Gustav Mahler

Symphony No. 5

arranged for piano solo

by Iain Farrington

Aria Editions
Copyright © 2019 by Aria Editions

First published in 2019 by Aria Editions

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 Symphony No. 5

1. Trauermarsch ……….............................................................................................…. 1
2. Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz ………............…. 18
3. Scherzo ……..................................................................................................................…. 43
4. Adagietto ……….......................................................................................................…. 70
5. Rondo-Finale ………..............................................................................................…. 77

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) composed his 5th Symphony in 1901-2 while he

was music director at the Vienna State Opera. It was written at Mahler's
composing hut in Maiernigg near the Wörthersee, and he conducted the
premiere in 1904 with the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne. The work is often
directly inspired by events in Mahler's life. He had suffered a near-fatal
haemorrhage in February 1901, which likely inspired the opening funeral
march and the following turbulent movement. His recovery is reflected in the
symphony's journey as a whole, from tragedy to triumph. Mahler was also
becoming fascinated with counterpoint and the music of Bach, which is
reflected in the part-writing and use of fugal devices, especially in the Finale.
The fourth movement Adagietto is scored for strings and harp only and has
become one of Mahler's most well-known and popular works. During the
composition of the symphony, Mahler met Alma Schindler, who after a short
courtship became his wife. The Adagietto may have been composed as a
declaration of love for Alma, although the evidence for this has been debated.
Mahler did compose a song especially for her at that time, Liebst du um
Schönheit, which is more consistently optimistic in tone. The Adagietto has
regularly been performed and recorded separately, and achieved notably
widespread renown for its use in the 1971 film Death in Venice.
 The Mahler Symphonies for solo piano

Piano arrangements of orchestral music have been available since at least the
time of Mozart and Haydn. They were an important resource for musicians
and concert-goers in the age before recordings, allowing easy study of a work
at home, as well as for the enjoyment of domestic chamber music-making.
With the essential melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements intact, it was
possible for one person to learn an orchestral score at the piano. Liszt's
transcriptions of all nine Beethoven Symphonies represent a peak of
symphonic piano arrangements, each one a serious virtuoso study without
unnecessary pianistic additions. The 20 th century invention of recording saw a
decline in the popularity of piano arrangements, but their value remains
much the same. They provide a straightforward entry to the music, by
reading the two staves on the page as opposed to a large full score with
multiple transposing instruments. Playing the music on the piano is a simple
way of getting to know a piece from the inside, as well as giving the pleasure
of being able to play great music, especially by composers who wrote little or
no piano music. There are composers such as Mahler and Elgar who used the
piano in their writing process, and performed their works on the piano to
friends. There is a certain addded authenticity in recreating those piano
performances from these composers.

In each one of his composing 'huts', Mahler had a piano at his disposal. His
sketches are often on two/three staves of music, and can be read directly on
the piano. Mahler often played his latest works on the piano to friends and
colleagues, and his early training as a pianist left him with a good virtuoso
technique. By performing the music in this way, it enabled the first listeners to
hear the melodies and harmonies unadorned. The idiomatic style, the wide-
ranging content, the emotional depth, the unique structure: all these pieces of
the musical jigsaw were presented by Mahler himself on the piano to those
trusted friends. A black-and-white image of the Symphony was presented, a
kind of musical X-ray.

We are fortunate to have piano rolls of Mahler playing parts of his own work:
the first movement of the 5th symphony, the last movement of the 4 th
symphony and several songs. Although they are probably only loosely
accurate representations of his piano playing, the piano rolls demonstrate
Mahler's 'orchestral' piano technique, full in texture and tone, carrying the
sweep and drama of the music without getting bogged down by the intricate
details of the score. Mahler also accompanied singers at the piano in recitals of
his songs, and published piano scores of many of them alongside the
orchestral versions. They serve as an excellent starting point in making new
solo piano versions of Mahler's orchestral music.
A satisfying piano arrangement of an orchestral work requires not just a
literal transcription of the notes onto two staves, but a transformation into
pianistic texture of the full sonic landscape. The main bulk of the melodic,
harmonic and rhythmic material remains intact, but the emotional sweep and
scale of the sound is of equal importance, as it is in Mahler's own piano
performance. Rich pianistic textures are often sought, to maintain the sustain
and richness of the sound, although there is no unnecessary virtuosity or
fireworks. Hearing the symphonies and songs in this way allows us to take in
the content as 'pure' music. In Mahler's lifetime, piano duet versions of the
Symphonies were published, but very few for solo piano. These arrangements
allow one player the opportunity to perform and study them.