The Master's thesis describes Symphony No. 2 by composer Gustav Mahler and focuses in greater detail on the role of the trumpet within it. The work is divided into chapters that explore the symphony itself, its creation, and the role of the trumpet both within the orchestration and in the context of performance practice. The first part provides a detailed account of the composer's biography, the historical background of the symphony's creation, the concept of the cantata symphony, the programmatic idea behind the symphony, the orchestration, the historical background of the choice of a specific trumpet in performance practice, and the final section focuses on the analysis of the individual movements and the trumpet's role within them. In the biography of Gustav Mahler, his musical beginnings, his studies, his work as a conductor, and his compositional work during his mature years are described. Additionally, events in his personal life that had an impact on his creative process are also examined. The thesis then moves on to the history of the symphony’s creation, identifying Mahler's inspirations and ideas that influenced the work and the timeline for the creation of each movement. The concept of the cantata symphony is briefly described, as he wished to combine symphonic music with the human voice. Following this, the programmatic idea of the symphony is explained. During this period of his life, Mahler thought deeply about philosophical questions regarding death and the afterlife, which is why the symphony itself was given the title "Resurrection." The program is carefully constructed and features a powerful theme about the meaning of life, death, and what happens afterward. The orchestration of the work is then described, which unique because it is extensive and powerful. The thesis then focuses on the role of the trumpet. First, it touches upon the performance practice during the time of the composer, then it outlines the performance practice today. Following this, the analysis of the individual movements is presented, with a particular focus on the trumpet and its role in the symphony, both harmonically and in relation to other instruments.
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