playing (mm. 26-32, 52-end)
- added portamento from melodic treatment in Symphony No. 1 (m. 43)
- added breath marks to set up long phrases (mm. 29, 55)
82
Appendix C: First Nine Wunderhorn Settings
This group of songs, the earliest of Mahler’s settings from the collection of folk
poems entitled Des Knaben Wunderhorn,1 was originally published along with his five
earliest surviving songs in one larger collection: Lieder und Gesänge (aus der
Jugendzeit). The Wunderhorn songs comprised volumes two and three of the collection,
while the early songs were released as volume one. Although composed for voice and
piano, there are already hints of orchestrational concepts in the accompaniment
(including imitations of wind instruments, drum rolls and cadences, and trumpet calls).
There is a great variety of subject matter in these songs, ranging from humorous
(“Selbstgefühl”) to tragic (“Nicht wiedersehen!”), with dialogue songs (“Scheiden and
Meiden”) and those with military themes (“Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz’”). This
diversity of expression provides the trombonist with many choices of song transcriptions
to fill a specific need in a recital program.
These first nine Wunderhorn songs are generally shorter and simpler than
Mahler’s later songs, but they are of greater length and stature than the songs in the first
volume of the Lieder und Gesänge that were published along with them. Only one,
“Ablösung im Sommer,” made its way into one of Mahler’s symphonies (it was to
become the main thematic material of the third movement of Symphony No. 3); another,
“Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz’,” was at least partially orchestrated by Mahler.2
1
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen I, “Wenn mein Schatz hochzeit macht,” uses a Wunderhorn
poem for part of the song text; see Appendix B above.
2
According to La Grange, “A two-page orchestration of the first quarter of this song exists, but it
breaks off abruptly at the end of the first page (of the piano edition).” Henry-Louis de La Grange, Gustav
Mahler: Volume One (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995), 764.
85
Title: Ablösung im Sommer (Changing of the guard in summertime)
Text: Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Composed: 1887-1891
Key: B-flat minor (A minor)
Range: f-g’ (1 8v + M2)
Kuckuck hat sich zu Tode gefallen
An einer hohlen Weiden,
Kukuk ist tot! Kukuk ist tot
Wer soll uns jetzt den Sommer lang
Die Zeit und Weil vertreiben?
The cuckoo has fallen to its death
On a green willow,
The cuckoo is dead! The cuckoo is dead!
Who should then the summer long
Help us pass the time?
Ei, das soll tun Frau Nachtigall,
Die sitzt auf grünem Zweige;
Die kleine, feine Nachtigall,
Die liebe, süße Nachtigall!
Sie singt und springt, ist allzeit froh,
Wenn andre Vögel schweigen.
Oh, that should be Mrs. Nightingale!
She sits on a green branch!
The small, fine nightingale,
The lovely, sweet nightingale!
She sings and springs, is always joyous,
When other birds are silent!
Wir warten auf Frau Nachtigall,
Die wohnt im grünen Hage,
Und wenn der Kukuk zu Ende ist,
Dann fängt sie an zu schlagen!
We await Mrs. Nightingale,
Who lives in a green glen,
And when the cuckoo call is at its end,
Then does she begin to sing!
Useful Information:
- this song is used as the main thematic material for Symphony No. 3, mvt. 3
- humorous text deals with the changing of seasons represented by the end of the
cuckoo’s song and the start of the nightingale’s singing
- the two birds’ songs can be heard in the distinct melodic writing of the two
sections of the form
- most of the nightingale’s coloratura singing is actually in the piano right-hand
part, not the voice part3
- distinct style (articulation) differences between the Cuckoo section (begins m. 3)
and the Nightingale section (begins m. 35)
- following the suggested articulation and dynamic markings to reflect text phrasing
- mainly p and pp dynamic levels
3
Paul Hamburger, “Mahler and Des Knaben Wunderhorn.” In The Mahler Companion, ed.
Donald Mitchell and Andrew Nicholson, chapter 3 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 68.
86
Transcription issues:
many adjustments based on the examination of Symphony No. 3 mvt. 3
- altered the rhythm in mm. 3, 4, 5, 6
- added trill in m. 3 and grace note in m. 5
- adjusted articulations to match orchestral melody lines (mm. 3-13, 17-21, 27-31,
35-47)
- adjusted articulations to continue orchestral pattern (mm. 50-58)
- added cresc./decresc. to reflect the text in mm. 6-9, 12-13, 38-39, 46-47, 53-54,
57-58
- added pp marking in m. 41
- added articulation for syllabic stress in mm. 21, 31, 54
87
Title: Aus! Aus! (Out! Out!/Over! Over!)
Composed: 1887-1891
Key: E-flat major/minor (C) Range: e-flat (d-sharp)-a-flat’ (1 8v + P4)
Length: 2’30”
Translation: by Stanley Applebaum, taken from the Dover publication Des Knaben
Wunderhorn and the Rückert Lieder
"Heute marschieren wir!
Juch-he, im grünen Mai!
Morgen marschieren wir
Zu dem hohen Tor hinaus,
Zum hohen Tor hinaus! Aus!"
“Today we are marching,
Hurray, in the green Maytime!
Tomorrow we are marching
Out through the high town gate,
Out through the high town gate! Out!”
"Reis'st du denn schon fort?
Je, je! Mein Liebster!
Kommst niemals wieder heim?
Je! Je! Mein Liebster?"
“Are you leaving already?
Oh, oh, my darling!
Are you never coming back home?
Oh, oh, my darling!”
"Heute marschieren wir,
Ei, du schwarzbraun's Mägdelein,
Uns're Lieb' ist noch nicht aus,
Die Lieb' ist noch nicht aus, aus!
Ah, you dark-haired girl,
Our love is not yet over,
Love is not yet over! Over!
Trink' du ein Gläschen Wein
Zur Gesundheit dein und mein!
Siehst du diesen Strauß am Hut?
Jetzo heißt's marschieren gut!
Nimm das Tüchlein aus der Tasch',
Deine Tränlein mit abwasch'!
Drink a glass of wine
To your health and mine!
Do you see this plume on my hat?
Now it’s time to march as if we meant it!
Take the handkerchief out of my pocket,
Dry away your tears with it!
Heute marschieren wir!
Morgen marschieren wir
Juch-he, im grünen Mai!”
Today we are marching!
Tomorrow we are marching
Hurray, in the green Maytime!”
"Ich will in's Kloster geh'n,
Weil mein Schatz davon geht!
Wo geht's denn hin, mein Schatz?
Gehst du fort, heut schon fort?
Und kommst nimmer wieder?
“I shall enter a convent
Because my sweetheart is leaving!
Where are you off to, darling?
Are you leaving as early as today?
And never coming back?
90
Ach! Wie wird's traurig sein
Hier in dem Städtchen!
Wie bald vergißt du mein!
Ich! Armes Mädchen!"
Ah, how gloomy it will be
Here in town!
How soon will you forget me,
Poor girl that I am?”
"Heute marschieren wir!
Tröst dich, mein lieber Schatz,
Im Mai blüh'n gar viel Blümelein!
Die Lieb' ist noch nicht aus!
Aus! Aus! Aus! Aus!"
Console yourself, my dear sweetheart,
Many a flower blooms in May!
Love is not yet over!
Over, over…!”
Useful Information:
- one of several marching texts Mahler set to music
- a dialogue between the soldier who is marching off and his sweetheart who is
afraid she’ll be forgotten
- the bold lines of the soldier are contrasted with the lyrical, melodramatic phrases
(marked to be performed with parody) of the worried girl
- the title is also a play on words: one text phrase ends with the line “Out through
the high town gate! Out!” (hinaus! Aus!) while another ends “Our love is not yet
over, over!” (nicht aus, aus!)
- uses a traditionally instrumental rondo form (ABA1CA2DB2A3Coda)4
- some quick technical passages (16ths, 32nds, mordent)
- several key changes (e-flat major, b major, e-flat minor, back to e-flat major)
- distinct style/dynamic changes
- changed marcato accents to breath accents to imply longer note lengths on certain
text syllables (i.e., heu–te, m. 1); also, mm. 5, 19, 41, 67
- added tenuto marks for syllabic stress in mm. 2, 6, 20, 24, 42, 45, 46, 68, 71, 72
- added breath marks to reflect punctuation in mm. 2, 20, 24, 26, 42, 46, 68, 72
- adjusted articulation to match piano in section mm. 29-40
- adjusted articulation to match piano in section mm. 49-66 (exception: left out slur
and added breath mark in m. 56 for ease of breathing)
- added slur from m. 4 to m. 5 for extra emphasis of the only repeated loud phrase
- added breath mark in m. 6 to allow for the added crescendo in mm. 7-9; also
added crescendo in mm. 73-74
- added cresc./decresc. pattern in mm. 11-18 to reinforce phrasing; also in mm. 2932
4
(1974): 163.
91
Title: Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grünen Wald (I walked with delight through a green
forest)
Composed: 1887-1891
Range: A-g’ (1 8v + m7)
Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grünen Wald,
Ich hört' die Vöglein singen;
Sie sangen so jung,
sie sangen so alt,
Die kleinen Waldvögelein im grünen Wald!
Wie gern hört' ich sie singen!
I walked with joy through a green wood;
I heard the birds singing.
they sang so youthfully,
they sang so maturely,
those small birds in the green wood!
How gladly I listened to their singing!
Nun sing, nun sing, Frau Nachtigall!
Sing du's bei meinem Feinsliebchen:
Komm schier, wenn's finster ist,
Wenn niemand auf der Gasse ist,
Dann komm zu mir!
Herein will ich dich lassen!
Now sing, now sing, Lady Nightingale!
sing by my sweetheart's house:
just come when it's dark,
when no one is on the street then come to me!
I will let you in.
Der Tag verging, die Nacht brach an,
Er kam zu Feinsliebchen gegangen.
Er klopft so leis' wohl an den Ring:
"Ei schläfst du oder wachst mein Kind?
Ich hab so lang gestanden!"
The day was gone, night fell;
he went to his sweetheart.
He knocks so softly on the ring:
"Eh, are you sleeping or awake, my dear?
I have been standing here so long!"
Es schaut der Mond
durchs Fensterlein
zum holden, süßen Lieben,
Die Nachtigall sang die ganze Nacht.
Du schlafselig Mägdelein,
nimm dich in Acht!
Wo ist dein Herzliebster geblieben?
The moon gazes
through the little window,
at this tender, sweet love;
the nightingale sang the whole night.
You sleepy maiden,
stay alert!
Where is your beloved staying?
Useful Information:
- Mahler made adjustments to the text, and there are several different
interpretations in various translations.
- “Within eight bars we take in the depth of the wood (in the bass), the height of the
trees (in the rising triad), the walker pricking up his ears, and, in the piano’s
twiddly bits, the birdsong.”5
5
Hamburger, 65.
