Friday Performance Pick – 103

Mahler, Symphony No. 1

Mahler_by_Moritz_Nähr_01We are being rather ambitious today, featuring a Mahler symphony. But the Mistral Chamber Orchestra is more ambitious by performing the Mahler Symphony No. 1 with a small ensemble and no conductor. It’s not what you would normally expect with a Mahler symphony.

Mahler has a reputation for marshaling large forces for his symphonies, not just the so-called (and exaggerated) “Symphony of a Thousand” (Symphony No. 8). Mahler scored his Symphony No. 1 for approximately 100 players, far more than the 15 that you will find in this recording.

But it works. At least I think so. Although Mahler used large orchestras, his music often retains a delicate transparency. The small ensemble handles those passages with ease. There are, of course, many points where Mahler’s massed orchestral forces provide volume and weight. Mahler goes to both extremes. But more often, Mahler used his large orchestra to achieve greater variety and tonal color.

Mahler always has a very distinctive sound. Whereas you might mistake Haydn for Mozart or early Beethoven, or confuse Brahms and Bruckner, Mahler stands alone. He often used folk songs and peasant dance rhythms. Partly because of that, he doesn’t have the dense chromaticism that characterized other composers of the late Romantic era. And he was a master of orchestration.

Mahler wrote almost exclusively in two genres: symphonies and songs. His song melodies often provide thematic material for his symphonies. The connection between the two also accounts for some of Mahler’s distinctive sound. It’s a combination of lyricism, folk elements, clarity of orchestration, and a rich palette of tone colors. All of these come through quite nicely with the small ensemble and seem particularly pronounced in the second movement featured here.

Now, if that leaves you wanting more, and it should, follow the links to the other movements: