Mahler, Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection"

Mahler, conductor of the Vienna Court Opera

At the end of the 19th century, the composer and conductor Gustav Mahler, "Bohemian in Austria, Austrian among Germans, Jewish all over the world," by his own stateless definition, enjoyed astonishing international celebrity for a musician barely over 35 years. In 1892 he had directed Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung in London, and then Falstaff (Verdi), Manon Lescaut (Puccini) and Eugenio Onegin (Tchaikovski) in Hamburg. Shortly afterwards he was invited to conduct in Moscow, while in Berlin the performance of his own works was witnessed. He was, therefore, more than willing and able for the position he had always longed for: the direction of the Vienna Court Opera.

The Jewish question
The first steps were taken in 1896 and by the end of that year he had attracted enormous support among Viennese artistic circles: he was definitely the most qualified musician to govern the destiny of the first theater of the Empire. But one obstacle stood firmly in the way: his Jewish origin. And the one who held the baton – there is no better expression – in that sense was none other than Cosima Wagner, Liszt's daughter and Richard Wagner's widow, and at the time director of the Bayreuth Festival, created by the author of Tannhäuser for the performance of his works.

Cosima
A fervent anti-Semite, Cosima could not even imagine that a member of a minority that until a few years ago had been barred from certain activities, such as the production and sale of alcoholic products, could become the director of the illustrious and prestigious Hofoper, despite his qualifications. Even though, in the case of Mahler, Cosima would keep appreciating the performances he had given of her late husband's music.

Cosima Wagner (1837-1930).
in London, 1877

The new faith
Gustav Mahler resolved the situation in a simple way. Always concerned with religious matters, he devoted some time to the study of the figure of Christ and in February 1897 he had himself baptized in the Catholic faith. After some negotiations, he was appointed, in April of that year, as the new director of the Imperial Opera.

The new style
He made his debut the following month with a performance of Wagner's Lohengrin. And he imposed his law: he forbade the entrance to the hall once the performance had begun, prevented enthusiastic demonstrations in the middle of the performances and disbanded the claque (professional applauders), at the same time subjecting orchestra and singers to exhausting rehearsals. Under his direction, which lasted ten years, the Vienna Opera experienced its best times.

Life and death

The problem of life and death and the afterlife had been a constant concern and anguish for Gustav since he was a child. Eight of his thirteen siblings died at an early age, his brother Otto, also a musician, committed suicide at the age of 22, another sister died at 26, and only four went on to live a full existence. Gustav searched hard for answers and inspiration in many fields, including the Bible, where he finally found that the resurrection solved the problem.

Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911)

Symphony No 2 - The beginnings
He had started work on the second symphony very early, in 1888, when he was 28 years old, but had made no progress beyond what was at the moment a symphonic poem on verses by the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz (Chopin's friend). He showed the work to the prestigious director Hans von Büllow, whose wife, the very Cósima, had been taken from him by Richard Wagner. Little was the enthusiasm shown by von Büllow.

The Inspiration - Büllow's Funeral 
Five years later, he added another three movements and the work awaited inspiration for the last one, which paradoxically came in 1894 for the funeral of von Büllow. On the occasion, he had the opportunity to listen to a choral page on verses by the German poet Klopstock. The impression he received was enormous and he decided to make his own musicalization of the poem, adding some verses of his personal inspiration, to build the fifth movement and finale of the Second Symphony. Its premiere, under his baton, was well received in Berlin on December 15, 1895.

Symphony No. 2, in C minor, "Resurrection" - 5th movement
The complete work lasts almost an hour and a half. The last movement is presented here, starting with the entrance of the choir. Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony on the occasion of the 2011 BBC Proms at London's Royal Albert Hall, featuring Swedish soprano Miah Persson and compatriot mezzo Anna Larsson. The choir is the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.

Fifth movement: Im tempo des Scherzos
The whole movement lasts about half an hour. Very episodic and strongly symbolic in character, the movement is the first of his entire symphonic cycle in which Mahler has introduced a chorus, in the manner of Beethoven in the Ninth and Mendelssohn in his 2nd symphony.

We take the movement the moment after piccolo and flute have attested that everything has ceased to exist. The earth remains cold and silent. But at 0:15 something magical happens. A choir of angels enters to sing the chorale "Resurrection". Barely audible at first (hearing with headphones is recommended), in one of the most breathtaking sottovoce passages in the history of music, the choir murmurs, "You shall rise, yes you shall rise again, my dust, after a brief sleep!". From the mass of choral sound, the soprano voice plucks with serene joy at 1:57. It will return at 5:16 with restrained glee. After a long serene passage, the mezzo voice enters at 7:45 with Mahler's added verses. After a second intervention by the soprano (8:45) followed by the choir, a new episode at 10:34 initiated by the mezzo voice will lead to a finale in which everything is fanfare and ringing of bells.

Thus, we have all been resurrected. Although I, just returned to life, as well, would have liked the hostess to stay where she was, silent, in her grave.