94
- gentle, soft playing throughout
- upward arpeggiated slurs
- upward slur leaps (6ths, 7ths, octaves, and 9ths)
- occasional fast passages (several 16th-note runs/arpeggios and one pair of 32nds)
- added or extended slurs to match the piano accompaniment (mm. 1-5, 9-13, 1825, 30-34, 38-42, 47-54, 59-63, 67-71, 81-86, 89-93, 98-105)
- added tenutos to reflect syllabic stress and note length (mm. 6, 16, 17, 35, 45, 46,
72, 73, 74, 76, 96, 97)
- added crescendo/decrescendo patterns to reflect phrasing (mm. 6-7, 20-25, 35-36,
48-54, 60-63, 67-71, 73-74, 77, 99-105)
- adjusted/added dynamics to create a climax (although only mp) and an echo effect
on a repeated text phrase (mm. 71-77)
95
Title: Nicht wiedersehen! (No reunion!)
Composed: 1887-1891
Key: C minor (B minor)
Range: B to g’ (1 8v + m6)
Translation: from http://www.recmusic.org/lieder by David Ashman
"Und nun ade, mein herzallerliebster Schatz,
Jetzt muß ich wohl scheiden von dir,
Bis auf den andern Sommer,
Dann komm ich wieder zu dir."
"And now, farewell, my darling treasure,
now I must leave you,
until next summer,
when I shall return to you."
Und als der junge Knab heimkam,
Von seiner Liebsten fing er an:
"Wo ist meine Herzallerliebste,
Die ich verlassen hab?"
And as the youth returned home,
he thought of his beloved:
"Where is my love,
whom I have left?"
"Auf dem Kirchhof liegt sie begraben,
Heut ist's der dritte Tag.
Das Trauern und das Weinen
Hat sie zum Tod gebracht."
"She is buried in the churchyard,
today is the third day.
Her mourning and crying
has killed her."
"Jetzt will ich auf den Kirchhof gehen,
Will suchen meiner Liebsten Grab,
Will ihr allweil rufen,
Bis daß sie mir Antwort gibt.
"Now I shall go to the churchyard,
to look for my beloved's grave,
and will call out for her
until she answers.
Ei, du mein herzallerliebster Schatz,
Mach auf dein tiefes Grab,
Du hörst kein Glöcklein läuten,
Du hörst kein Vöglein pfeifen,
Du siehst weder Sonne noch Mond!"
O, my darling treasure,
open up your grave,
you cannot hear the bells tolling,
you cannot hear the birds singing,
you can see neither sun nor moon!"
Useful Information:
- passionate, deeply sad song allows for beautifully expressive playing
- minor tonality (sometimes even using a lowered second scale degree) reflects the
great sadness of two lovers parting, one of whom literally dies from grief
- brief moment of major tonality as the returning youth speaks directly to his
beloved at her gravesite
- this song is “what Germans call ‘eine Moritat’; a lugubrious street ballad of so
ominous an opening that its tragic end is foreseen at once”6
6
Ibid., 70.
98
-
uses symbolization: the rhythm and fourth interval represent military aspects, the
descending contour and minor mode represent sadness7
- full dynamic spectrum from softest to loudest playing
- long phrases challenge breath control
- requires exquisite legato and expressive phrasing
- added long phrase/legato markings throughout to match the piano accompaniment
- eliminated some rests at phrase endings to match the rhythm of the piano
accompaniment (mm. 36, 37, 56, 63, 64, 68)
- added breath marks to set up the suggested long phrases without interruptions for
breathing (mm. 9-13 and 33-37)
- eliminated some repeated pitches for better melodic flow (mm. 4, 6, 28)
- added one repeated pitch to create a melodic/rhythmic pattern suggested by the
original voice part (m. 49)
- added crescendo/decrescendo pattern in mm. 47-48 to reflect text phrasing
- changed marcato accents to breath accents throughout to imply greater note
lengths and less harsh attacks; purposefully left the final marcato accent to imply
the hardest attack on the final note (A-de!)
7
David Harold McShane, “Gustav Mahler’s ‘Des Knaben Wunderhorn’ Lieder.” (D.M.A. Thesis,
99
Title: Scheiden and Meiden (Parting and staying apart)
Composed: 1887-1891
Key: F major (G major)
Range: c-g’ (1 8v + P5)
Translation: by Stanley Applebaum from the Dover publication Des Knaben
Wunderhorn and the Rückert Lieder
Es ritten drei Reiter
zum Tor hinaus,
Ade!
Feins Liebchen
schaute zum Fenster hinaus,
Ade!
Und wenn es denn soll geschieden sein,
So reich mir dein goldenes Ringelein.
Ade! Ade! Ade!
Ja scheiden und meiden tut weh.
Three horsemen rode out
through the gate!
Farewell!
Dear sweetheart
looked out the window!
Farewell!
And if we really must part,
then hand me your little gold ring!
Farewell! Farewell! Farewell!
Yes, parting and staying apart hurts!
Es scheidet das Kind
wohl in der Wieg,
Ade!
Wenn werd ich mein Schätzel wohl kriegen?
Ade!
Und ist es nicht morgen,
ach, wär es doch heut,
Es macht uns allbeiden
gar große Freud,
Ade! Ade! Ade!
Ja scheiden und meiden tut weh.
Even the baby in the cradle
is sometimes taken from us!
Farewell!
When will I get my darling back?
Farewell!
And, if it’s not tomorrow,
I wish it were today!
It surely would give us both
great pleasure!
Farewell! Farewell! Farewell!
Yes, parting and staying apart hurts!
Useful Information:
- several alternating moods:
o “a bold farewell gesture towards the girl while the hooves thunder on in
relentless dotted rhythm”
o “reflecting on the words ‘Yes, to say farewell and forgo causes pain!’,
where the dotted rhythm momentarily ceases”
o “another, with the rhythm but in a muted piano in the tonic minor, first
clothing the words ‘If then we have to part…’, then, rather eerily, ‘the
child in the cradle says already farewell’”8
- “alternations between major and minor, sometimes within a very short space (as
in bars 15-18), like the wide variations in dynamics, make the mood of the song
8
Hamburger, 69-70.
102
seem somewhat mercurial, and are perhaps an indication that its sadness is not to
be taken too seriously”9
- meter alternates between 2/4 and 6/8 (sometimes 2/4 melody against 6/8
accompaniment)
- expressive tempo adjustments throughout
- frequent use of upward octave leaps (n.b. mm. 64-68)
- frequent volume and articulation changes are used to create or reinforce
expression of the text
- breath marks added to separate text phrases (mm. 6, 68, 75)
- marcato accents changed to breath accents throughout to imply greater note length
and less harsh attacks (exceptions: mm. 29 and 35–final note accents should
remain crisp and short)
- marcato marking added in m. 61
- accents added to match the piano accompaniment (mm. 53 and 58)
- tenutos added to match the piano accompaniment (mm. 19, 34, 47)
- slurs added or extended to match the piano accompaniment (mm. 26-28, 30, 3334, 50-52, 56-59, 73-74)
- dynamics added/adjusted for expression or to match the piano accompaniment
(mm. 10-11, 13-14, 33, 68)
9
103
Title: Selbstgefühl (Self-awareness)
Composed: 1887-1891
Key: F major (G major)
Range: G-g’ (2 8vs)
Ich weiss nicht, wie mir ist!
Ich bin nicht krank und nicht gesund,
Ich bin blessirt und hab' kein' Wund',
I do not know what's wrong with me,
I am not ill, yet I am not well;
I've been injured, yet I have no wound,
Ich tät gern essen und schmeckt mir nichts;
Ich hab' ein Geld und gilt mir nichts,
I do not know what's wrong with me!
I love to eat, but can taste nothing;
I have some money but it does no good;
Ich hab' sogar kein' Schnupftabak,
Und hab' kein Kreuzer Geld im Sack,
I don't even have any snuff,
And have not a farthing in my pocket,
Ich weiss nicht wie mir ist!
Heiraten tät ich auch schon gern',
Kann aber Kinderschrei'n nicht hör'n!
I would gladly get married,
But I can't stand children’s screaming.
Ich hab' erst heut' den Doktor gefragt,
Der hat mir's in's Gesicht gesagt:
"Ich weiss wohl, was dir ist, was dir ist:
Ein Narr bist du gewiß!"
"Nun weiss ich, wie mir ist!"
Just today I asked the doctor,
Who told me to my face:
"I know well what's wrong with you:
A fool you certainly are!"
Now I know what's wrong with me!"
Useful Information:
- silly, playful, fun to perform
- “vexatious” (annoyed/irritated) tone marked at the beginning needs to leave room
for the truly “angry” mood at m. 31
- “Most of the melodic devices used exaggerate the playful image which stems
from the poetry;
o (1) a basic arpeggiated melodic movement,
o (2) sing-song treatment of “Ich weiss nicht” (m. 1),
o (3) octave displacement (mm. 13-14, 19-25, etc.),
o (4) “cry-baby” descending chromatic line (m. 33),
o (5) peculiar choice of pitches (mm. 15 and 35), and
o (6) the final phrase which ends on the subdominant”10
10
McShane, 75.
106
-
“sudden dynamic changes, not uncommon in this piece, in the greatest sense
delineate the comic nature of the fool”11
- slide technique and breath control can be a challenge at a fast tempo
- frequent dynamic alterations between p and f
- uses wide upward interval leaps, both tongued and slurred
- added and altered notes in the trombone part to complete the melodic line as
outlined in the piano accompaniment (mm. 4, 32-35, 40, 48, 52)
- added tenutos to match piano accompaniment length and/or reinforce the syllabic
stress of the text (mm. 5, 7, 11, 17, 19, 23, 28-30, 38, 40, 42, 43-45, 50, 54)
- changed marcato accents to breath accents throughout to imply greater note length
- added, eliminated or adjusted slur groupings to match the piano accompaniment
(mm. 2, 7, 8, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, 23, 48-50, 52-55)
- added the fp and crescendo in mm. 31-34 to better coordinate with the piano
accompaniment and express the change in mood
11
Ibid., 81-82.
107
Title: Starke Einbildungskraft (A vivid imagination)
Composed: 1887-1891
Key: A major (C major)
Range: g-g’ (1 8v)
Mädchen:
Hast gesagt, du willst mich nehmen,
So bald der Sommer kommt!
Der Sommer ist gekommen, ja kommen,
Du hast mich nicht genommen, ja nommen!
Geh', Büble, geh'! Geh', nehm' mich!
Gelt, ja? Gelt, ja?
Gelt, ja du nimmst mich noch?
Girl:
You said that you wanted to take me,
As soon as summer came!
The summer has come, yes come,
But you have not taken me, not taken me!
Hey, boy! Take me!
Eh, yes? Won't you?
Won't you take me yet?
Büble:
Wie soll ich dich denn nehmen,
Dieweil ich doch schon hab'?
Und wenn ich halt an dich gedenk',
So mein' ich alle weile:
Ich wär' schon bei dir!
Boy:
Why should I then take you,
If I already have you?
When I think of you,
It seems to me the entire time,
That I am already with you!
