(1860 - 1911)
Born on 7 July 1860 in the Bohemian town of Kaliste, Gustav Mahler was the second of 14 children of a Jewish distillery-owner. His parents were ill-matched, but his father at least recognised his son’s musical talents. Gustav gave his first piano recital at the age of 10 and five years later was taken to the Vienna Conservatory to play for Julius Epstein. Accepted into the conservatory, Mahler made friends with fellow-students Hans Rott and Hugo Wolf, became a devotee of Wagner’s music and Nietzsche’s philosophy and a supporter of Anton Bruckner. In 1878 he began his first major work, Das klagende Lied (‘The Song of Sorrow’), in which many of the distinctive features of his mature style can already be heard. Mahler’s career as a conductor began unpromisingly, conducting operetta at the Austrian provincial theatre of Bad Hall, but his obvious talent led to successive appointments at Olmütz, Kassel, Prague, Leipzig, Budapest, Hamburg and, in 1897, the Vienna Court Opera. There he was lauded by many but persecuted by the city’s strong anti-Semitic faction, forcing his resignation in 1907 – the year that he was diagnosed with the serious heart condition that was to kill him four years later.
Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
Das Klagende Lied
Timpani + offstage Timpani + 4 percussion + 2 offstage percussion
1) triangle, 2) tam tam, 3) clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, 4) orchestral bass drum, 5) clash cymbals + suspended cymbal offstage, 6) triangle
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Das Lied von der Erde
Timpani + 4 percussion
1) glockenspiel, tam tam, 2) clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, 3) triangle, tambourine, 4) orchestral bass drum
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Das Lied von der Erde (arr Schoenberg)
No Timpani + 3 percussion
1) glockenspiel, orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, tam tam, 2) triangle, snare drum, tambourine, 3) suspended cymbal, orchestral bass drum, glockenspiel
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Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Timpani + 4 percussion
Tam tam, triangle, ruthe, orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, snare drum, suspended cymbal
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Kindertotenlieder
Timpani + 1 percussion + celeste
Tam tam, glockenspiel, celeste
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Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen
Timpani + 2 percussion
1) glockenspiel, clash cymbals, tam tam, 2) triangle, orchestral bass drum
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Symphony No 1
2 x Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 + 32/29/26 Prem 32/30/28/25 + 32/30/28
3 percussion
Orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, small orchestral bass drum with cymbals attached, triangle, tam tam
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Symphony No 10
2 Timpani + 3 percussion
Clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, snare drum, tam tam, triangle, ruthe, orchestral bass drum, orchestral bass drum with cymbals attached, xylophone, glockenspiel
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Symphony No 2
3 Timpani (3rd timp is in orchestra / percussion) + 1 off stage
Int'l 32/29/26/23 + 32/29/26/23 + 32 + 26 off-stage Prem 32/30/28/25 + 32/30/28/25 + 32 + 28 off -stage
5 percussion + 3 off stage
Large tam tam, small tam tam, triangle, glockenspiel, 3 snare drums, 3 low bells (bass bells or bell plates), ruthe, orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, (timpani as 3rd timpani above)
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Symphony No 3
2 Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 + 32/29/26 Prem 32/30/28/25 + 32/30/28
5 percussion + 3 off stage
3 pairs clash cymbals, 2 glockenspiel, triangle, tambourine, orchestral bass drum, small orchestral bass drum with cymbals attached, tubular bells + low Bb, ruthe. 3 snare drums off stage (ideally the bells should be Bb3, C4, D4, F4, G4, A4)
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Symphony No 4
Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 Prem 32/30/28/25
4 percussion
Orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, triangle, sleighbells, glockenspiel, tam tam
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Symphony No 5
Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/26 Prem 32/30/28/25
4 percussion
Whip, triangle, orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, snare drum, glockenspiel, suspended cymbal, wood block, tam tam
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Symphony No 6
2 Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 + 29/26 Prem 32/30/28/25 + 30/28
4 percussion + 2 off stage + celeste
Orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, triangle, tam tam, snare drum, 3 deep bells, xylophone, glockenspiel, suspended cymbal, ruthe, hammer effect, tuned cowbells (either on or off stage)
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Symphony No 7
Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 Prem 32/30/28/25
5 percussion
Snare drum, tambourine, triangle, tam tam, glockenspiel, keyed glockenspiel, orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, ruthe, 3 deep bells, assorted tuned cowbells with clappers
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Symphony No 8
Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 Prem 32/30/28/25
3 percussion + celeste
Triangle, deep bells in A & Ab, orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, tam tam, glockenspiel
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Symphony No 9
2 Timpani + 4 percussion
Triangle, deep bells in F#2, A2 & B2, orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, tam tam, suspended cymbal, snare drum, glockenspiel
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