Munching Crunching on Mahler's Symphony No 5
II. Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz
Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
I'm Gustav Mahler, and I'm about to explain the second movement of my Symphony No 5, Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz. You'll hear a restless storm in A minor that breaks open into a bright D major chorale, only to dissolve back into the tragic material, and that struggle is why it deserves your time. Here on this site my fellow composers and I teach you to recognize our music when it begins, so why not test yourself in the Trainer right after you listen?
---
Hold On to Your Hat
Here's how I'd listen to my second movement, and you don't need any training to do it. Think of the whole orchestra as one big crowd, with six horns and four trumpets at the back and the timpani rumbling underneath, and just notice who is pushing forward at any moment. Listen first for the sighing motif that I carry over from the first movement, because it's the one familiar face before things get rough. Then let the agitated theme sweep you along, and wait for the bright D major chorale that breaks through, because that's the part you'll want to remember.A Weather Forecast That Comes True
The German heading, Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz, means 'stormily agitated, with the greatest vehemence', and I meant every word of it. I had just written a funeral march, so the music needed somewhere to go, and it went straight into a storm in A minor. Think of the title as a weather forecast that happens to be completely accurate. It's also an honest warning, because the movement lasts about 15 minutes, which is a long time to stay out in a storm.A Shape That Refused to Sit Still
Choosing the form for this movement was an adventure of its own, and I'd rather not squeeze it into a single textbook label. What I can tell you is that it's built from returns and interruptions: the sighing motif comes back, the agitated theme storms in, a triumphant chorale appears, and everything dissolves again into tragic material. That gives us four stops along the way, and each one has its own mood. I'll take them one at a time in the next paragraphs, so get ready for an exciting exploration.Section 1: A Sigh Before the Storm
The movement opens in A minor, with the sighing motif I borrowed from the first movement. It's a short, drooping gesture, a bit like someone letting out a long breath before an unpleasant task. I wanted you to feel that the funeral march hasn't really ended, and that its sadness is still in the room. Nothing is settled here, and that uneasy calm is what makes the next section feel so sudden.Section 2: The Storm Takes Over
Then the agitated first theme arrives, and the music begins to churn. The tempo feels driven and restless, and the mood is closer to anger than to grief. Listen for how the theme keeps pushing forward and refuses to settle on a comfortable resting point. This is where the heading about vehemence earns its keep, and it's the part to play loudly if your neighbors allow it.Section 3: Sunshine Through a Crack in the Clouds
Then, from inside all that turbulence, a triumphant chorale appears in D major. The change of key from A minor to D major works like a window thrown open, and the mood turns from stormy to radiant. For a moment it sounds as though the struggle is over and the music has found its victory. Remember this tune, because I bring it back in the finale, where it gets another chance to shine.Section 4: The Clouds Close Again
But the chorale doesn't last, and it dissolves back into the tragic material. It feels like the sun slipping behind a cloud just as you'd taken off your coat. The mood falls back from triumph to sorrow, and the victory you glimpsed turns out to be only a glimpse. That's the story the movement tells: hope appears, but the darkness is not so easily beaten, which is why the symphony still has more work to do.Your Turn at the Controls
Now I'd like you to try it for yourself. Press play and let the music carry you along, and don't worry about getting anything right. As you listen, keep an ear out for the sigh, the storm, the chorale and the clouds closing in again. I hope the ride feels as thrilling to you as it did to me when I wrote it.---
So, did you enjoy this listen guide to the second movement of my Symphony No 5, Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz? I hope it gave you a few things to listen for the next time the storm breaks over you. It's a movement of about 15 minutes, and I find it keeps revealing something new each time I come back to it. The sighing motif, the restless first theme and the bright D major chorale that slips back into tragedy are all worth hearing more than once. The chorale in particular has a longer story than this movement alone, because it returns in the finale. That's one reason I think of the symphony as a single journey rather than five separate pieces. There is still a great deal more of Symphony No 5 to explore. After the stormy second movement comes the Scherzo, which changes the mood completely. Then the Adagietto opens the last part with strings and harp, and the finale gathers up threads from what came before. If you'd like to keep going, I invite you to click on the links provided and continue your exploration of Symphony No 5. I'd be glad to have you along for the rest of the way.