Useful Information:
- humorous little song
- one singer takes on both roles of a duet, in this case a girl and a boy
- melody line associated with each character has slightly different qualities
reflected in the dynamics, rhythm, and range
- “There is a pun here on ‘nehmen’, meaning (decently) to propose marriage and
(more crudely) to tumble a lass–an ambiguity absent in the English ‘to take’.”12
- music reflects “in its own character the naivety which forms such an essential
background to the humour of the words”13
o piano introduction like a child’s piece (2 parts, scale/arp. based)
o generally simple rhythms and harmonies
- the girl’s words end in a musical question (half-cadence), boy’s statement has
finality14
12
Hamburger, 67.
Dargie, 212.
14
Ibid., 213.
13
110
- achieving the desired “humorous” effect through careful application of the style,
articulation, dynamic, and tempo markings
- frequent and often sudden dynamic changes
- eliminated some repeated pitches to create better melodic flow and provide
contrast between the two verses (mm. 4, 5, 15, 16, 18)
- added or lengthened slurs to complement piano accompaniment and/or reinforce
strong/weak syllable relationships in the text (mm. 4, 6-8, 9-10, 12, 13-14, 15-16,
17, 18)
- added tenutos throughout to reinforce the syllabic stress of the text and the
general emphasis of beats one and three
- added crescendos and decrescendos to give direction and shape to the phrasing
(mm. 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- changed the quarter notes to eight notes followed by eighth rests in m. 11 to
- added leggiero to better reflect the light, buoyant style
111
Title: Um schlimme Kinder artig zu machen (To make naughty children well-behaved)
Composed: 1887-1891
Key: D major (E major)
Range: A-a’ (2 8vs)
Es kam ein Herr zum Schlösseli
Auf einem schönen Röss'li,
Ku-ku-kuk, ku-ku-kuk!
Da lugt die Frau zum Fenster aus
Und sagt: "Der Mann ist nicht zu Haus,
Und niemand heim als meine Kind',
Und's Mädchen ist auf der Wäschewind!"
There came a gentleman up to the castle,
riding on a handsome horse,
(Cuckoo, cuckoo!)
The woman peeps out of the window
and says, "My husband is not home,
and no one is here but my children,
and the maid is at her washing!"
Der Herr auf seinem Rösseli
Sagt zu der Frau im Schlösseli:
"Sind's gute Kind',
sind's böse Kind'?
Ach, liebe Frau, ach sagt geschwind,"
"In meiner Tasch' für folgsam Kind',
Da hab' ich manche Angebind,"
The gentleman on his horse
says to the woman in the castle:
(Cuckoo, cuckoo!)
"Are they good children,
or are they naughty children?
Ah, dear woman, tell me quickly!"
(Cuckoo, cuckoo!)
"In my pocket, for obedient children,
I have there many presents."
(Cuckoo, cuckoo!)
Die Frau die sagt:
"Sehr böse Kind'!
Sie folgen Mutter nicht geschwind,
Sind böse, sind böse!"
Da sagt der Herr:
"So reit' ich heim,
Dergleichen Kinder brauch' ich kein'!"
The woman says:
"Very naughty children!
They don't obey their mother quickly;
they're naughty, they're naughty!"
Then the gentleman says:
"Then I will ride home,
for I have nothing to give these children!"
(Cuckoo, cuckoo!)
Und reit' auf seinem Rösseli
Weit, weit entweg vom Schlösseli!
And he rides his horse
far, far away from the castle!
(Cuckoo, cuckoo!)
113
Useful Information:
- this jaunty children’s song makes the point (through bribery, of course) that good
children will receive unexpected presents, while naughty children will be left
wanting
- “Cuckoo” motive is a bouncy descending slur, most frequently on the tonic
arpeggio (short-long-short – do-sol-mi)
o also used on other text that falls in the same place within the phrase
structure.
- “Make this as spirited and rousing as you can . . . the dynamic changes should be
greatly accented”15
- this is “delicious music, with its comically plodding hoof-steps and crudely
Alpine harmony sharpened up by ‘knowing’ dissonances”16
- frequent subito dynamic changes
- frequent interval leaps in both directions, sometimes as wide as a tenth
- nearly constant eighth-note motion with a few brief sixteenth-note runs
- added leggiero to reflect style and avoid numerous staccato markings
- added slurs throughout on the dotted eighth-sixteenth-eighth note and quartereighth note motives to match the piano accompaniment (i.e., mm. 5 and 6)
- replaced the and-of-four pickup eighth notes with eighth rests in mm. 7 and 26 to
- all breath marks have been added to reflect the original text phrasing
- added the “tags” found in the piano part at the end of each verse to give finality to
the melodic line (mm. 19-20 and 38-39)
- added ornamentation to the melodic line to provide some variation between verses
one and two (mm. 27, 28, 36, 37)
15
Gustav Mahler, Mahler Songs for Trumpet: 12 Lyrical Sketches Drawn from the Songs of
Gustav Mahler. Arranged by Robert Thompson (Vienna: UE Publishing Musikverlags GmbH, 1999), 18.
16
Hamburger, 65.
114
Title: Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz’ (In Strassburg on the rampart)
Composed: 1887-1891
Key: F minor-B-flat major (G-C)
Range: A-g’ (1 8v + m7)
Zu Straßburg auf der Schanz,
Da ging mein Trauern an;
Das Alphorn hört' ich
drüben wohl anstimmen,
Ins Vaterland mußt ich hinüberschwimmen,
Das ging ja nicht an.
In Strassburg on the rampart,
there began my troubles:
I heard the alp-horn
calling from afar,
and decided to swim to my fatherland.
That was unacceptable.
Ein Stunde in der Nacht
Sie haben mich gebracht;
Sie führten mich gleich
vor des Hauptmanns Haus,
Ach Gott,
sie fischten mich im Strome auf,
Mit mir ist's aus.
One hour in the night
they captured me;
they led me straight
to Captain's house,
ah God,
they'd fished me right out of the river,
and everything's over for me.
Frühmorgens um zehn Uhr
Stellt man mich vor das Regiment;
Ich soll da bitten um Pardon,
Und ich bekomm doch meinen Lohn,
Das weiß ich schon.
The next morning at ten
they'll place me before the regiment;
I am supposed to beg for my pardon,
and I will receive what's coming to me,
that I know well.
Ihr Brüder allzumal,
Heut' seht ihr mich zum letztenmal;
Der Hirtenbub ist nur schuld daran,
Das Alphorn hat mir's angetan,
Das klag ich an.
You, my brothers all,
today you'll see me for the last time;
the shepherd boy is alone to blame.
The alp-horn did this to methus I charge it.
Useful Information:
- militaristic elements include the march tempo and the drum cadence-like motive
heard in the first melodic entrance and throughout the piece
- percussive, rhythmic sections alternate with more lyrical lines that create
wonderful expressive contrast
- elements of the poetic imagery are written into the piano accompaniment
o play like a chalumeau (reeded wind, folk instrument)
o imitations of drums
o switches to major when addressing his brothers-in-arms
117
-
“pp head voice needed for the ghostly final section”17
- uses a wide dynamic range, including subito changes and short, fast crescendos
and decrescendos
- requires careful attention to articulation markings for expression
- the highest notes are in the softest lyrical section
- changed dotted-eighth/sixteenth motive to eighth-note/eighth-rest/sixteenth-note
throughout to match the piano accompaniment and reinforce the percussive
character (exceptions: lyrical passages in mm. 31 and 41-42)
- changed marcato accents to breath accents throughout to allow greater note
- added or adjusted articulations and slur/phrase groupings throughout to better
coordinate with the piano accompaniment
- eliminated some repeated pitches to create better melodic flow and/or match the
piano accompaniment (mm. 7, 19, 54, 56)
- changed the rhythm in m. 18 to match the opening “cadence” motive
- added breath marks in the main lyrical sections to reflect the original text phrasing
(mm. 45 and 47)
17
Ibid., 68.
118
Appendix D: Fünf Humoresken
Fünf Humoresken were composed in 1892, and they are the first of Mahler’s
orchestrated Wunderhorn songs. There is some debate over the reason for his choice of
label (“Humoresken”) for these pieces, and at first glance at least some of the songs may
not seem humorous at all. Mahler compared the Humoresken to his earlier Wunderhorn
songs in a letter to his sister, Justi, by saying “They are stranger still than the former
ones; they are all ‘humor,’ in the best and truest sense of the word.”1 La Grange believes
that Mahler’s label can be understood in accordance with the philosophy of Jean Paul:
The romantic novelist Jean Paul, in his Vorschule der Ästhetik (Elementary
Aesthetics), defines humour in literature and music as the effect of a destructive
idea (vernichtende Idee) which expresses contempt for the world. He speaks in
this context of Keckheit (cheek, effrontery), and the indication keck (cheekily) is
often found at the beginning of Mahler’s Lieder, or sometimes even over
particular passages. . . . it seems clear that he [Mahler] was not thinking of a new
vocal genre, but meant to define the character, the contents of these songs, and
that his idea of ‘humour’ came very close to Jean Paul’s definition.2
Like the earlier Wunderhorn songs with piano, there is a great variety of subject
matter in the poetry of this collection: “Das himmlische Leben” extols the wonderfully
earthy pleasures of singing, dancing, and eating that are enjoyed in heaven; “Der
Schildwache Nachtlied” is a dark, military-themed song; “Trost im Unglück” is a
dialogue song between disgruntled lovers; “Verlorne Müh’” is another dialogue song, this
time between a rather forward lassie and a resistant lad; and “Wer hat dies Liedlein
erdacht?” is a playful Ländler in which the geese will whistle you the song if you can’t
sing it. Each song has its own distinct musical style, presenting unique possibilities and
challenges for the trombonist. The four songs I have transcribed from this set (leaving out
1
1995), 250.
2
Henry-Louis de La Grange, Gustav Mahler Volume 2 –Vienna: The Years of Challenge (New
York: Oxford University Press, 1995), 731.
121
“Das himmlische Leben”) 3 are not intended as a cycle, although they could be performed
as a group.
3
“Das himmlische Leben” is the only one of Mahler’s Wunderhorn songs that I did not transcribe;
it relies heavily on the text for its expression, it makes use of frequent repeated pitches, and it shares
significant thematic material with “Es sungen drei Engel einen süssen Gesang,” which was transcribed.
Coincidentally, Dargie believes that Mahler may have intentionally left “Das himmlische Leben” out of the
reissued collection of Wunderhorn songs; because it was so strongly connected to the 4th Symphony,
perhaps he no longer wanted it performed as a solo song. E. Mary Dargie, Music and Poetry in the Songs of
Gustav Mahler (Bern, Frankfurt am Main, Las Vegas: Peter Lang, 1981), 250-251.
122
Title: Der Schildwache Nachtlied (The sentinel’s night song)
Composed: 1892
Published: 1899 by Weinberger, Vienna
Key: B-flat major (C major)
Range: A-g’ (1 8v + m7)
"Ich kann und mag nicht fröhlich sein;
Wenn alle Leute schlafen,
So muß ich wachen,
Muß traurig sein."
"I cannot and may not be merry;
when everyone is asleep,
I must keep watch,
and be mournful."
"Ach Knabe, du sollst nicht traurig sein,
Will deiner warten,
Im Rosengarten,
Im grünen Klee."
