Die Meistersinger in Mahler’s Seventh Symphony

The Seventh Symphony has a particular way of alluding to the past, and the reminiscence of Wagner’s Meistersinger in its Finale—noted by many commentators—is the clearest sign of this. This chapter interrogates the function of this and other references from the opera in the context of the Seventh and its impact on the interpretation of the symphony as a whole. The Seventh Symphony’s pervasive use of melodic and harmonic fourths echoes Wagner’s structural use of fourths in Meistersinger. The harmonic progression of Mahler’s symphony from E minor to C major plays a crucial role in Wagner’s opera. The two works share a connection at a deep level, for they are built on similar sets of oppositions: tradition versus innovation, night versus day, ‘meaningful’ versus ‘meaningless’ art. The question of Mahler’s relationship with Beckmesser’s character is further elaborated.