We can identify G.Mahler as a leading composer who resolved both neo-classicism and post- romanticism, but as a leading neo-classicism composer. G.Mahler showed musical talent since he was young and followed Richard Wagner and Anton Bruckner's musical...
We can identify G.Mahler as a leading composer who resolved both neo-classicism and post- romanticism, but as a leading neo-classicism composer. G.Mahler showed musical talent since he was young and followed Richard Wagner and Anton Bruckner's musical style.
He used melody with simple folk or march style rhythm and chose folky words showing conservative musical style. However, he innovated new musical style by using orchestra when playing accompanying lyrics. Another noticeable point is that he largely modified classical harmony by using voluminous dissonance and consonance, and developmental method is the interlude section raised artful lyrics into the symphony.
By analyzing this piece of music, "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen", the following distinctive characteristics.
I) Song of Words
Mahler's words of the love songs are very much emotional, and this song is his own poem showing controlled emotion with simple expression. Especially, the last piece shows human internal expression very well by using forkfully simple words and story.
2) Form
Rather than stick to the classical form of the music and repeatable words, he used relaxed form by poetical story and comparative words. That showed he was a composer with complication and confusion.
3)Rhythm
Rhythm used in motive are enlarge modified, and developed. Using comparative and changing rhythms, he could have expressed relaxed rhythms rather than limited rhythms. Especially, in order to show accordance in accents of words, usage of the pulling and changing beats by accents shows Mahler's innovative style.
4) Melody
He mainly used a process of the whole musical scale and his melodies are simple and something like ballad by processing sequential processing of major and minor intervals. He maintains uniformity of melodies by making these factors developing and adaptating freely.
5) harmony
Mahler makes key composition using chromatic scale but most of his melodies are tend to those of folk music by factors of the whole note scale. It is not hard to analyze key composition because lyrical moods are the central point of whole song. And he used major and minor key technique selecting free key change which is quite different to former one. Continuous use of dissonance, free non-harmonic sound process, , frequent change of key composition, these are well representing the tendency of later 19th century.
For now, we should understand Mahler who roles as a bridge to modern music, as a progressive composer in transitional period who leads to post romanticism music. Also the continuous research of his music is needed to understand his song by a diversified point of view.