"Ah, lad, you shouldn't be sad,
for I will wait for you
in the rosegarden,
in the green clover."
"Zum grünen Klee, da komm ich nicht,
zum Waffengarten
Voll Helleparten
Bin ich gestellt."
"To the green clover, I do not come;
to the weapons garden,
full of halberds,
I have been posted."
"Stehst du im Feld,
so helf dir Gott,
An Gottes Segen
Ist alles gelegen,
Wer's glauben tut."
"If you are in the battlefield,
may God help you!
On God's blessing
is everything dependent,
he who believes it."
"Wer's glauben tut, ist weit davon,
Er ist ein König,
Er ist ein Kaiser,
Er führt den Krieg."
Halt! Wer da? Rund!
Bleib' mir vom Leib!
"He who believes it is far away.
He is a king,
he is an emperor,
and he makes war."
Halt! Who's there? Turn around!
Stand back!
Wer sang es hier?
Wer sang zur Stund'?
Verlorne Feldwacht
Sang es um Mitternacht.
Mitternacht! Feldwacht!
Who sang here?
Who was singing this hour?
A solitary field sentinel
was singing at midnight.
Midnight! Field sentinel!
123
Useful Information:
- first of the orchestrated Wunderhorn songs
- undertones of anti-war sentimentality
- has a duet-like character
o fanfare or march-like sections are the actual singing of the sentinel
o tender, lyrical passages are a response from an unseen/imagined lover
- possibly a surviving fragment from an abandoned opera project with Karl
Weber, 18884
- bold, fanfare-like statements alternate with very gentle, lilting melodic lines
- indications for both dynamic extremes: ppp and fff
- the softest phrases include leaps up to g’
- frequent tempo and meter changes
- accents added to correspond to the piano accompaniment (mm. 2, 3, 11, 12,
32, 33, 64, 65, 75, 80, 103, 104, 105)
- accents added to maintain patterns or reflect style (mm. 40, 71, 72)
- marcato accents changed to breath accents throughout to reflect greater note
- slurs added or extended to connect strong-weak syllable combinations (mm. 6,
8, 9, 12, 25, 36, 38-39, 57, 69, 71, 72)
- slurs added to continue the lilting pattern in the softly and tenderly sections;
these are also strong-weak syllable combinations (mm. 17, 20, 22, 52, 53, 54)
- tenutos added to reinforce the “lightly accentuated” instruction (mm. 98-end)
- dynamics added or adjusted to reinforce text expression and better coordinate
with the piano accompaniment (mm. 5-9, 11-12, 23-25, 35-45, 55-57, 69, 72,
74, 78-79, 82-83, 98)
- tenuto added to reflect length and weight on the last note of the phrase (m. 58)
- decreased dynamic from f to mf for greater contrast (m. 64)
- added mute in the final sempre ppp section for timbral effect and greater ease
of playing (mm. 98-end)
4
La Grange, Gustav Mahler: Volume One, 171.
124
Title: Trost im Unglück (Solace in sorrow)
Composed: 1892
Key: A major (G major)
Range: A-f-sharp’ (1 8v + M6)
Length: 2’30”
Husar:
Wohlan! Die Zeit ist kommen!
Mein Pferd, das muß gesattelt sein!
Ich hab' mir's vorgenommen,
geritten muß es sein!
Hussar:
Well, the time has come!
My horse, it must be saddled!
I've resolved it,
and away must I ride.
Geh' du nur hin! Ich hab' mein Teil!
Ich lieb' dich nur aus Narretei!
Ohn' dich kann ich wohl leben, ja leben!
Ohn' dich kann ich wohl sein!
Off you go! I have my part!
I love you only out of foolishness!
Without you, I can well live, yes, live!
Without you I can well exist!
So setz' ich mich auf's Pferdchen,
und trink' ein Gläschen kühlen Wein,
und schwör's bei meinem Bärtchen:
dir ewig treu zu sein!
So I'll sit upon my horse
and drink a glass of cool wine,
and swear by my beard
to be eternally true to you!
Mädchen:
Du glaubst, du bist der Schönste
wohl auf der ganzen weiten Welt,
und auch der Angenehmste!
Ist aber weit, weit gefehlt!
Maiden:
You believe you are the handsomest man
in the whole wide world,
and also the nicest!
But you are far, far off the mark!
In meines Vaters Garten
wächst eine Blume drin:
so lang' will ich noch warten
bis die noch größer ist.
In my father's garden
grows a flower:
I will wait only
until it grows bigger.
Und geh' du nur hin! Ich hab' mein Teil!
Ich lieb' dich nur aus Narretei!
Ohn' dich kann ich wohl leben,
ohn' dich kann ich wohl sein!
And off you go! I have my part.
I love you only out of foolishness!
Without you, I can well live,
Without you I can well exist!
Beide:
Du denkst, ich werd' dich nehmen!
Das hab' ich lang' noch nicht im Sinn!
Ich muß mich deiner schämen,
wenn ich in Gesellschaft bin!
Both:
You think I'll take you!
I will not think of that for a long time!
I must be ashamed of you
when I am in society!
127
Useful Information:
- Mahler’s suggested metronome mark is quarter note=100 “which, though a
little brisk, is fine, as long as Mahler’s ‘Etwas mässiger’ (‘A little slower’), as
appears in the piano version, is observed.”5
- uses both military and hunting music in the melody and accompaniment6
- two characters represented in the text
- switches between duple and triple metrical groupings with a steady pulse
- detailed articulation and dynamic markings should be followed to express the
various moods
- a few tricky 16th-note runs
- tenutos and slurs added or extended to reinforce syllabic stress and style (mm.
15-19, 21, 27, 37-42, 90, 92)
- adjusted rhythm, articulation and/or phrasing to better coordinate with the
piano accompaniment (mm. 28-31, 42, 44-46, 54-78, 87, 89, 95-98)
- added an accent to match the later versions of a recurring phrase (m. 19)
- added or adjusted dynamics for expression and to better coordinate with the
piano accompaniment (mm. 34, 36, 44, 54, 66-70, 94-98)
- changed marcato accents to breath accents to imply greater note lengths and
less percussive attacks (mm. 19, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 42, 62, 70, 77, 92, 97)
o exception: kept mm. 71-72 for percussive, short style
5
6
Dargie, 150-151.
128
Title: Verlorne Müh’ (Labor lost)
Composed: 1892
Key: A major/minor (G maj/min) Range: c-sharp-g-sharp’ (1 8v + P5) Length: 3’00”
Sie:
Büble, wir wollen außre gehe!
Wollen wir? Unsere Lämmer besehe?
Komm', lieb's Büberle,
komm', ich bitt'!
She:
Laddie, let's go out!
Shall we? To look at our lambs?
Come, dear laddie!
Come, I beg you!
Er:
Närrisches Dinterle,
ich geh dir holt nit!
He:
Silly lassie,
I won't go with you!
Sie:
Willst vielleicht ä bissel nasche?
Hol' dir was
aus meiner Tasch'!
Hol', lieb's Büberle,
hol', ich bitt'!
She:
You want maybe a bit to nibble?
Fetch yourself something
out of my pocket!
Fetch it, dear laddie!
Fetch it, I bet you!
Er:
ich nasch' dir holt nit!
He:
Silly lassie,
I don't want to nibble anything! Nothing!
Sie:
Gelt, ich soll mein Herz dir schenke!?
Immer willst an mich gedenke!?
Nimm's! Lieb's Büberle!
Nimm's, ich bitt'!
She:
Ah, shall I give you my heart?
so you'll always think of me?
Take it! Dear laddie,
Take it, I beg you!
Er:
ich mag es holt nit!
He:
Silly lassie,
I don't want it!
131
Useful Information:
- uses Ländler rhythm
- another of Mahler’s dialogue songs
- Mahler’s manuscript has eighth-note=132, “which makes it very cosy, sunny,
laid-back”7
- “music and words seem so much at one that on several occasions the melodic
line has the effect of following the inflections of speech, as at the questioning
‘Wollen wir?’ of bars 15-16, or the plaintive ‘Gelt! Komm!’ of bars 24-25, or
the pleading ‘hol’, ich bitt’!’ of bars 63-64, which recurs at the repeated
‘immer’ in the final stanza.”8
- Mahler has several ways of bringing out the humor of the piece:9
o tempo increases and returns
o use of dynamics
o musical instructions
o accompaniment style (waltz parody)
- two characters represented in the dialogue
- humorous, light character achieved through attention to the dynamics and
articulations
- interval leaps into the mid-upper register
- frequent use of accidentals
- adjusted slurs to group text syllables together (mm. 8, 16-17, 28, 29, 41-42,
63, 65, 91-94, 100)
- adjusted slurs/phrasing to correspond to the piano accompaniment (mm. 1820, 46-47, 49-50, 52, 54, 55, 80-81, 86-87)
- added dynamic markings (mm. 8, 18, 51, 54, 55, 75, 85, 97)
the piano accompaniment (mm. 51-52, 54, 55, 85-87, 103-105)
- added breath marks to continue established patterns, to reinforce repeated
words, or between “characters” (mm. 25, 30, 60, 65, 69, 97, 98, 102, 106)
- changed marcato accents to breath accents throughout for greater note lengths
7
Hamburger, 72.
Dargie, 219.
9
Ibid., 220.
8
132
Title: Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht? (Who thought up this little song?)
Composed: 1892
Key: F major (E-flat major)
Range: c-a’ (1 8v + M6)
Length: 2’00”
Dort oben am Berg
in dem hohen Haus,
Da guckt ein fein's lieb's Mädel heraus,
Es ist nicht dort daheime,
Es ist des Wirts sein Töchterlein,
Es wohnt auf grüner Heide.
Up there on the mountain,
in a high-up house,
a lovely, darling girl looks out the window.
She does not live there:
she is the daughter of the innkeeper,
and she lives on the green meadow.
"Mein Herze ist wund,
komm Schätzel mach's gesund!
Dein schwarzbraune Äuglein,
Die haben mich vertwundt!
Dein rosiger Mund
Macht Herzen gesund.
Macht Jugend verständig,
Macht Tote lebendig,
Macht Kranke gesund."
"My heart is sore!
Come, my treasure, make it well again!
Your dark brown eyes
have wounded me.
Your rosy mouth
makes hearts healthy.
It makes youth wise,
brings the dead to life,
gives health to the ill."
Wer hat denn das schöne Liedlein erdacht?
Es haben's drei Gäns übers Wasser gebracht,
Zwei graue und eine weiße;
Und wer das Liedlein nicht singen kann,
Dem wollen sie es pfeifen.
Who then thought up this pretty little song?
Three geese brought it over the water,
two grey and one white;
and if you cannot sing the little song,
they will whistle it for you!
Useful Information:
- “Mahler gives the singer two extended coloratura vocalises; the last ends the
song with a triumphant flourish.”10
- “The style here is of a Ländler, a country-style waltz, and the music is a
constant ‘molto perpetuo’. Make the phrases a continuous flow of forward
moving sound.”11
- mistake in Mahler’s manuscript metronome marking; eighth note should =
around 14412
10
Carol Kimball, Song: A Guide to Style and Literature (Seattle: Pst…Inc., 1996), 132.
