Fifth Movement from Symphony No. 10, abridged

from: G. Mahler (1860-1911)

The fast middle section is mostly omitted. The drum strokes from the original are indicated, and, in the absence of a drummer with a drum, the pianist could stamp their foot. These symphonic transcriptions generally include all or very nearly all relevant notes in the original. As a result, performance by two people, one playing the top stave and one the bottom, is preferable, certainly easier. However, by rolling chords, or by treating bass notes as grace notes, etc., they can be performed by one person effectively. These piano reductions are a way of peering over the composer’s shoulder, as it were, thinking along with them, a closeness to the creative process unlike no other. Revised October 6, 2020.