Mahler: Symphony No. 7 - V. Rondo-Finale

and now we've finally reached day.
this movement is in C major, and essentially a rondo with the opening bombast as the refrain. note the riotous timpani, and affirmation of the key.

1:50 begins the B section. It is light and playful, reminiscent of the first nachtmusik (but wittier and more playful) as well as the fifth movement of the fifth symphony.

2:45 return of the A section, except in a sort of different meter, with the strings playing an eigth-note variation on the original. it is also spliced and diced with itself. the true return doesn't come until 3:57, with the return of the theme in the trumpets and the clarinet.

4:57: a sort of C section, in a bit broader tempo, marchlike, but not aggressive - in fact it almost immediately makes its way into a sort of boisterous country-sounding theme in the violins with lots of dotted rhythms (then incorporating snatches of the music from 2:45).

6:00 A section again, a half step up. this is c-sharp instead of c.

6:41 the theme almost immediately sinks back in to a C" section, with the slower rhythm, featuring a number of really fantastic violin and wind solos. it broadens to the strings, and slows to a sort of wistful dance that is rudely interrupted a few times by odd brass fanfares, e.g. 7:46 (after which it immediately turns around and goes back to the same old, as if ignoring it).

the second attempt succeeds, though, and the music is accelerated back to the tempo primo, quickly spiraling out of control in a sort of mad whirl which the trumpets call back into order. i have trouble making sense of this movement past this point; it seems to want to be everything at once. at 9:13 after a long ritardando, you get another trumpet call which seems to imply that the movement will soon be over, but not even close.

the beginning of the second video features a return of the B section, with ever more chromatic plays on the trills in the rustic theme. a unique section here features a bunch of fluttertongue as well as saltando bowing from the strings.
the next return of the A section at 1:28 seems to dead-end quickly, and we get another of the same whirling climaxes around minute 8. instead of being interrupted, it slows to a halt, and then segues into C music, almost opposite of the way it ended the last time.

this movement has posed the most trouble for musicologists, historians, and myself as well. writing this entry i can't help but just feel like i am merely pointing out the musics of different sections, only if one were to map them all this movement would have like 20 sections. however, the conclusion is brilliant and exciting, and exceptionally satisfying, one of mahler's best i think (especially the way bernstein does it ;) not everyone has that horn slide...)