Gustav Mahler, Mahler Songs for Trumpet: 12 Lyrical Sketches Drawn from the Songs of
Gustav Mahler. Arranged by Robert Thompson (Vienna: UE Publishing Musikverlags GmbH, 1999), 21.
12
Hamburger, 75.
11
135
-
symbolization of the geese’s wing beats in the rhythm and their calls in the
repeated upper Fs13
- long melismas (slurred 16th-note passages) call for refined legato, good slide
technique and breath control
- mood changes will be achieved by attention to tempo and dynamic changes;
be sure to build intensity with accelerandos and crescendos, then relax the
next phrases as instructed
- eliminated some repeated pitches for better melodic flow (mm. 14, 34, 70-72)
- changed marcato accents to breath accents with tenutos to imply weight and
length rather than short, percussive attacks (mm. 14-18, 97)
- adjusted some slur/phrase groupings to better coordinate with the piano
accompaniment (mm. 13-18, 24, 26-28, 32, 47-68, 74-76, 78-81)
- adjusted some slur/phrase groupings for better melodic flow or to continue
established patterns (mm. 22, 29, 69-73)
- established slur/phrase groupings based on piano introduction and first
melodic phrase (mm. 81-88)
- added or adjusted dynamic markings for clarity and balance (mm. 13, 21, 65,
68, 69, 77, 81, 88, 97)
- added crescendo/decrescendo patterns for expression and/or to better
coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 13-17, 30-33, 46-47, 52-55,
64-68, 78, 90, 97-98)
- added accelerandos found in some piano versions (mm. 42, 93)
- added breath marks to show larger phrases and to prepare the long melismas
(mm. 35, 55, 59, 77, 88)
13
Ibid., 75.
136
Appendix E: Lieder, Humoresken und Balladen
Each of the songs of this next group drawn from the Des Knaben Wunderhorn
anthology was composed individually between the years 1892 and 1898. They are
presented here in the order of their composition, not in an intended order for
performance. These Lieder, Humoresken und Balladen are larger scale works, written in
separate versions for orchestral or piano accompaniments, and they share many common
traits with the Humoresken discussed in Appendix D above (humor, military themes,
dialogue between characters, etc.) Several of these songs have links to Mahler’s
symphonies: “Urlicht” was incorporated as a vocal solo into the fourth movement of
Symphony No. 2; the melody of “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt” was used as the
thematic material for the third movement of Symphony No. 2; and “Es sungen drei Engel
einen süssen Gesang” is a solo version of the choral fifth movement of Symphony No. 3.
There are other notable songs in this set that incorporate new and interesting
concepts. “Das irdische Leben” shares similarities with Schubert’s famous “Erlkönig”: a
narrator relates the tragic tale of a child pleading with a parent (in this case, the mother),
only to die at the end of the song. The trombonist must take advantage of the varied
musical representations written into both melody and accompaniment to tell the story.
“Lob des hohen Verstands” also includes three distinct characters, but the mood is quite
different: this light-hearted, satirical song affords the trombonist the opportunity to
convey the humorous poem through three imitated animal sounds (the bird-songs of the
cuckoo and the nightingale, and the braying of a donkey). Finally, the beautiful “Wo die
schönen Trompeten blasen” incorporates ghostly mystery into a delicately sad love story
with hints of the tragedy of war.
139
Title: Das irdische Leben (Earthly life)
Composed: 1892-1893
Key: E-flat minor (D minor)
Range: B-flat-g-flat’ (1 8v + m6)
Length: 2’30”
"Mutter, ach Mutter! es hungert mich,
Gib mir Brot, sonst sterbe ich."
"Warte nur, mein liebes Kind,
Morgen wollen wir ernten geschwind."
"Mother, oh Mother! I'm hungry;
Give me bread, or I shall die!"
"Wait a little, my darling child;
Tomorrow we shall harvest quickly."
Und als das Korn geerntet war,
Rief das Kind noch immerdar:
Morgen wollen wir dreschen geschwind."
And when the corn had been harvested,
The child wailed again:
Tomorrow we shall thresh quickly."
Und als das Korn gedroschen war,
Rief das Kind noch immerdar:
Morgen wollen wir backen geschwind."
And when the corn had been threshed,
The child wailed again:
Tomorrow we shall bake quickly."
Und als das Brot gebacken war,
Lag das Kind auf der Totenbahr.
And when the bread had been baked,
The child was lying on the funeral bier.
Useful Information:
- similarities to Schubert’s Erlkönig: 3 characters (child, mother, narrator) with
different colors/moods
o the child’s 3 statements have some variation in the music, the last of
which is the most dramatic and intense
o the narrator’s 3 statements also have some variation in the music, the
last of which uses the child’s theme
o the mother’s music is a constant
- “This is surely one of song literature’s most intense settings, a harsh
indictment of the world’s injustice.”1
1
Carol Kimball, Song: A Guide to Style and Literature (Seattle: Pst…Inc., 1996), 133.
140
-
“. . . in ‘Das irdische Leben,’ the large interval leaps simulate the drastic
frenzy which is present in the child’s words”2
- Attention to the articulation and dynamic markings will help to portray the
three distinct characters
- Frequent wide interval leaps, including octaves and tenths
- Key of e-flat minor with frequent accidentals
- added indications for the 3 characters: child, mother and narrator
- established 3 separate articulation/dynamic patterns for the 3 characters
(implied by the text or piano accompaniment) as follows:
o child: greatest variety, but generally louder with combination
slurring/tonguing and some accents
o mother: p espr. and legato
o narrator: pp with slurs and/or tenutos
- added first mp marking (m. 8), p espressivo markings (mm. 20, 54 and 88) and
pp markings (mm. 34, 68 and 112)
- added crescendo/decrescendo patterns for expressive phrasing (mm. 21-27,
55-61, 89-96)
- added decrescendos to coordinate with piano accompaniment (mm. 13, 78 and
81)
- added accents to coordinate with piano accompaniment (mm. 42-44, 76, 124)
- added accents to continue established patterns (mm. 49, 77-78, 81, 83)
- changed all marcato accents to breath accents to imply greater note lengths
2
David Harold McShane, “Gustav Mahler’s ‘Des Knaben Wunderhorn’ Lieder” (D.M.A. Thesis,
141
Title: Urlicht (Primordial light)
Composed: 1893
Key: D-flat major (E flat)
Range: d-sharp-f-sharp’ (1 8v + m3)
Length: 5’00”
Translation: from http://www.recmusic.org/lieder by Ahmed E. Ismail
O Röschen rot,
Der Mensch liegt in größter Not,
Der Mensch liegt in größter Pein,
Je lieber möcht' ich im Himmel sein.
Da kam ich auf einem breiten Weg,
Da kam ein Engelein
und wollt' mich abweisen.
Ach nein, ich ließ mich nicht abweisen!
Ich bin von Gott
und will wieder zu Gott,
Der liebe Gott
wird mir ein Lichtchen geben,
Wird leuchten mir
bis in das ewig selig' Leben!
O little red rose,
Man lies in greatest need,
Man lies in greatest pain.
Ever would I prefer to be in heaven.
Once I came upon a wide road,
There stood an Angel
who wanted to turn me away.
But no, I will not be turned away!
I came from God,
and will return to God,
The loving God
who will give me a little light,
To lighten my way
up to eternal, blessed life!
Useful Information:
- later incorporated into Symphony No. 2 as the alto solo (mvt. 4)
- “The melody is simplistic and transparent, aptly complimenting [sic] a text
which emphasizes mankind’s struggle to overcome pain and suffering.”3
- requires extremely tender, delicate playing
- key change to B major and use of double sharps
- wide upward slur leaps (6ths and octaves) at very soft dynamics
- adjusted or added some dynamic markings to better coordinate with the piano
accompaniment (mm. 1, 23, 28, 50, 55)
- added tenutos on repeated pitch pickup notes for expressive effect (mm. 15,
18, 23, 38, 55, 59, 61)
- adjusted phrase/slur groupings and articulations to better coordinate with the
piano accompaniment (mm. 24-31, 51-54, 57, 60-64)
the piano accompaniment (mm. 25, 47, 51, 53, 60)
3
Gustav Mahler, Mahler Songs for Trumpet: 12 Lyrical Sketches Drawn from the Songs of Gustav
Mahler. Arranged by Robert Thompson (Vienna: UE Publishing Musikverlags GmbH, 1999), 7.
144
-
eliminated the repeated pitch for better melodic flow and to better coordinate
with the piano accompaniment (m. 29)
changed marcato accents to breath accents for greater note lengths and less
percussive attacks (mm. 51, 53, 56-59, 60)
145
Title: Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt (Antonius of Padua’s fish sermon)
Composed: 1893
Key: C minor (D minor)
Range: G-f ’ (1 8v + m7)
Length: 4’00”
Antonius zur Predigt
Die Kirche findt ledig.
Er geht zu den Flüssen
Und predigt den Fischen;
Sie schlagen mit den Schwänzen,
Im Sonnenschein glänzen.
St. Anthony arrives for his Sermon
and finds the church empty.
He goes to the rivers
to preach to the fishes;
They flick their tails,
which glisten in the sunshine.
Die Karpfen mit Rogen
Sind allhier gezogen,
Haben d'Mäuler aufrissen,
Sich Zuhörens beflissen;
Kein Predigt niemalen
Den Karpfen so g'fallen.
The carp with roe
have all come here,
their mouths wide open,
listening attentively.
No sermon ever
pleased the carp so.
Spitzgoschete Hechte,
Die immerzu fechten,
Sind eilend herschwommen,
Zu hören den Frommen;
Auch jene Phantasten,
Die immerzu fasten;
Die Stockfisch ich meine,
Zur Predigt erscheinen;
Den Stockfisch so g'fallen.
Sharp-mouthed pike
that are always fighting,
have come here, swimming hurriedly
to hear this pious one;
Also, those fantastic creatures
that are always fasting the stockfish, I mean they also appeared for the sermon;
No sermon ever
pleased the stockfish so.
Gut Aale und Hausen,
Die vornehme schmausen,
Die selbst sich bequemen,
Die Predigt vernehmen:
Auch Krebse, Schildkroten,
Sonst langsame Boten,
Steigen eilig vom Grund,
Zu hören diesen Mund:
Den Krebsen so g'fallen.
Good eels and sturgens,
that banquet so elegantlyeven they took the trouble
to hear the sermon:
Crabs too, and turtles,
usually such slowpokes,
rise quickly from the bottom,
to hear this voice.
No sermon ever
pleased the crabs so.
148
Fisch große, Fisch kleine,
Vornehm und gemeine,
Erheben die Köpfe
Wie verständge Geschöpfe:
Auf Gottes Begehren
Die Predigt anhören.
Big fish, little fish,
noble fish, common fish,
all lift their heads
like sentient creatures:
At God's behest
they listen to the sermon.
Die Predigt geendet,
Ein jeder sich wendet,
Die Hechte bleiben Diebe,
Die Aale viel lieben.
Die Predigt hat g'fallen.
