GRMUS H659 — Gustav Mahler and the Transition to the 20th Century

2 credits
Summer
John J.H. Muller

Gustav Mahler lived during a turbulent time in European history, when the established political, social, and artistic norms were changing, and when Romanticism was in transition to the Modernist Age. After a survey of Mahler’s achievement in his first four symphonies and early songs, this course will focus on his middle and late period works to study their relationship to trends of the opening decade of the new century. These works include Symphonies Five through Ten, Kindertotenlieder, and Das Lied von der Erde. Of the Fifth Symphony, the composer himself remarked, “A completely new style demanded a new technique,” and the Seventh Symphony “converted” Arnold Schoenberg to Mahler. We will consider issues such as the expansion of the orchestra and symphonic form, the connections between Mahler’s songs and symphonies, changes in musical texture, and the autobiographical and programmatic elements often found in his music. The compositional process will be examined, especially in the case of the unfinished Tenth Symphony. Mahler’s career as a conductor will also be examined. His works will be placed in the context of fin-de-siècle European culture. Students will be exposed to significant resources in Mahler research.