# Mahler's Symphony No. 7



## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Many people seem to skip over this symphony when talking about Mahler for some reason, but this symphony contains some very beautiful music and it was in fact my first Mahler symphony, so it has some importance to me. Tell me your impressions of this symphony. It is in stark contrast to Symphony No. 6, which is a very different animal altogether.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._7_(Mahler)


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Nobody a fan of this particular symphony? Hmmm....surprising.


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## Jaime77 (Jun 29, 2009)

I like this symphony, always have. I think symphonies 4, 6 and 9 are favourites but I love the clarity of orchestration in this. It also has a fantastic rondo finale which should be a lot more popular. Maybe people really do get scared off by the idea it is enigmatic or something. They can follow 'triumphant' or 'tragic' easier. I think after symphony No. 6, what can you compose next, if anything? A song of the night, that's exactly what is in order. 
I got Boulez conducting it and I am still not sure if it was a bad option. It is super clear performance as expected by Boulez but maybe a little cold.


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## tahnak (Jan 19, 2009)

Mirror Image said:


> Many people seem to skip over this symphony when talking about Mahler for some reason, but this symphony contains some very beautiful music and it was in fact my first Mahler symphony, so it has some importance to me. Tell me your impressions of this symphony. It is in stark contrast to Symphony No. 6, which is a very different animal altogether.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._7_(Mahler)


The beautiful brass opening in sombre timbre is magical and the symphony is a big adventure in the world of nachtmusik second and fourth movements interspersed with a superb first movement, not to forget the macabre scherzo and the electric and vibrant finale. Yes, no one talks much about this symphony. It is highly individualistic. The first recording I heard when I was sixteen was Kubelik with the Bavarian Radio on Deutsche Grammophon. I heard Bernstein with Wiener. It is superb. Later I bought the DVD on Deutsche Grammophon. Then I heard Kurt Masur with Gewandhaus Leipzig. That is also a crisp recording. In 2001, I heard the Solti and Chicago on London/Decca which is magnificent. The timpani is just out of the world and the bass is superb. Kudos to the Decca engineers once again.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

jaibyrne said:


> I like this symphony, always have. I think symphonies 4, 6 and 9 are favourites but I love the clarity of orchestration in this. It also has a fantastic rondo finale which should be a lot more popular. Maybe people really do get scared off by the idea it is enigmatic or something. They can follow 'triumphant' or 'tragic' easier. I think after symphony No. 6, what can you compose next, if anything? A song of the night, that's exactly what is in order.
> 
> I got Boulez conducting it and I am still not sure if it was a bad option. It is super clear performance as expected by Boulez but maybe a little cold.


Yes, there's something enigmatic about this symphony. I was listening to it last night and it's really good. It used to be a symphony I was lukewarm about, but I've been enjoying more recently. The two movements "Nachtmusik (I): Allegro moderato. Molto moderato (Andante)" and "Nachtmusik (II): Andante amoroso," which are two of the inner movements are quite unusual for Mahler. I just need to listen to this symphony again. It's definitely a different animal than his other symphonies.

I haven't heard Boulez's version of this symphony, but I imagine it's pretty good. You should hear Gary Bertini or Riccard Chailly's versions next. They are outstanding.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

tahnak said:


> The beautiful brass opening in sombre timbre is magical and the symphony is a big adventure in the world of nachtmusik second and fourth movements interspersed with a superb first movement, not to forget the macabre scherzo and the electric and vibrant finale. Yes, no one talks much about this symphony. It is highly individualistic.


Why do you think this symphony isn't discussed much?


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## 3rdplanetsounds (Nov 23, 2006)

The thing I really like about this symphony is the 'spiritual' theme in the first movement,probably trying to compose nature,it really reminds me of the opening to star trek ,for which it has been inspired by the bloke who come up with the tune no daught.I reconised the Nachtmusic from an advert in the 80's advertising car oil( the opening magical horn and woodwind bit).


