# Understanding Das Lied von der Erde III



## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Understanding Das Lied von der Erde

*III. Von der Jugend

Form*

0:00~0:50 A (B-flat major)

0:50~1:42 B (G major)
1:42~2:36 Slow Variation (G minor)

2:36~3:09 A' (B-flat major)

Text and translation may be found here:
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=20674

This movement, the most outwardly imitative of Chinese music in the cycle (or rather a Western conception of it), is simple in form and stays within a narrow range tonally. The exoticism of its pentatonic melody and accompaniment serves to accentuate the conspicuous lack of such musical tourism throughout the rest of the work. The slow section of the movement is primarily based on the motifs of B, so the whole is more or less in ternary form.

*Themes*

The first phrase of the A theme, together with its doubling in the piccolo and imitation in the first violins.









The B theme, the second and fifth bars of which are extensively imitated in melody and accompaniment.









The eighth notes/quavers of the A theme become quarter notes/crotchets in the B theme.









*Analysis*

The movement opens with a repeated F on the horn (the third of the last movement's D minor, the fifth of this movement's B-flat), backed first by triangle and then by woodwinds playing exuberant pentatonic figures. The tenor enters with a light melody that also focuses primarily on the pentatonic scale, accompanied by a free imitation in the first violins. A bit of chromaticism sneaks in, temporarily implying G minor, but the melody quickly realigns itself and finishes in B-flat major.

The oboe begins with the opening bars of the melody again, but a repeated D on the piccolo signals a shift to G major, where the melody is taken up by trumpet and then bassoon, against a staccato background. The tenor now comes in with a new theme, developed from a portion of the first melody slowed down, more relaxed and luxuriant than the first, but the repeat moves towards A major, turning back to G only at the end. A violin solo points in the direction of E minor, but the melody, now strained, pushes into G minor, where the relaxation of the second theme takes on a certain lazy world-weariness. The violins echo the close of the melody, backed by staccato accents from the horns, and the tempo continues to slow.

The horn sounds an F once more, and the flutes and oboes return with the B-flat pentatonic figures from the opening, once again in a quick tempo. The tenor returns after only three bars, and repeats the first theme, once again echoing the B section, and the movement finishes with a pentatonic flourish from the flutes and first violins.

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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

Great stuff, Mahlerian! I've begun to listen to this, accompanied by your fine blog. Look forward to the rest of it...


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