mahler 9 – II. Im Tempo eines gemächlichen Ländlers.

With the opening of the second movement of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, we’re immediately in the realm of what Carlos Kalmar calls “the leather pants!” or lederhosen. Why? Because as the tempo indication at the beginning of the movement says, “in a comfortable ländler tempo” – a ländler being a rustic country dance common to Austria and Germany, whose male protagonists might often be seen in the folk garb of leather shorts, or lederhosen.

The movement remains very much a dance movement throughout, with three main tempo designations which divide the piece up into its constituent parts.

Here’s how the structure works out:

Tempo I (in a comfortable ländler tempo
Tempo II
Tempo III (ländler, very slow)
Tempo II
Tempo III
Tempo I
Tempo II
Tempo I

The first section sounds like this:

[audio:mahler921.mp3]

The next section, marked Tempo II, is still a ländler, but one which is taking place after much beer and Sauerbraten has been consumed!

Here’s a taste of the tempo II dance, which is the most aggressive and complex of the three:

[audio:mahler922.mp3]

It also contains some of the most ungrateful writing for the viola I’ve ever come across (at least since Mahler’s Seventh Symphony):

The third and final dance episode, eponymously referred to as Tempo III, is the most gentle, lilting, and Viennese of the three (though all three would find a comfortable home in that city of Johann Strauss). It gives a welcome respite to the frenetic energy of the Tempo II dance:

[audio:mahler923.mp3]

What makes this so interesting to listen to is that though the tempo scheme is clear, Mahler mixes it up for us by sometimes putting the Tempo I dance in the style and tempo of the Tempo II, or Tempo III, and so forth, so that even though there is a very clear form in terms of basic tempo relationships, tunes come back in the “wrong” tempo.

A hugely challenging movement for the orchestra, but very rewarding for the audience, and much fun for everyone!