Fourth Movement Mahler Analysis

The fourth movement of Mahler’s ninth symphony has the key signature of D-flat, establishing a dark tone and ominous mood. It is structured in a five-part rondo, ABACA, with a coda. At the first A section, the violins play a descending melody, which is considered the molto adagio melody. Accompanying the molto adagio melody is a ground bass played by the celli and double basses. This ground bass is repeated a number of times and is very important to the structural development of this movement: described in this paper as the bass progression. The descending scale progression, in conjunction with the bass progression, signals to listeners the next A section is about to begin, thus guiding listeners through the work. The 4th movement opens with a

However, Mahler departs from convention and uses G natural, giving the turn an unusual chromatic. The turn progresses into bar 2, landing on Cb. The entire effect is unsettling to the ear, creating tension. The Cb is followed by a descending scale progression moving to the note Gb, which is the dominant 7th of Ab major, then finally resolving to F, the third of the Db tonic triad, thereby creating a sense of completion. Every note is accented and played forte, creating a feeling of urgency and forcefulness, and driving the music into the next section. Interestingly, the beginning bars of this piece sound similar to the beginning of Abide With Me, written by Henry Francis Lyte, and composed by William Henry Monk. Monk was suffering from tuberculosis and composed this in 1847, as he lay on his death bed. (http://www.8notes.com/scores/16104.asp). Abide with Me has become a standard hymm for funerals. Although not identical with Mahler’s work, it descends in the same melodic pattern and note intervals (Fig.b).