Sie bleiben wie alle.
The sermon having ended,
each turns himself around;
the pikes remain thieves,
the eels, great lovers.
The sermon has pleased them,
but they remain the same as before.
Die Krebs gehn zurücke,
Die Stockfisch bleiben dicke,
Die Karpfen viel fressen,
Die Predigt vergessen.
Die Predigt hat g'fallen.
Sie bleiben wie alle.
The crabs still walk backwards,
the stockfish stay thin,
the carps still stuff themselves,
the sermon is forgotten!
The sermon has pleased them,
but they remain the same as before.
Useful Information:
- Adapted as thematic material for the scherzo of Symphony No. 2
- “Mahler employs melodic patterns in a manner picturesque of the various
movements of fish.
o The interval of the descending fifth may be interpreted to simulate the
gulping motion made when a fish breathes. . . . The effect is both
picturesque and humorous.”4
o “Mahler adopts a pattern which occurs throughout the bass line of the
accompaniment and places it in the vocal melody. This pattern also
simulates fish movements, perhaps the swimming motion of a fish’s
tail. It is a one-measure triadic phrase comprised of three eighth-notes:
an ascending third and a descending sixth.”5
o “To suggest the swelling of the water, Mahler adds many rises and
falls in the dynamics.”6
- style, volume, articulation, and dynamic/phrasing gestures are all important
elements to convey the humor
- quick breaths needed in many spots
- many short sixteenth-note runs could be challenging depending on tempo
4
Carol J. Mayo, “Three songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn by Gustav Mahler” (M.M. thesis,
North Texas State University, 1972), 68.
5
Ibid., 69.
6
Ibid., 79.
149
- added leggiero indication to convey the overall style
- added most dynamic indications (mm. 9, 17, 27, 29, 33, 43, 47, 64, 76, 79, 82,
86, 109, 117, 121, 127, 131, 137, 143, 147, 161, 177, 181, 194)
- added or adjusted articulation markings throughout to create variation
between the verses
o many ideas drawn from examining the orchestral score to the Third
Movement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2
o the text setting of the original song was generally disregarded in this
case with the exception of the recurring paired sixteenth-note phrases
(mm. 43-49, 82-88, 143-149)
- added crescendos and decrescendos to create phrase shapes and/or coordinate
with the piano accompaniment (mm. 18-21, 24-26, 32-33, 68-72, 76-80, 121125, 128-129, 132-133, 137-141, 172-175, 177-181, 184-186, 190-194)
- eliminated some repeated pitches to create space to breathe or to continue
rhythmic patterns (mm. 17, 129, 133, 179, 181)
150
Title: Rheinlegendchen (Little legend of the Rhine)
Composed: 1893
Key: A major (G major)
Range: B-f-sharp’ (1 8v + P5)
Length: 3’30”
Bald gras ich am Neckar,
bald gras ich am Rhein;
Bald hab' ich ein Schätzel,
bald bin ich allein!
Was hilft mir das Grasen,
wenn d' Sichel nicht schneid't!
Was hilft mir ein Schätzel,
wenn's bei mir nicht bleibt.
Now I reap by the Neckar,
now I reap by the Rhine;
Now I have a sweetheart,
now I am alone!
What use is my reaping
if the sickle doesn't cut?
What use is a sweetheart
if she won't stay?
So soll ich denn grasen
am Neckar, am Rhein,
So werf ich mein goldenes Ringlein hinein.
Es fließet im Neckar
und fließet im Rhein,
Soll schwimmen hinunter
ins Meer tief hinein.
So if I am to reap
by the Neckar and by the Rhine,
then I'll throw in my golden ring.
It will flow with the Neckar
and flow with the Rhine,
And float right down
into the deep sea.
Und schwimmt es, das Ringlein,
so frißt es ein Fisch!
Das Fischlein tät kommen
auf's König sein Tisch!
Der König tät fragen, wem's Ringlein sollt sein?
Da tät mein Schatz sagen:
das Ringlein g'hört mein.
And as it floats, the little ring,
a fish will eat it!
The fish will eventually come
to the King's table!
The king will ask whose ring it is,
and my sweetheart will say:
"The ring belongs to me."
Mein Schätzlein tät springen
bergauf und bergein,
Tät mir wiedrum bringen
das Goldringlein mein!
Kannst grasen am Neckar,
kannst grasen am Rhein,
Wirf du mir nur immer
dein Ringlein hinein!
My sweetheart will hurry
up hill and down hill,
and bring me back
my little gold ring!
"You can reap by the Neckar,
and reap by the Rhine
if you will always
throw your little ring in for me!"
154
Useful Information:
- modified strophic form
- uses Ländler rhythm
- “in Mahler’s manuscript quaver [eighth note]=132, which feels perfect”7
- symbolization: “. . . kicking pebbles around (those oft-repeated Es in the left
hand, with their lazy grace notes)”8
- the melodic idea came first, then Mahler found a text to fit it9
- several different characters within the text dialogue, but the character of the
music stays consistent
- frequent use of accidentals
- frequent and subtly different tempo changes (rit., poco rit., molto rit., pochett.
rit., riten.)
- adjusted phrase/slur groupings throughout to better coordinate with the piano;
this often contradicts the syllabic groupings of the original text
- added or adjusted dynamic markings for balance, expression and ease of
playing (mm. 16, 39, 49, 70, 78, 86, 88, 94, 106)
- added crescendos/decrescendos for expressive phrasing and/or to better
coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 80, 87, 88-90, 99-102, 111114)
- adjusted the melodic/rhythmic content for variety and to better coordinate
with the piano accompaniment (mm. 72-80)
o exception: m. 78 (left out the three 16th-note pickups to allow for a
pause between phrases)
- changed downbeat 8th-note pitch from c# to e for melodic continuity and to
match the piano accompaniment (m. 99)
- added tenutos for both note length and weight (mm. 40, 41, 44)
7
8
Ibid., 80
9
1995), 275.
155
Title: Es sungen drei Engel einen süssen Gesang (Three angels were singing a sweet
song)
Composed: 1896-1899 (solo version)
Key: F major (E-flat major)
Range: A-a’ (2 8vs)
Length: 4’30”
Translation: from http://www.recmusic.org/lieder by Linda Godry
Frauenchor:
Es sungen drei Engel einen süßen Gesang,
Mit Freuden es selig in den Himmel klang.
Sie jauchzten fröhlich auch dabei,
Daß Petrus sei von Sünden frei.
Und als der Herr Jesus
zu Tische saß,
Mit seinen zwölf Jügern das Abendmahl aß,
Da sprach der Herr Jesus:
"Was stehst du den hier?
Wenn ich dich anseh' so weinest du mir."
Women's choir:
There were three angels singing a sweet song
Ringing joyfully to heaven.
They rejoiced happily as well,
That St. Peter be free of sins.
And when the Lord Jesus
sat down at the table
Together with his 12 apostles eating dinner
Thus spoke the Lord Jesus:
"Why are you standing in front of me?
Looking so sadly and weeping."
Alt:
"Und sollt' ich nicht weinen,
du gütiger Gott
Ich habe übertreten die Zehn Gebot;
Ich gehe und weine ja bitterlich,
Ach komm und erbarme duch über mich."
Alto/Peter:
And why should I weep not,
you, God so kindly,
I have violated the Ten Commandments;
I go and do weep bitterly,
Oh, come and have pity on me.
Frauenchor:
Has du denn übertreten die Zehen Gebot,
So fall auf die Knie und bete zu Gott!
Liebe nut Gott in alle Zeit,
So wirst du erlangen die himmlische Freud!
Die himmlische Freud, die Selige Stadt;
Die himmlische Freud, die kein Ende mehr hat.
Die himmlische Freude war Petro bereit'
Durch Jesum und allen zur Seligkeit.
Women's choir:
You have violated the Ten Commandments,
So fall to your knees and pray to God!
Love God at all times,
Thus you will receive the heavenly joy!
The heavenly joy, the blessed city;
The heavenly joy, never ending.
The heavenly joy was given to St. Peter
Through Jesus and as a blessing for all.
Useful Information:
- arranged by Mahler from his own choral movement, “Armer Kinder Betterlied
(Poor children’s begging song)” from Symphony No. 3
- the middle section [mm. 36-62] “is distinct from the rest of the song, firstly by
its key and its thematic material, secondly by the expressive interludes which
158
divide it from the opening and closing sections, and thirdly by the kind of
expressiveness which Mahler requires of the singer”10
- contrasting sections throughout (overall character, articulation style, and
volume)
- includes many upward leaps of 6ths and octaves, some of which are slurred
- added instructive terms (joyfully, reverently, boldly, sorrowfully) throughout
to reflect the mood/character changes of the original text
o the terms “gently (sanft),” “bitterly (bitterlich),” and “very prominent
(sehr hervortretrend)” were in the original
- added or adjusted dynamic markings to better reflect the text and coordinate
with the piano accompaniment (mm. 4, 14, 19, 25, 36, 49, 79)
- added crescendo/decrescendo patterns to better reflect the text phrasing and
coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 9-10, 14-16, 26, 28, 30-33,
50-53, 92-93, 97)
- added or adjusted the articulation markings to better reflect the intended style
when performed on trombone and/or to better coordinate with the piano
accompaniment (mm. 6, 8, 17-19, 21, 28-33, 36-40, 42-44, 50-51, 55-60, 8491, 97-105)
- added breath marks to indicate the ends of text phrases (mm. 10, 14, 16, 23,
93)
- added “Tempo I” instruction (m. 80)
- eliminated some repeated pitches for better melodic flow (mm. 6, 24, 28, 32,
80)
- added mute to the middle sectional (St. Peter’s words) for timbral contrast
(mm. 36-62)
10
E. Mary Dargie, Music and Poetry in the Songs of Gustav Mahler (Bern, Frankfurt am Main,
Las Vegas: Peter Lang, 1981), 264.
159
Title: Lob des hohen Verstands (In praise of lofty intelligence)
Composed: 1896
Range: A-b-flat’ (2 8vs + m2)
Length: 3’00”
Einstmals in einem tiefen Tal
Kukuk und Nachtigall
Täten ein Wett' anschlagen:
Zu singen um das Meisterstück,
Gewinn' es Kunst, gewinn' es Glück:
Dank soll er davon tragen.
Once in a deep valley,
The cuckoo and the nightingale
Had a contest:
To sing the Masterpiece.
To win by art or to win by luck,
Fame would the victor gain.
Der Kukuk sprach: "So dir's gefällt,
Hab' ich den Richter wählt",
Unt tät gleich den Esel ernennen.
"Denn weil er hat zwei Ohren groß,
So kann er hören desto bos
Und, was recht ist, kennen!"
The cuckoo said: "If it pleases you,
I will nominate the judge."
And he named the donkey right away.
"Since he has two huge ears,
He can hear so much better
And will know what is correct."
Sie flogen vor den Richter bald.
Wie dem die Sache ward erzählt,
Schuf er, sie sollten singen.
Die Nachtigall sang lieblich aus!
Der Esel sprach: "Du machst mir's kraus!
Du machst mir's kraus! I-ja! I-ja!
