In the Roberts Wesleyan College Community Orchestra, we are rehearsing the strikingly beautiful Andante Moderato from Mahler's Sixth Symphony for an upcoming concert. Our music director, Paul Shewan, loves this music very much - it shows in how he conducts it and speaks about it in rehearsal, so I asked him to write some thoughts on the music to share here on my blog. The timings he mentions in the piece coincide with the recording embedded in the post - with Riccardo Chailly conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. ~Mona
Whether performing, conducting or just listening, the emotional impact that Mahler’s music has on me is like no other composer. The beautiful Andante moderato of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony is no exception. While this movement provides a much needed respite from the overall pessimism expressed in the other three movements, it also may be listened to as a complete piece of music that stands on its own. This is the only movement that reflects what was considered to be a happy time in Mahler’s life.
The Andante moderato is one of Mahler’s pastoral works, taking its inspiration from the idyllic serenity of nature, complete with trilling birdsong and clanking cowbells. Further contrast to the rest of the symphony is the movement’s key of E-flat major, often called Mahler’s “heavenly” key, which is far removed from the symphony’s key of A minor.
The opening theme expresses a tender simplicity in the key of E-flat major, but it is the unexpected notes outside of the key (F-flat and G-flat) that gently tug at our hearts with a sense of longing. As with all good drama, bliss is not realized without conflict along the way, and Mahler hints at that in the opening measures. Mahler understood that briefly shifting to a minor tonality made the resolution to the major key that much sweeter.
Listen to the haunting English horn solo in G minor (1:40) that sets up the resolution back to the home key of E-flat major with the French horn solo (2:09). Mahler takes this to another level approximately five minutes into the movement, conveying a sense of angst (4:50) that eventually reaches a sublime resolution (5:35)
The actual climax, however, is yet to come and Mahler uses all of his compositional heft to reach the mountaintop. The haunting English Horn theme, now played by the oboe (10:05) gives way to an anguished outcry (beginning at 10:37), and finally reaches a cathartic climax (11:12 and following—note the cowbells!). As the music winds down, the movement comes to point of resolution and calm, ending in complete tranquility.
Paul Shewan is conducting the Roberts Wesleyan College Community Orchestra in the Andante Moderato from Mahler's Sixth Symphony as part of a concert on November 12th, 7:30pm at Hale Auditorium at Roberts Wesleyan College.
