BACKGROUND: SingersBabel recently recorded the German texts to Mahler’s Sinfonie No. 2, “Die Auferstehen” (“The Resurrection”) to prepare a BabelGuide^TM for singers (soloists and choristers) who want to perfect their German pronunciation of this work. BabelGuides^TM are mp4 files consisting of a 3-line scan of texts: the original text is in the middle, a word-for-word English translation is above, and an IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription is below. As the text scrolls by, one hears a native speaker/sung diction specialist (in this case, the lovely German soprano Christine Reber) recite the text in a poetic reading and also in a slow version. Here is a link to a sample BabelGuide of Mahler’s Urlicht.

TODAY’S THOUGHTS: One could write reams on Mahler’s Sinfonie No. 2 from every possible standpoint of text and music, but I leave that to others infinitely more knowledgeable than I. My random thoughts today are on the fourth movement, Urlicht [Primal Light], which is sung by the alto soloist. The text comes from poems from Des Knaben Wunderhorn [The Youth’s Magic Horn], a collection of anonymous German folk poems assembled by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano. Mahler set some 24 of these, in both orchestral and voice and piano settings. Urlicht is an art song, really, but with an expanded orchestral palette and serves as an introduction to the fifth movement, the finale or Resurrection.

I am quite taken by the exquisite first words uttered, “O Röschen rot!” and how Mahler sets them. The key is D-flat major (far remote from the c-minor key of the 3rd movement), the time signature a mixture of 4/4 and 3/4, the tempo indication Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht. Choral-mässig. [Very solemn, but simple. Hymnlike.] The alto soloist begins the movement (terrifyingly) by herself, alone on a low d-flat pick-up quarter note, with the word, “O”…, repeats the d-flat half note on the downbeat of the next measure with “Rös-,” moves to an e-flat half note “chen,” and then on to a miraculous f with “rot!” (“roth” is an old German spelling). It is the first emergence of the human voice heard in the symphony, the ultimate expression of human emotion and spirit. She is accompanied, after that initial isolated first note, by muted strings clustered about her.  I can only imagine the intense concentration and courage it takes the singer to begin that movement.

And what of the little red rose? A symbol of purity, heavenly perfection, earthly passion, life and death. In ancient Rome, roses were grown in funeral gardens to symbolize resurrection. In Christian art, the red rose was a symbol for martyrdom. The rose is often a symbol for the Virgin Mary, who is called “a rose without thorns” as she was free from original sin. St. Ambrose’s legend says that the rose grew, without thorns, in the Garden of Eden. After the Fall, it became an earthly plant and thorns appeared as a reminder of our sins and fall from grace. The scent remained to remind us of the lost perfection of Paradise. The rose is even a symbol for Christ, as seen in the 15th-century German Christmas song, Es ist ein ‘Rose’ entsprungen [Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming]. My favorite contemporary setting is Craig Hella Johnson’s creative pairing of Praetorious’s Lo, how a Rose and Amanda McBloom’s The Rose, found here, beautifully performed by the University of Utah Singers, conducted by Brady Allred. “Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows, lies the seed that with the sun’s love in the spring, becomes the rose.”

But back to Mahler and Urlicht – after the exquisite first statement enters a stately brass chorale of 3 trumpets in F and 4 horns in F, 2 bassoons and a contrabassoon, marking that the preparation for the resurrection has begun. The lowest in pitch, the contrabassoon, enters at the penultimate measure in a descending V-I chord progression to the tonic D-flat. (Note that the contrabassoon sounds one octave lower than written. Here it settles the entire chorale as if an anchor for the largest ship ever.)

The next section, “Der Mensch liegt in grösster Not! Der Mensch liegt in grösster Pein!” [Humankind lies in greatest need … in greatest pain] is again accompanied by the muted strings, with two trumpets which echo “in grösster Pein,” and followed by a quintessential Mahler melodic setting of “Je lieber möcht’ ich im Himmel sein!” [Much rather would I be in Heaven!] An oboe discreetly sings with the alto on the repeat of the phrase, moving ahead in an achingly expressive tonic chord which barely resolves because of the predominance of open 5ths, creating a unease which wants to move ahead. It indeed does, this time in b-flat minor for a wary “Da kam ich auf einen breiten Weg” [Then I came onto a broad path] accompanied by oboe, horns, harps, glockenspiel, and the 1st clarinet, which plays a series of tripled eighth notes and a half, which are then repeated by the 2nd clarinet an octave lower, while an unmuted solo violin speaks of – eternity?

Then an angel arrives, “Da kam ein Engelein und wollt’ mich abweisen” [And an angel came and wanted to turn me away] via bright modulation to A major and the violin theme is repeated by the flute. The angel propels her to a delicately passionate defiance, “Ach nein! Ich liess mich nicht abweisen!” [But no, I would not be turned away!]. The oboes bring her to the astonishing statement “Ich bin von Gott und will wieder zu Gott!” [I am from God and would return to God!] and “Der liebe Gott wird mir ein Lichtchen geben” [The dear God will give me a little light] modulates spiritually and moves again slowly, as in the beginning with “Wird leuchten mir bis in das ewig selig Leben!” [will light me to eternal, blissful life!]. On the word “ewig” [eternal] we arrive back in D-flat major, and move directly into the 5th movement.

Here are two recordings of Urlicht I particularly esteem, of two different generations and nationalities – the great German mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig, with the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Salzburg Festival in 1989, conducted by James Levine – and the late, great American mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, in a live recording with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in 2004, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas.

Mahler completed Urlicht on July 19, 1893 at his composing hut in Steinbach am Attersee, Austria.

A full score of the movement can be found below as well as the original manuscript in Mahler’s hand here.

IMSLP21507-PMLP49406-Mahler_-_Symphony_No._2_-_IV._Urlicht_(orch._score)