Mahler’s score markings Interpreted by David Pesetsky
By Mark Liberman on Language and culture
David Pesetsky, the Ferrari P. Ward Professor of Modern Languages and Linguistics at MIT, is also the principal second violin in the New Philharmonia Orchestra of Massachusetts. For their 4/1/2009 rehearsal, he provided English translations for the sometimes-confusing performance instructions in Mahler’s 1st Symphony.
Dave’s sensitive interpretation of Mahler’s artistic intent has been received with praise in musical circles. The first page is reproduced below, but any of you who plan to play or listen to this piece should read the whole thing.
- Langsam
- Slowly
- Schleppend
- Slowly
- Dampfer auf
- Slowly
- Mit Dampfer
- Slowly
- Allmahlich in das Hauptzeitmass ubergehen
- do not look at the conductor
- Im Anfang sehr gemaechlich
- in intense inner torment
- Alle Betonungen sehr zart
- with more intense inner torment
- Getheilt (geth.)
- out of tune
- Von hier an in sehr allmaehlicher aber stetiger Steigerung bis zum Zeichen
- From this point on, the spit valves should be emptied with ever-increasing emotion
- Hier ist ein frisches belebtes Zeitmass eingetreten
- Slowly
- Haupttempo
- Slowly
- Noch ein wenig beschleunigend
- slowing down but with a sense of speeding
- up immer noch zurueckhaltend
- with steadily decreasing competence
- sehr gemaechlich
- with indescribably horrific inner torment
- Etwas bewegter, aber immer noch sehr ruhig
- Somewhat louder, though still inaudible as before
- Alle Betonungen sehr zart
- with smallish quantities of fairly mild inner torment
- Gemaechlich Intermission Ganz unmerklich etwas zurueckhaltend
- Slowly
- Etwas gemaechlicher als zuvor
- Slowly
- Zurueckhaltend Gesundheit Von hier ab unmerklich breiter werden
- as if wild animals were gnawing on your liver
If I saw this on my sheet music, I’d probably just pack up and leave. How the hell does one “slow down but with a sense of speeding”? Fortunately I havent had the opportunity of having my liver gnawed at by wild animals yet.
