Multiple Dimensions in Performances of Mahler´s Symphonies

The present project applies new methods of musical performance research to the symphonic works of Gustav Mahler (18601911). In the preceding project PETAL (Performing, Experiencing and Theorizing Augmented Listening, 20172020), the research team developed a holistic methodology toward musical performance that combines music analysis, research of historical performance styles, computer-based analysis of recordings, and close observation of actual performance practice. Such a comprehensive method has not yet been applied to Mahlers symphonies, which since more than one hundred years belong to the key repertoire of orchestras worldwide. By further developing the PETAL methodology in the present research we aim to understand how differently Mahlers symphonies have been conceived in earlier and recent performances. A focus on recorded performances is justified by the observation that the popularity and dissemination of Mahlers music is closely intertwined with the expansion and dynamic changes of recording industries and techniques. We identify guiding interpretative ideas in writings on Mahlers symphonies and demonstrate how individual musical performances have contributed or modified these ideas throughout Mahler performance history. The project integrates three major areas of research: (1) historically informed and perception- sensitive analysis, (2) quantitative measurements of duration, tempo, and dynamics in a large number of recordings, combined with a close listening that takes account of special features in individual performances, (3) consultation of scores annotated by conductors and performance materials used in live and recorded Mahler performances. Duration and tempo data from all catalogued recordings of Mahlers symphonies are visualized in tables and diagrams, with the symphonies 2, 7, and 9 examined in detail. Generally, the impact of sounding performances against the background of their historical contexts is understood as a main dynamic in the history of Mahler interpretation and reception. The main research data will be published in open access on Mahler Online, a web-based open access platform developed by the principal investigator (PI) with the International Gustav Mahler Society, the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), and the University of Innsbruck. Christian Utz acts as PI of the project. He is joined by Thomas Glaser and Majid Motavasseli who both have previously worked with Utz in the PETAL project. External collaboration partners include Federico Celestini (Innsbruck), Seth Monahan (Yale), Anna Stoll Knecht and Sybille Werner (Paris), as well as Barbara Boisits (OEAW), Elaine Chew (CNRS - UMR9912/STMS Lab [IRCAM]), and Rémi Mignot (IRCAM Paris).

From 2021 to 2025, the research project Multiple Dimensions in Performances of Mahler's Symphonies (MMD) addressed the fascinating question of how Gustav Mahler's symphonies have been interpreted and performed over the last 120 years-and how these interpretations have developed historically and differ from one another. Under the direction of Christian Utz, a team at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz examined how conductors, soloists, and orchestras have shaped the sound and meaning of Mahler's music through their recordings. The core of the project was the systematic analysis of 588 different recordings of Mahler's eleven major orchestral works (ten symphonies and Das Lied von der Erde), analyzing a total of 2,628 individual movements. Tempi, duration, structure, and interpretive features were precisely measured and compared with sources such as reviews, conducting scores, and other historical documents. Digital tools helped to collect the data and thus also made it possible to trace subtle differences between various sonic interpretations. The resulting data corpus is unique worldwide: it makes it possible to trace changes in Mahler interpretation over generations - from early shellac recordings to current digital productions. It became clear that there is no single "correct" interpretation of Mahler's works: tempi, sound concepts, and forms of expression differ considerably between, but also within, historical periods and cultural areas. The project showed how strongly personal, technical, and social conditions influence the listening and performance of this music. In addition to new scientific insights, MMD has also created an open research platform: the online repository Mahler online links historical sources, scores, and sound documents and makes them freely accessible to researchers and interested music lovers. All collected data is also published via the online repository Zenodo and is available there for further use in research. The results will also be published in the new book series Mahler Dimensions, the first volume of which, Gustav Mahler's Sound: Between Creative Process, Interpretation, and Reception, will be published in 2026. A comprehensive handbook on Mahler's symphonies and their performance history will follow in 2027. The project not only contributed to the international reputation of Mahler research in Graz, but also offered young scholars valuable opportunities for development. In addition, it reached a wide audience through lectures, concert introductions, and public events, such as the "Long Night of Research." MMD has shown that music interpretation is not a fixed entity, but a living process - a mirror of cultural, technical, and personal developments. The project thus opens up new perspectives on how we can hear, understand, and communicate (music) history.