Ich kann's in Kopf nicht bringen!"
They soon flew before the judge
And when the issue was explained to him,
He told them they should sing.
The nightingale sang out sweetly!
The donkey said: You make me dizzy!
You make me dizzy! Eee-yah!
I can't get it into my head!
Der Kukuk drauf fing an geschwind
Sein Sang durch Terz
und Quart und Quint.
Dem Esel g'fiels, er sprach nur
"Wart! Wart! Wart!
Dein Urteil will ich sprechen,
Wohl sungen hast du, Nachtigall!
Aber Kukuk, singst gut Choral!
The cuckoo then quickly started
his song through thirds
and fourths and fifths;
The donkey was pleased, and only said
Wait! Wait! Wait!
I will pronounce judgment now.
Well have you sung, Nightingale!
But, Cuckoo, you sing a good chorale!
Und hältst den Takt fein innen!
Das sprech' ich nach mein' hoh'n Verstand!
Und kost' es gleich ein ganzes Land,
So laß ich's dich gewinnen!"
And you keep the rhythm finely!
Thus I say through my lofty intelligence,
And, although it may cost an entire land,
I will let you win!
162
Useful Information:
- irony/commentary: the music of the nightingale and the cuckoo is the same
- originally titled “Lob der Kritik” (In praise of critics)
- modified strophic form
- “the only one in the Wunderhorn songs to use a trombone and tuba [in the
orchestration], much needed to poke fun at the pomposity of the donkey”11
- the highest and lowest pitches are used in a glissando effect together to
represent the braying of the donkey
- incorporates a lip trill (m. 53)
- several technical passages using both 8th and 16th notes require attention
- added tenutos to reinforce syllabic stress and/or melodic patterns (mm. 11, 13,
14, 19, 23, 38, 39, 40, 46, 52, 59-60, 76, 108, 109, 110, 115, 119)
- added accents for expression and/or to better coordinate with the piano
accompaniment (mm. 44-45, 81-82, 83-84, 107, 130)
- added crescendos/decrescendos for expressive phrasing (mm. 25-26, 52-53)
- added or extended legato/phrase markings to reinforce the syllabic stress of
the original text or continue established melodic patterns (mm. 15, 17-18, 25,
26, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53-54, 80, 84-85, 86, 99, 100, 101, 105, 111, 113-114, 117,
118, 120, 121, 122, 123)
- adjusted phrase groupings and articulations to match the piano
accompaniment (mm. 74-76, 80-82, 88-92, 94-97)
- changed the melodic content to match the piano accompaniment and provide a
technical challenge (m. 52)
- added the final pair of 16th notes found in the piano accompaniment to
complete the melodic thought (m. 96)
- eliminated some repeated pitches for better melodic flow (mm. 24, 49, 110,
118)
- changed single quarter note to a pair of repeated-pitch 8th notes to continue the
melodic pattern (m. 16)
- added glissandos to exaggerate the braying donkey effect (mm. 83, 84, 129130)
11
Hamburger, 83.
163
Title: Lied des Verfolgten im Turm (Song of the persecuted man in the tower)
Composed: 1898
Key: D minor (C minor)
Range: G-g’ (2 8vs)
Length: 4’30”
Der Gefangene:
Die Gedanken sind frei, wer kann sie erraten?
Sie rauschen vorbei wie nächtliche Schatten.
Kein Mensch kann sie wissen,
Kein Jäger sie schießen;
Es bleibet dabei, Die Gedanken sind frei.
The prisoner:
Thoughts are free, who can guess them?
They rush past like nocturnal shadows.
No man can know them,
no hunter can shoot them;
for it remains thus: thoughts are free.
Das Mädchen:
Im Sommer ist gut lustig sein
Auf hohen wilden Heiden,
Dort findet man grün Plätzelein,
Mein herzverliebtes Schätzelein,
Von dir mag ich nit scheiden.
The maiden:
In summer it is good to be merry
on high, wild meadows,
where one finds a green little place;
my heart's beloved treasure,
I do not wish to part from you!
Der Gefangene:
Und sperrt man mich ein
Im finstern Kerker,
Dies alles sind nur Vergebliche Werke;
Denn meine Gedanken Zerreißen die Schranken
Und Mauern entzwei,
Die Gedanken sind frei.
The prisoner:
And if they lock me up
in a dark dungeon,
it is all only in vain that they try,
for my thoughts rip apart the barriers
and break the walls in two:
thoughts are free!
Das Mädchen:
Im Sommer ist gut lustig sein
Auf hohen wilden Bergen;
Man ist da ewig ganz allein,
Man hört da gar kein Kindergeschrei,
Die Luft mag einem da werden.
The maiden:
In summer it is good to be merry
on high, wild mountains;
one is always alone there;
one hears no children shrieking,
and the air is so inviting.
Der Gefangene:
So sei es, wie es will,
Und wenn es sich schicket, nur alles in der Still;
Mein Wunsch und Begehren Niemand kann's wehren;
Es bleibet dabei, die Gedanken sind frei.
The prisoner:
So may it be, just as it is;
and if it is proper, may it be in silence;
my wish and desire, no one can restrain;
for it remains thus: thoughts are free.
Das Mädchen:
Mein Schatz, du singst so fröhlich hier
Wie's Vögelein in dem Grase;
Ich steh so traurig bei Kerkertür,
Wär ich doch tot, wär ich bei dir,
The maiden:
My darling, you sing so cheerfully here,
as if you were a bird in the grass;
I stand so sadly by the dungeon door.
If only I were dead, if I were with you!
166
Ach, muß ich denn immer klagen?
Alas! Must I always lament?
Der Gefangene:
Und weil du so klagst,
Der Lieb ich entsage, Und ist es gewagt,
So kann mich nicht plagen!
So kann ich im Herzen
Stets lachen, bald scherzen;
Es bleibet dabei, die Gedanken sind frei.
The prisoner:
And because you lament so,
I will renounce love, and if I dare,
then nothing will torment me.
So in my heart
I can always laugh and joke,
for it remains thus: thoughts are free!
Useful Information:
- Mahler was proud of the defiant mood of this song
- “The girl, to be imagined standing outside, close by the wall–or indeed
existing only in his head–sings seductively of summer”12
- “the hearer of the song is aware of no other interpretation than that conveyed
by Mahler’s music–for him, it is a forceful treatment of themes of personal
freedom, tolerance and lack of communication”13
- there must be a shift in tone color, as well as style and volume, to
differentiate between the prisoner and the maiden
- may require double-tonguing on 16th-note pairs
- frequent accidentals throughout 8th-note runs
- added notes to complete the melodic line as found in the piano
accompaniment (mm. 4-5)
- changed single 8th-note pickups to a pair of 16th notes to continue the opening
melodic motive (mm. 5, 6, 29, 33, 34, 99, 103, 104)
- changed 16th-note pair to a single 8th note, or eliminated a pickup note
completely, to establish more consistent melodic patterns (mm. 36, 64, 65, 70,
73)
- eliminated some repeated pitches to create better melodic flow and/or
coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 20, 22, 33, 90, 92, 103)
- added or adjusted the phrase/legato marks to better reflect the text phrasing
and coordinate with the piano accompaniment (mm. 7, 13, 15, 18-25, 35, 3845, 47-54, 56-61, 77-84, 88-95, 105)
- added tenuto mark to reflect full length on the first note of a long-short
syllabic pair (mm. 6, 34, 104)
- added dynamic markings for expression and/or coordination with the piano
accompaniment (mm. 18, 23, 47, 51-53, 56, 73, 94-95)
percussive attacks (m. 66, 95, 106-107, 109-110)
- added poco rit. instructions leading into each entrance of “The Girl” (mm. 10,
38, 77)
12
13
Ibid., 80.
Dargie, 199.
167
Title: Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen (Where the beautiful trumpets blow)
Composed: 1898
Range: A-g’ (1 8v + m7)
Length: 8’00”
Wer ist denn draußen und wer klopfet an,
Der mich so leise, so leise wecken kann?
Das ist der Herzallerliebste dein,
Steh auf und laß mich zu dir ein!
Who is then outside, and who is knocking,
Who can so softly, softly waken me?
It is your darling,
Arise and let me come in to you!
Was soll ich hier nun länger stehn?
Ich seh die Morgenröt aufgehn,
Die Morgenröt, zwei helle Stern,
Bei meinem Schatz, da wär ich gern,
bei meiner Herzallerliebsten.
Why should I stand here any longer?
I see the dawn arrive,
The dawn, two bright stars,
With my darling would I gladly be,
With my heart's most beloved!
Das Mädchen stand auf und ließ ihn ein;
Sie heißt ihn auch wilkommen sein.
Willkommen, lieber Knabe mein,
So lang hast du gestanden!
Sie reicht ihm auch die schneeweiße Hand.
Von ferne sang die Nachtigall
Das Mädchen fing zu weinen an.
The maiden arose and let him in;
She welcomed him as well:
Welcome, my beloved boy,
You have stood outside so long!
She reached to him her snow-white hand.
From afar a nightingale sang;
The maiden began to weep.
Ach weine nicht, du Liebste mein,
Aufs Jahr sollst du mein eigen sein.
Mein Eigen sollst du werden gewiß,
Wie's keine sonst auf Erden ist.
O Lieb auf grüner Erden.
Oh, do not cry, my darling,
Next year you shall be my own!
My own shall you certainly be,
As no one else on earth is.
O Love on the green earth!
Ich zieh in Krieg auf grüner Heid,
Die grüne Heide, die ist so weit.
Allwo dort die schönen Trompeten blasen,
Da ist mein Haus, von grünem Rasen.
I go to war on the green heath,
The green heath that is so broad!
It is there where the beautiful trumpets blow,
There is my house of green grass!
Useful Information:
- “The two meters depict the two predominate moods of the piece.”14
o 2/4 meter reflects eerie dream of war
o also used in the middle verse, which is primarily narration
o 3/4 meter used for the romantic dialogue
- trumpet call depicted in the only octave leap15
14
15
Mayo, 17.
Ibid., 23.
171
-
-
“‘Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen’ is perhaps the best introduction to
Mahler’s Wunderhorn style in its peculiar mixture of naivety and
sophistication. Indeed, Mahler was represented by this one song alone in
certain anthologies of Lieder in the 1920s.”16
“In this Lied are elements of tone color which have association with the real
world:
o the military horn call represented by the melodic fourth and the
harmonic open fifth;
o the serenity and peacefulness of the slow waltz (always associated in
this Lied with the ghost);
o and the quietness and mystery of the dreamy mood suggested by the
perpetually soft dynamics.”17
- calls for delicate, smooth legato playing in all registers
- several key changes
- energy (volume) must be saved for one brief climactic moment near the end
- several wide upward slur leaps (6ths and 7ths) in soft dynamics
- added tenutos to show length and weight, often corresponding to the syllabic
stress (mm. 21-24, 29, 55, 72, 77, 79, 91, 95, 103, 122, 162, 170, 172)
- added articulation marks to correspond to the piano accompaniment:
o marcato accents changed to breath accents (mm. 55, 61-62, 185-186)
o breath accents changed to tenutos (mm. 151-153)
o sfz changed to combination accent/tenuto (m. 183)
- added breath accent on the climactic arrival (Trom-pe-ten) (m. 180)
- adjusted slur/phrase groupings to better correspond to the piano
accompaniment (mm. 26-28, 39-59, 92-99, 104-106, 118-121, 129-149, 182,
185-186)
- added or adjusted slur/phrase groupings for text expression or to create
melodic patterns (mm. 60, 63-71, 76, 80-83, 114-115, 150-161, 165-173, 178181)
- eliminated some repeated pitches to create better melodic flow (mm. 41, 60,
92, 96-97, 149)
- added melodic content suggested in similar phrases elsewhere in the piece (m.
