Mahler Symphony No. 5 - 2nd Movement - Listening Guide

The second movement starts tumultuously and pushing forward in the key of a minor before gliding in a beautiful calm and cantabile theme in the key of f minor “in the rhythm of the funeral march” accompanied by lamentations of the wind instruments reminding on short fanfares. After the tumultuous returning to the key of a minor follows a short and melancholy interlude of cellos and bass drums, thereafter the reprise and development of the principal themes in an alternating game of chaotic tumults torn by inner conflicts and charming, lovely passages.

The still further pushing chaos finally leads to a relieving and brightly shining D major becoming stronger and stronger until its absolute climax but apparently for no reason it softly dies down, returns a while to a chaos in the key of F major before finally ebbing away in the key of a minor.

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A listening guide of Symphony No. 5 - 2nd Movement wit Lew Smoley.