Bernstein: Ambiguity in Mahler's Adagietto / Norton Lectures: The Delights and Dangers of Ambiguity

The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard
IV. The Delights and Dangers of Ambiguity
Written and narrated by Leonard Bernstein, Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry, 1972
In this excerpt, Bernstein explains the use of ambiguity through music through the fourth movement (Adagietto) of Mahler's Symphony No. 5.
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Executive Producer: Harry Kraut
Consulting Producer: Humphrey Burton
Producer: Douglas Smith
Originally produced by Amberson Video in cooperation with WGBH-TV Boston, 1973.
Available on Amazon: www.amazon.com...
© 1992 Video Music Education, Inc.

[@billding7073]

The genius of Bernstein was his ability to explain complex musical ideas into accessible language and at the same moment demonstrate his thought on the keyboard. He made understanding the classics available to everyone.

[@CapoKabar]

I still feel like Salieri after listening

[@danaputera7197]

"We just melts away with the pleasure of fulfillment..."

[@johntechwriter]

That Bernstein can parse the technical structure of this piece and its emotional effect on the listener, while at the same time continuing to feel those same emotions, demonstrates the requirement for a great musician to play using both his head and his heart.

[@henrykaspar3634]

This is a trick Mahler used all the time: creating ambiguity by constantly shifting constantly between major and minor and leaving the listener uncertain where he would go next.

[@wolfie71231]

Andante movement of his 6th symphony is another great example

[@mahlerbartok]

Or Nachtmusik I from his 7th

[@gerryansel9111]

Many composers did that.

[@mahlerbartok]

@@gerryansel9111 ok

[@allonszenfantsjones]

Ich bin der Welt

[@SarahJones-wy5us]

"We just melt away with the pleasure of fulfilment"......Maestro Bernstein at his sensual best.....!!

[@Tom_Swift]

I did not understand a single thing that he said. But at the same time I understood everything that he meant.

[@connorduke4619]

Chords are made of 1st, 3rd (major) or 3rd flat (minor) and 5th notes of a scale. Playing only A and C notes in different octaves you are not sure whether those are the 1st, 3rd (major) or 3rd flat (minor) or 3rd flat (minor) and 5th, until the F appears at the end.

[@davidchampion1758]

I could listen to Mr. B forever

[@ryandmaal]

Great to hear the lecture again - after more then 40 years...

[@tylerleswing]

Such a great musical mind he was

[@tomestubbs]

LB had and still has a major impact on my life. Not to mention all the in between ambiguities.

[@annakimborahpa]

There is a third possible chord interpretation for the two note arpeggio that is spread out over several octaves on the harp: An incomplete dominant C 13 chord - C is the root and A is the 13th. Mahler frequently used the dominant 13 chord in his cadences by having them resolve first to a dominant 7 chord and then followed by the tonic chord. The final cadence of the chorus in the last movement of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony No. 2 is but one example.

[@inotmark]

By the way, my question was concerning your assumptions about Lydian mode. You did not answer the question. Please respond to the question in the future. I will not respond to further episodes of throwing smoke into the wind.

[@annakimborahpa]

@@inotmark Please accept my apologies and Shalom Aleichem.

[@PeterFamiko-lw8ue]

And F major?

[@annakimborahpa]

The key of the Adagietto (one flat).

[@viniciobianchini6498]

...oppure un accordo di sesta (momentaneamente senza la terza MI) sulla dominante di Fa

[@a123386]

This is so well analyzed!

[@TheCAPTAINDESTROYER]

He’s the best teacher of music I’ve ever heard. Amazing. Anyone know if the entire lecture series is on KZbin? Links? And any more of Bernstein lecturing?

[@abrahanaeoa733]

kzbin.info/aero/PLKiz0UZowP2V0mwtNv1lc1_zUSB2O65d7

[@MehdiD.Ardebili]

Although this was not particularly unique to Mahler as a composer for his time by any means. The opening bars of the second movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No.1 is perhaps even more tonally ambiguous.

[@juliuspons818]

For me - interested in the film and it's music - but not an expert in music at all a very insightful analysis.

[@408Falcon]

This is just wonderful. A smile throughout. Brillant.

[@seanramsdell4172]

I love The Unanswered Question

[@phillipbaritone3843]

To think this was just discussing the first few bars of the piece! Imagine speaking to him long enough to discuss the entire piece!?

[@SoopSoopa]

Bernstein is the best if humanity

[@sheilaberry46]

One can talk about note structure and pick at the elements but when this piece is played, the feeliings one then gets from the sound of all that just cannot be annalised so i think it should be taken for what it is, and what it is, is a masterpiece of music

[@douglashott9843]

I agree and yet I love Bernstein explaining things at an intellectual level that I as a non-musician can appreciate and then listen and hear even more after his discussion than I ever was aware of. I love stepping back and only listening. I also love hearing Bernstein explain how I was manipulated, in a good sense, and I love the piece even more for that.

You miss the fact that a composer can't compose masterpieces of music without knowing structure and musical elements. It is the language they use, as a poet uses words and have to know well his idiom, his craft.

[@SamTahbou]

Analysis is what helps us understand how someone helped you arrive at the feelings you're having. If you do not want to dig deep, that's fine; but for musicians, conductors and composers - that is literally their job.

[@Redflowers9]

I personally find this piece haunting and threatening.

[@headgroundsman1650]

....we're home in F major....

[@wolfgangresch1650]

AWESOME 👍👍👍❤️

[@reneprobst2434]

adagietto 5 mahler

[@JL-vk1rs]

brilliant

[@manfredsmartphone4771]

Mahler - Brucknerschüler u. a. - genial

[@ahealthyyoungdrugaddict5474]

We are home in F-major indeed.

[@terrellholmes2726]

Now we see why Lydia Tar so loved Lenny!

[@M_SC]

She not real

[@inotmark]

Bernstein does not even play the opening phrase correctly. This talk is misleading and is about some other piece than Mahler's adagietto.

[@TheShredworthy]

I don't get your meaning, If you mean it's not verbatim a certain pianist's transcription, it's most likely Bernstein's working from a conductor's perspective. He would have a fundamental understanding from composer's likely intent. Sorry, I will work to understand you if you meant differently. I'd at least like to understand what you meant. Danke, aber ich versteht nicht. Ich brauche verstehen dein Absicht. Entschuldigung für die Verwirrung, oder mein schlechtes Deutsches.

[@SarahJones-wy5us]

What ?? is this statement a wind up??

[@cgmahony]

But surely he's talking harmony and just talking around aspects the piece. Are you saying he's talking about another piece. What piece is that?

[@inotmark]

@@cgmahony whatever piece it is is not the adagietto. the opening is not that hard to play on the piano, and makes use of hypolydian mode. I question whether he even gets that.

[@inotmark]

@@TheShredworthy look at the score. itt fits easily on the piano.