Mahler's Third Symphony, in Music & Vison 8 giugno

Awakening of Nature

appreciated by GIUSEPPE PENNISI

As outlined in Music & Vision on 15 May 2010, the National Academy of Santa Cecilia has programmed the full cycle of Mahler Symphonies during the 2010-11 season with a view to celebrating the composer in the 150th year of his birth and the hundredth year of his death. Like all symphony orchestras in Italy, the Academy follows the 'season system'; Mahler's monumental Third Symphony in D minor was scheduled to be the final concert of the 2009-10 season under the baton of the young and emerging Finnish conductor Mikko Franck (thirty one years old). At the last moment, Franck was ill, but the Academy was fortunate enough to replace him with another comparatively young conductor, thirty-nine-year-old Austrian Christian Arming. This data is meaningful because Mahler's Third is normally entrusted to older conductors due the complexity both of the score and of its underlying philosophy.
One of the striking features of the emergence of Mahler's music from fifty years of comparative obscurity is that the very symphony which used to be least played and least known -- the third -- is now one of the most frequently performed, in spite of its gigantic scale, its eccentricities and its mixture of very profound and nearly popular music. During the last twenty-five years of Academy of Santa Cecilia seasons alone, the symphony has been performed nine times, including by Sinopoli (twice), Ashkenazy, Ferro, Maazel, Chung and Dudamel.
Mahler worked for several years on this symphony. In his specific plans, he developed a detailed descriptive program (especially for the immense, thirty-five minute first movement): the depiction of rocks and mountains, the coming of summer and, with it, of flowers, birds and animals, culminating in a hymn to love. The other five movements are shorter (about sixty minutes altogether) and may offer different and diverging interpretations. After the great awakening of nature, Mahler creates a sense of tragedy -- Nietzsche's Midnight Song from Also sprach Zarathustra -- followed by a bitter-sweet sense of transient joy -- the children's chorus from Das Knaben Wunderhorn -- and an atmosphere of calm, almost an anticipation of the Abschied ('Farewell') which ends Das Lied von der Erde -- a Zen-like acceptance of the end of everything (see Music & Vision, 14 January 2010). The ambiguity is the explosion of nature in the first movement and the final calm (but not necessarily peace) which may sound like near desperation whilst facing the conclusion of one's life. It seems that Mahler had in mind a seventh, more hopeful, movement, but never composed it.
In my opinion, the symphony is less desperate than many commentators and conductors think. There is a circular approach: the sixth and final movement is closely connected to the first, with the calm of nature juxtaposed to its explosion. This is a challenge to the conductors: Abbado (in his 1982 recording) and Sinopoli (in his Santa Cecilia 1985 and 1995 performances) delved on a nearly hopeless view of life and of its conclusion; in his 2008 Santa Cecilia performance, Dudamel exceeded on the most vibrant themes and colors.

Christian Arming conducting Mahler's Third Symphony. Photo © 2010 Musacchio & Ianniello
In this 5 June 2010 performance, Christian Arming struck an appropriate balance in showing the nearly circular underlying structure of the symphony. He started the first movement with impetus but then almost naturally slid into a delicate lyricism which underscores, more than is usual, the intertwined marches preceding the allegro moderato at the end of the movement. Impetus, lyricism and intertwined marches emphasize pantheism as the root of the symphony. Arming handled the minuet (which opens the five movements of the second part of the symphony) with elegance mixed with a bit of irony. There is also a slightly joking approach in the third movement (with Andrea Lucchi playing the off-stage posthorn excellently); the atmosphere is that of a happy journey -- the travels of life. In the 'mysterious' fourth movement, the alto soloist, Sara Mingardo (with a large register and a perfect fraseggio), reminds us all that there is no joy, not even the happy travel of life, without suffering -- the real chore of the symphony.

