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.

© 1992 Video Music Education, Inc.

[billding]

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.

[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.

[henrykaspar]

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.

[SarahJones-wyus]

"We just melt away with the pleasure of Bernstein at his sensual

[danaputera]

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

[Tom_Swift]

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

[ryandmaal]

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

[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.

[tomestubbs]

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

[Falcon]

This is just wonderful. A smile throughout. Brillant.

[TheCAPTAINDESTROYER]

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

[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.

[phillipbaritone]

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

[juliuspons]

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

[sheilaberry]

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

[Redflowers]

I personally find this piece haunting and threatening.

[manfredsmartphone]

Mahler - Brucknerschüler u. a. - genial

[terrellholmes]

Now we see why Lydia Tar so loved Lenny!

[inotmark]

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