The value of the type of musical analysis presented in this study is based on the assumption that the more thorough an understanding the performer has of his repertoire, of both musical and non-musical elements, the more authentic the performance will be. A knowledge of the wishes of the composer and of the historical period, added to an analysis of poetry, melodic contour, harmony, rhythm, accompaniment, and texture, provides the performer with the necessary background to form his interpretation of a song. The interpretation of "Wo die schonen Trompeten blasen" depends upon an accurate execution of the various rhythmic patterns in both the vocal line and the accompaniment. The sometimes opposing rhythms (two against three) between the voice and accompaniment should be carefully observed. Another important interpretive aspect is the portrayal of both characters in the poem (the soldier and his sweetheart). Character differentiation is primarily achieved through the singer's vocal color, intensity, and general deportment. The singer must thoroughly understand the poetry and have formed a definite personality for each character. In "Das irdische Leben" the individuality of each character in the poem is even more essential. The three characters are musically differentiated by the three individual patterns of vocal melody and rhythm. These three types of vocal melodies help determine the vocal color for each character. The chromatic and ever-moving accompaniment helps build the tension of this macabre tale, but the most outstanding feature of this song must be the vocal color and characterization supplied by the singer. The light, yet ironic, humor is the most important element of "Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt." The tonal painting of the accompaniment creates the proper atmosphere for this fish tale. To project the poetry's humorous descriptions of the various fishes, the singer must pay special attention to vocal inflection and syllabic stress of the text. Careful attention should be given to the rise and fall of dynamics, which help depict an image of water movement. These three early songs of Mahler were chosen to provide the listener with a variety of mood, style, key, and musical harmony and rhythm. If the performers (both singer and accompanist) study the various musical and non-musical characteristics of the songs, the result should be a more authentic and meaningful presentation.

Thesis (MMus) -- Stellenbosch University, 1997. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Hierdie tesif ondersoek die estetiese begrip nai"witeit met spesifieke verwysing na die Wunderllc:-n-t...;•r.••:ngs van Gustav Mahler. Die term nai'witr .L kom dikwels in die vroee literatwJr : '1r Mahler voor, trouens, Mahler het die term ook self gebruik. Vir die hedendaagse waarnemer is dit nie meer onmiddellik duidelik wat met hierdie term bedoel word nie. Die bekende aanwending daarvan op die terrein van die beeldende kuns is in die verband van beperkte waarde. Daarom word daar in hierdie tesis gepoog om die term in sy historiese konteks tot so ver terug as die sewentiende en agtiende eeu te verstaan. Dit blyk dat Schiller die belangrikste bydrae tot die onderwerp gelewer het, trouens, hy het die term tot 'n belangrike estetiese begrip ontwikkel in sy Ober naive und sentimentalische Dichtung. Verder word Des Knaben Wunderhorn, die belangrikste versameling van Duitse volkspoesie, in die konteks van die intellektuele klimaat van die vroee Duitse Romantiek geplaas. Mahler se "ontdekking" van die versameling en sy groot belangstelling in volksmusiek word ook ondr die loep geneem. Die hoofdeel van die tesis ondersoek die vraag in watter mate die begrip, soos deur Schiller ontwikkel, op die musiek en dan spesifiek op Mahler se toonsettings van Wunderhorn-tekste toegepas kan word. Dit word aangetoon dat die begrip in 'n algemene sin aangewend kan word op voorbeelde van natuurklanke, kindermusiek en volksmusiek. Hierdie voorbeelde het alma! 'n sterk invloed op Mahler en word in sy Wunderhorn-styl ge'integreer saam met 'n baie persoonlike benadering tot realisme, insluitende sulke middele soos die nabootsing van nie-musikale klanke, ruimtelike beweging, spraakintonasie en emosies of "innerlike natuur". Mahler se idee van musiek as 'n atbeeld van die natuur of van die struktuur van die wereld as geheel word ook bespreek. Vervolgens word hierdie kenmerke op uitgebreide wyse aan die hand van voorbeelde uit die toonsettings self gei'llustreer. Laastens word al die bevindings tot 'n omvangryke reeks gevolgtrekkings saamgevoeg. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:This thesis sets out to investigate the aesthetic concept of naivety with specific reference to the Wunderhom Songs of Gustav Mahler. The term naivety is found frequently in the early literature on Mahler, in fact Mahler even used it himself. To the present-day observer, however, it is not immediately obvious what the full meaning of the term is as used by these authors. The well known use of the term in the field of visual art proves to be of only limited help. Therefore the thesb. ...ttempts to trace the historical context of the term as far back as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Schiller is shown to be the most important author on the subject, he in fact develops the term to an aesthetic concept of great significance in his Uber naive und sentimentalische Dichtung. Besides, the thesis examines the context in which Des Knaben Wunderhorn, the most important anthology of German folk poetry, should be seen, placing it in the intellectual climate of early German Romanticism. Mahler's "discovery" of the anthology and his passionate interest in folk music are also investigated. The main body of the thesis concerns itself with the question of the applicability of the concept, as developed by Schiller, to music and specifically to Mahler's composition of Wunderhorn texts, which occupied the composer for the best part of his early career. It is shown that, in a general sense, the concept can be applied to instances of natural sound, children's music and folk music. These instances all have a strong influence on Mahler and are intergrated into his Wunderhorn style together with a very personal kind of realism, including such devices as the imitation of non-musical sounds, spatial movement, speech intonations and emotions or "inner nature". Mahler's idea of music as an image of nature or the structure of the world as a whole is also discussed. Subsequently, these characteristics are illustrated extensively by examples from the songs themselves. Finally, all the findings are drawn together in a lengthy concluding section.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), was one of the great composers of the late-Romantic era. He composed forty-five Lieder. These Lieder, as influences by Mahler¡¦s symphonic work, show a broader scope, in terms of the sound, the length and the tension, as compared to Lieder by previous composers. Impacted by Romanism and Nationalism, Mahler composed twenty-three Wunderhorn-Lieder, which based on Des Knaben Wunderhorn by German poets Achim von Arnim (1781¡V1831) and Clemens Brentano (1976¡V1842). The Wunderhorn anthology has more than seven hundreds poems, which is a significant piece of German literature work for folk songs. Four Wunderhorn-Lieder are discussed in this paper: ¡§Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grünen Wald,¡§Scheiden und Meiden¡¨, ¡§Wer hat die Liedlein erdacht¡H¡¨, and¡§ Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen¡¨. The main theme of these four Lieder is love, and each of them represents a different type of love experience. The study mainly contains four parts: the biographical information about Gustav Mahler, the Lieder of Gustav Mahler, a brief introduction of poets Arnim and Brentano, and a performance analysis of the four Wunderhorn-Lieder. Through analyzing these four Lieder, we can gain insight into how poetry was played up and extended by Mahler using music, and help the vocalists better express the spirit and the music syntax of Mahler when interpreting his Lieder.