Contralto Sara Mingardo and conductor Christian Arming performing Mahler's Third Symphony. Photo © 2010 Musacchio & Ianniello
The dramatic tension evolves into the explosion of joy in the fifth movement. Chorus masters Ciro Visco and José Maria Sciutto and all the chorus members deserve to be complimented here. In the tricky sixth and final movement, Arming slowed the tempos gently for the diminuendo after a concise reminder of the pantheistic flair of the first movement. Very different conducting to that of Dudamel in 2008. Also, Arming has a gracious gesture and contains his left arm.
Ten minutes of accolades followed the one hundred and ten minutes of the symphony.
Copyright © 12 June 2010 Giuseppe Pennisi,
Rome, Italy

GUSTAV MAHLER
ROME
ITALY
ORCHESTRAL MUSIC
AUSTRIA
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Santa Cecilia 2009-2010 Season ends with Mahler Third Symphony
THE AWAKENING OF NATURE
Giuseppe Pennisi
As outlined in Music & Vision of May 15th 2010, the National Academy of Santa Cecilia has programmed the full cycle of Mahler Symphonies during 2010 - 2011 with the view of celebrating the composer in the 150th year of his birth and the 100th year of his death. Like all symphony orchestras in Italy, the Academy follows the “season system”; Mahler’s monumental Third Symphony in D-moll was scheduled to be the final concert of the 2009-2010 season under the baton of the young and emerging Finnish Mikko Franck (31 years old). At the last moment , Franck was ill, but the Academy was fortunate enough to replace him with another comparatively young conductor, the Austria Christian Armin (39). These data are meaningful because Mahler’s Third is normally entrusted to older conductors due the complexity both of the score and of its underlying philosophy. One of the striking features of the emergence of Mahler’s music from comparatively 50 years of obscurity is that the very symphony which used to be least played and least known- viz. the Third – is now one of the most frequently performed, in spite of its gigantic scale , its eccentricities , its mixture of very profound and nearly popular music : only in the Academy of Santa Cecilia seasons , in the last 25 years, it has been performed nine times under baton such as those of Sinopoli (twice), Ashkenazy, Ferro, Maazel, Chung and Dudamel.
Mahler worked for several years on this symphony. In his specific plans, he developed a detailed descriptive program (especially for the immense, 35 minutes, first movement): the depiction of rocks and mountains, the coming of summer and with it, of flowers, birds and animals, culminating an hymn to love. The other five movements are shorter (about 60 minutes all together) and may offer different and diverging interpretations. After the great awakening of nature, Mahler creates a sense of tragedy – Nietzsche’s Midnight Song from Also sprach Zarathustra – followed by a bitter-sweet sense of transient joy – the children’s chorus from the Knaben Wunderhorn – and an atmosphere of quite calm, almost an anticipation of the Abschied (Farewell) which ends Das Lied von der Erde- a Zen acceptance of the end of everything (see Music & Vision , January 14th 2010). The ambiguity is the explosion of nature in the first movement and the final calm (but not necessarily peace) which may sound nearly desperation in front of the conclusion of one’s life. It seems that Mahler had in mind a seventh, more hopeful, movement, but it never composed it.
In my opinion, the symphony is less desperate than many commentators and conductors think. There is a circular approach: the sixth and final movement is closely connected to the first with calm of nature juxtaposed to its explosion. This is a challenge to the conductors: e.g. Abbado (in his 1982 recording) and Sinopoli (in his Santa Cecilia 1985 and 1995 performances) delved on a nearly hopeless view of life and of its conclusion; in his 2008 Santa Cecilia conducting, Dudamel exceeded on the most vibrant themes and colors. In the June 5th performance, Christian Arming had the appropriate balance in showing the nearly circular underlying structure of the Symphony. He started the first movement with impetus but then almost naturally slid into a delicate lyricism which underscores, more than usually done, the intertwined marches preceding the allegro moderato at the end of the movement. Impetus, lyricism and intertwined marches emphasize pantheism as the root to the symphony. Armin handles the minuet (which opens the five movements of the second of the symphony) with elegance mixed with a bit of irony. A slightly jokingly approach is also in the third movement (excellent Andrea Lucchi at the off scene postman’s horn); the atmosphere is that of a happy travel – the life’s travel. In the “mysterious” fourth movements, the alto soloist, Sara Mingardo (with a large register and a perfect fraseggio), reminds all of us that there is no joy, not even the happy travel of life, without sufferings –the real chore of the symphony. The dramatic tension evolves into the explosion of joy in the fifth movements ; the chorus masters, Ciro Visco and José Maria Sciutto, and all the chorus elements deserve to be complemented . In the tricky sixth and final moments, Armin slows gently the tempos for the diminuendo after a concise reminder of the pantheistic flair of the first movement. Very different conducting as compared with that of Dudamel in 2008. Also Armin has a gracious gesture and contains his left harm .
Ten minutes of accolades followed that 110 minutes of the symphony.