166)
- added or changed dynamic markings for clarity, balance or expression (mm.
56, 75, 91, 103, 111, 129, 146, 154, 165, 169, 177, 180)
- added crescendo/decrescendo patterns for expression or to better correspond
to the piano accompaniment (mm. 54-55, 60-63, 80-82, 106, 116, 121-122,
150-153, 168-169, 181-182, 185-186)
- respelled the d-flat as a c-sharp to better prepare the key change (m. 111)
- added mute to the softest, most delicate section (mm. 129-162)
16
17
Hamburger, 81.
McShane, 101.
172
Appendix F: The final two Wunderhorn settings
“Revelge” (1899) and “Der Tamboursg’sell” (1901), Mahler’s final two songs
based on the Wunderhorn anthology, are both large-scale, powerfully dramatic works
composed in a symphonic style. As explained by Donald Mitchell, these songs “in a
sense reverse the established relationship in Mahler’s works between song and
symphony, i.e., one is primarily conscious throughout these songs of Mahler the
symphonist . . . This has something to do with their unusual scale and weight, and in
particular with the elaboration and independence of the orchestral part, which in both
songs is strikingly characteristic of Mahler’s mature symphonic style.”1
“Revelge” and “Der Tamboursg’sell” are particularly strong transcriptions for
trombone. Either could be used as an individual recital piece, or they could be played as a
pair (or combined with other Mahler songs). Although both are “soldier songs,” the
character of each piece is distinct:
Whereas Mahler portrays the soldiers in “Der Schildwache Nachtlied” and
“Revelge” as dynamic and defiant, with a fighting spirit, he depicts the soldier in
“Der Tamboursg’sell” as partly angry with some inner struggle, and partly
sorrowful and resigned.2
The melodic writing in “Revelge” alternates expressive, lyrical passages with powerful,
militaristic motives of trumpet fanfares and dotted rhythms. The song ends with a loud,
despairing cry. “Der Tamboursg’sell” relies on a much more narrative, subdued style of
writing with brief outbursts of passion that are quickly restrained. It ends with an
extremely soft descending line performed “with breaking voice.”
1
Donald Mitchell, Gustav Mahler: The Wunderhorn Years (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press,
1976), 139.
2
Heather A. Miller, “The Relationship Between Text and Music in the Soldier Songs from Gustav
Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn” (M.A. thesis, Bowling Green State University, 1997), 78.
176
Title: Revelge (Reveille)
Composed: 1899
Published: 1905 by Kahnt, Leipzig
Range: B-flat-a’ (1 8v + M7)
Length: 7’00”
Translation: from http://www.recmusic.org/lieder by Jakob Kellner
Des Morgens zwischen drein und vieren,
Da müssen wir Soldaten marschieren
Das Gäßlein auf und ab;
Tralali, Tralalei, Tralala,
Mein Schätzel sieht herab.
In the morning between three and four,
we soldiers have to march,
the alley up and down;
tralali, tralalei, tralala,
My darling looks down.
"Ach Bruder jetzt bin ich geschossen,
Die Kugel hat mich schwer getroffen,
Trag mich in mein Quartier,
Es ist nicht weit von hier."
"Oh brother, now I'm shot,
the bullet has hit me badly,
carry me to my quarters,
they are not far from here."
"Ach Bruder, ich kann dich nicht tragen,
Die Feinde haben uns geschlagen,
Helf dir der liebe Gott;
Ich muß marschieren bis in Tod."
"Oh brother, I cannot carry you,
the enemies have beaten us,
may dear God help you;
I have to march unto death."
"Ach, Brüder! ihr geht ja an mir vorüber,
Als wär's mit mir vorbei,
Ihr tretet mir zu nah.
"Oh brothers, you pass by me,
as if it were all over with me!
you offend me.
Ich muß wohl meine Trommel rühren,
Sonst werde ich mich verlieren;
Die Brüder dick gesät,
Sie liegen wie gemäht."
I must play my drum well,
or else I will lose myself.
The brothers, thickly sown,
they lie as if they've been mowed."
Er schlägt die Trommel auf und nieder,
Er wecket seine stillen Brüder,
Sie schlagen ihren Feind,
Ein Schrecken schlägt den Feind.
He beats the drum up and down,
he wakes his silent brothers,
they beat their enemy,
a terror beats the enemy.
Er schlägt die Trommel auf und nieder,
Da sind sie vor dem Nachtquartier schon wieder,
Ins Gäßlein hell hinaus,
Sie ziehn vor Schätzleins Haus.
He beats the drum up and down,
they are in the night-quarters again,
into the alley.
they march to darling's house.
177
Des Morgen stehen da die Gebeine
In Reih und Glied sie stehn wie Leichensteine,
Die Trommel steht voran,
Daß sie ihn sehen kann.
In the morning there stand the bones,
in rank and file as tombstones.
The drum stands in front
so that she can see him.
Useful Information:
- Mahler considered Revelge “the most beautiful and the most successful of his
Humoresken, perhaps even ‘the most important of all his Lieder.’”3
- the four-note ascending fanfare motive, followed by the quick drop into the
lower register represents the scream of the fallen soldier4
- “particular rhythmic elements serve to define the military nature of the march,
even while the minor key of much of the piece deprives it of its truly military
flavor, creating a kind of irony”5
- very trombonistic–take advantage of militaristic style
- two lyrical, expressive sections contrast the military/march sections
- requires a variety of articulations to achieve the overall expression
- several key changes, including e-flat minor with frequent accidentals
- wide upward slur leaps (6ths and octaves)
- passages marked “wildly” (m. 76) and “shouting” (m. 127) need to be
performed with dramatic intensity without losing control
- eliminated some repeated pitches to create better melodic flow and establish
patterns (mm. 9, 36, 60, 155)
- adjusted phrase/slur groupings throughout to emphasize the contrast between
sections that stress beats 1 and 3 and those that stress beats 2 and 4
o 1+3: mm. 8-12, 18-22, 78-80, 82-84, 126-127, 154-158)
o 2+4: mm. 12-18, 22-28, 76-78, 80-82, 84-88, 101-103)
- adjusted some phrase/slur groupings to better coordinate with the piano
accompaniment (mm. 58-59, 63, 72, 106-109, 114, 124)
- added slurs, tenutos, and/or accents to reinforce the syllabic stress of the
original text (mm. 10, 12, 14-15, 20, 22, 24-25, 33, 41-44, 65-68, 84, 99, 101,
104, 107-109, 112, 114-116, 118, 121-125, 127-128, 156, 158, 161, 162, 164167)
- added/adjusted the phrase/slur groupings to the second lyrical, expressive
section and a third, brief lyrical passage to better match the earlier section
(mm. 59-65, 119-121)
- added/adjusted dynamics for expression (mm. 32, 47-48, 57, 88, 119, 127)
3
1995), 523.
4
Miller, 67.
5
178
-
adjusted the melodic rhythm to better coordinate with the piano
accompaniment (mm. 46-47, 70)
shortened some notes by adding 8th- or 16th-note rests to coordinate with the
piano accompaniment (mm. 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 22, 84, 106-107, 108-109, 115116, 118, 127, 156, 157, 158, 159)
changed the four-16th-note slur groups to two slurred notes and two tongued
notes for bolder expression and ease of playing (mm. 88, 162)
179
Title: Der Tamboursg’sell (The drummer-boy)
Composed: 1901
Published: 1905 by Kahnt, Leipzig
Key: D minor (E minor, C minor)
Range: B-a’ (1 8v + m7)
Length: 6’30”
Ich armer Tambourgesell,
Man führt mich aus dem Gwölb,
Wär ich ein Tambour blieben,
Dürft ich nicht gefangen liegen.
I, poor drummer boy they're leading me from my cell.
If I had stayed a drummer
I would not be imprisoned now.
O Galgen, du hohes Haus,
Du siehst so furchtbar aus,
Ich schau dich nicht mehr an,
Weil i weiß, daß i gehör dran.
O gallows, you lofty house,
You look so fearsome,
I won't look at you any longer
because I know I am yours.
Wenn Soldaten vorbeimarschieren,
Bei mir nicht einquartieren.
Wenn sie fragen, wer i g'wesen bin:
Tambour von der Leibkompanie.
When soldiers march by
who were not quartered with me when they ask who I was:
Drummer from the first company.
Gute Nacht, ihr Marmelstein,
Ihr Berg und Hügelein.
Gute Nacht, ihr Offizier,
Korporal und Musketier.
Good night, marble rocks,
mountains and hills Good night, officers,
corporals and musketeers.
Gute Nacht! Ihr Offizier',
Korporal und Grenadier!
Ich schrei mit lauter Stimm,
Von euch ich Urlaub nimm.
Gute Nacht! Gute Nacht.
Good night, officers,
corporals and grenadiers,
I cry with a loud voice,
and take my leave of you!
Good night! Good night.
Useful Information:
- march-like pulse, dotted rhythms and drum effects in the accompaniment
provide the military backdrop
- originally conceived as an instrumental (symphonic) melody, text then fit to
the music6
- “Through tonality, structure, instrumentation, and melodic gestures, Mahler
captures the subtle, even subconscious backdrop of the drummer boy’s
feelings.”7
6
7
La Grange, Gustav Mahler: Volume One, 631.
Miller, 78.
184
- several wide upward-leaping slurs (6ths and 7ths) in soft dynamics
- repeated pitches need specific direction/intensity
- sudden dynamic changes from loud to soft
- extremely soft ending (with breaking voice)
- added slurs to reflect syllabic stress or create melodic patterns (mm. 29-30,
58)
- added dynamic markings (mm. 32, 36, 48, 58, 110, 148, 163)
- added or adjusted crescendos/decrescendos for phrasing (mm. 41-43, 45-47,
48-52, 66-69, 76-78, 118-122, 124-126, 131-132, 142-145, 148, 150-151)
- changed rhythm to create variation, establish patterns, or better coordinate
with piano accompaniment (mm. 37, 58-68, 76, 77-78, 114, 120, 124, 138,
142, 148)
- added mute to one section for a timbral effect to match the suggested mood
(mm. 110-135)
- changed the slur/phrase groupings in the same section to better coordinate
with the piano accompaniment (mm. 112-126)
- added staccato articulations to continue the existing patter (mm. 45-46)
- added accents to better coordinate with piano accompaniment or continue
established patterns (mm. 77, 128, 138, 142, 156-157)
185

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