Genre and Voice
The different voices of Mahler's symphonies are related to the variety of genres on which they draw. These are part of the historical idea of the symphony but, in Mahler's work, increasingly come to undermine the idea of a unified symphonic voice. This chapter explores the ways in which song forms shape Mahler's approach to the symphony, particularly the alternation of two voice types in the Wunderhorn songs. The intrusion of operatic modes is considered in relation to Mahler's engagement with opera as a conductor but also in terms of the historical tension between opera and symphony in the work of Wagner. The theatrical elements in Mahler are examined alongside the legacy of the symphony as the most prestigious form of the Austro‐German idea of an absolute instrumental music.
Keywords: genre, song, symphony, opera, theater
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .