"Mahler's Symphonic Sonatas" by S. Monahan - it's kicking my tail!!!

[barry guerrero]

hey folks, don't even think of trying this book if haven't had some exposure to music theory, harmonic analysis and 'form and analysis'. This is a very, VERY academic book, not meant for the faint of heart. However, it's also the first book I've come across to talk almost solely about Mahler's music as it looks on the page, and not resort to lots of musical conjecture based upon biographical background issues. If you're interested, check out this website and look under "Resources" to view pdf's for the various movements discussed in the book. It's very challenging but I'm actually learning stuff. I find what he has to say about Mahler 7 quite interesting (in terms of 'form and analysis', that is).

http://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199303465/

[ChrisH]

Thanks for that information. I was really considering picking up the book. Now, I will spend the money elsewhere.

[barry guerrero]

Yikes, I hate to scare you away from it. If I can give you a large overview, Monahan goes to great lengths to prove that Mahler more-or-less used Sonata form principles in his symphonies up to the 7th symphony. He also believes it exits in the 8th. When I fully absorb what he has to say about the 7th, I'll post here again.

What's also interesting to me, is that both Bernstein and Monahan have pointed out that Mahler frequently uses the Phrygian mode, which is the minor mode that is often associated with the sound of Spanish music: bullfight music, Boleros, etc. As with many of the less traditional modes, you can impose both major and minor chords within that framework.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tkVz3GhxeI

Also, for anyone who likes to plunk-out short score reductions of Mahler symphonies on the piano, Monahan's look really good and thorough to me. Go to the website above, and then go to "References".

[barry guerrero]

OMG! I'm now in the second part of the book in which Monahan gives a labored and very difficult to read explanation and defense of Adorno's "A Musical Physiognomy" (about Mahler). It doesn't help that nearly every sentence has from one to four words that I have to run to a dictionary to look up (online). The whole point of writing about Adorno is to make it easier, not harder. This book is tough going.

[AZContrabassoon]

I just hate books like that, and I've had extensive musical training in theory, counterpoint, form, analysis...Books like this have their place, just not on my shelves. I don't like booklet notes that read like a doctoral dissertation, either.

[barry guerrero]

I'm finally passed the Adorno chapter of the book, and it has suddenly become promising again. Monahan is spending a great deal of time discussing and defining musical 'narrative', and how narrative based approach can be integrated into, and rectified with, Sonata-Allegro principles.

[barry guerrero]

UPDATE.  OK, now I'm into a chapter where he's actually analyzing something: the 6th symphony.  It's very interesting but it's also the most convoluted thing I've ever tried to read  .   .    .    kind of like particle physics. I'm hoping it''ll all tie together and make clear sense in the end (Monahan promises it will). I'll let you all know if I suddenly know more about the 6th symphony than any of you could possibly imagine   

[barry guerrero]

I give up. This book is near impossible. The most helpful things are the reductions of the scores that Monahan posted, along with a basic harmonic and formal analysis.

http://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199303465/resources/

If you study those, I don't really think you need to try to slug your way through the book. Some of his subjective conclusions regarding Mahler's 'narratives' are simply beyond the pale.