May 12, 2012 - To the Light
7:30 p.m.
Gantner Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Campus
Guest Artist: Chippewa Valley Festival Choir
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Program Notes
Symphony No. 2…………………………………………………………………Gustav
Mahler
Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 took six years to compose, and debuted in
1895. It was one of his most popular and successful pieces during his lifetime.
The first movement of the symphony is a symphonic poem called Totenfeier
(Death Celebration.) Mahler composed the second and third movements in one
year, but he struggled with the finale. Mahler wanted vocals in his final
movement, but knew his symphony would then be compared with Beethoven’s
Symphony No. 9. When a close friend and mentor of Mahler’s died in
1894, he was inspired by a funeral hymn, and finally was able to write the
text for the fifth movement. He then inserted the song Urlicht (Primeval
Light) as the fourth movement.
Mahler told many friends that he created a narrative programme for his symphony.
The first movement represented a funeral and asks, “Is there life
after death?” The second movement remembers happy times in the life
of the deceased; the third movement represents the view that life is meaningless;
the fourth movement is a wish for release from a life without meaning; and
the fifth movement, after touching on themes from other movements, ends
with hope for everlasting life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9_ONIz8XKA&playnext=1&list=PLD427845137CCAA55
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