Mahler’s Symphony No. 1
Toward the end of the 19th century, symphonic music changed in scope. In other words, both the structure of the symphony (length and number of movements) and the size of the orchestra expanded. To track this trend in symphonic music, please listen to the third movement of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1.
Movement 3 (III) starts at 25:23 and ends at 36:34: Performed by Frankfurt Radio Symphony and Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor. [Listen on YouTube]
QUESTION to consider as you are listening: How does Mahler create a sense of cohesion in this movement? In other words, which specific musical elements do you hear the composer using to create a sense of return/familiarity in this movement?