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## audiophilia (Oct 17, 2009)

Even though the original poster is banned, I'll add to the thread.

Love the symphony. Amazing invention, melodies and some superb orchestration. It's a hell of a lot of fun to play, to conduct, less so. 

Interestingly, I love the RCA/LSO/Tilson-Thomas recording for the superlative orchestral playing. The recording does not seem to get much love.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

audiophilia said:


> Interestingly, I love the RCA/LSO/Tilson-Thomas recording for the superlative orchestral playing. The recording does not seem to get much love.


I think that a lot of the reason for MTT's older Mahler not getting much thought is because of his newer cycle, which also has superlative orchestral playing and superlative audio quality, but is just worse in interpretation. I think people should just face it: MTT is past his prime, and most of his best recordings so far are from the last century.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

My third favourite Mahler work,period. (Symp #3,2 are tops).
It is underrated by the general population. Mahler lovers adore it and I think that it is one of the easier symphonies to bring off well. There are many good recordings. 

Jim


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## Praine (Dec 20, 2008)

I listened to this wonderful symphony last night and I enjoyed it very much. It was only the second time I heard it, but in that time I realized how much the Nachtmusik movements connected with me. Definitely a symphony that I will acquaint myself with in the nearcoming. Along with Jim, my favorite Mahler symphonies are 3 & 2 so those are the ones I'm most familiar with, but I have a pretty good grasp on the other ones from 1-6. 7-10 are the next step in my Mahler quest and I feel the 7th is a great place to begin.


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## Herr Direktor (Oct 18, 2009)

> Why do you think this symphony isn't discussed much?


Well, in the opinions of many, the other symphonies are better?

The 7th is probably the most tonally inventive (aside from the finale) of his works. It stretches tonality at every turn (again, aside from the finale) just as Tristan did for Wagner. The 9th (my favorite of Herr Mahler) is similar but in a more compact form of 4 movements.

Many listeners to Mahler's symphonies gravitate toward the 2nd, 5th, and 8th as those are the easiest to "get." The 8th especially is what I call a "whole lotta E-flat" . I love the work but it's not his best symphony by a mile. The 7th is a bit "out there" as is the 3rd, but once you"get" it, it's a wonderful feeling to have for sure.

HD


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## Michael433 (Feb 4, 2010)

The first two movements are great symphonic movements but what next? The third and fourth movement don't deliver any advancement of creativity or musical arguement (in the same way as other middle movements of Mahler symphonies appear to do) and then the final movement begins to get a bit tiresome. Bernstein said it was a difficult movement to perform because he was aware of the audience putting on their overcoats and getting ready to go home. Solti's recording on Decca in my opinion is the only recording I have heard which deals with final movement problem. MTT is probably the greatest living conductor of this work.


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## Moldyoldie (Apr 6, 2008)

Michael433 said:


> MTT is probably the greatest living conductor of this work.


Well, I'll take this statement as hyperbole as I was thoroughly underwhelmed by his San Francisco recording. I'm sure he knows the score as well as anyone, but that's only half the battle. Besides, Gielen and Levine are still alive and kickin' -- either present cogent, stimulating, yet divergent approaches on record to this thorny and often magical work. I've yet to hear Abbado, who last I checked was also still living.


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## JAKE WYB (May 28, 2009)

I think the second and third movemets are some of mhkers most oroginal span of music but the 4th is what i always skip over - urghh sounds awful and cheap and the last movement though probably a laugh to watch live, isnt to me a pleasure to listen to - something very laboured and insincere about it


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## Moldyoldie (Apr 6, 2008)

JAKE WYB said:


> I think the second and third movemets are some of mhkers most oroginal span of music but the 4th is what i always skip over - urghh sounds awful and cheap and the last movement though probably a laugh to watch live, isnt to me a pleasure to listen to - something very laboured and insincere about it


Jake, I'd suggest that it may simply be the performance you find "awful and cheap" or "labored and insincere".


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