Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) - Instrumentation

Instrumentation

The symphony is written for an orchestra, a mixed choir, two soloists (soprano and contralto), organ, and an offstage ensemble of brass and percussion. The use of two tam-tams, one pitched high and one low, is particularly unusual; the end of the last movement features them struck in alternation repeatedly.

Woodwinds

4 Flutes (all four doubling Piccolos)

4 Oboes (3rd and 4th oboe doubling English Horns)

3 Clarinets in B-flat, A, C (3rd clarinet doubling Bass Clarinet)

2 E-flat Clarinets (2nd E-flat clarinet doubling 4th clarinet in B-flat and A)

4 Bassoons (3rd and 4th Bassoon doubling Contrabassoon)

Brass

10 French Horns in F, four (7-10) also used offstage (preferably more)

8-10 Trumpets in F and C, four to six used offstage

4 Trombones

Tuba

Percussion

(Requires total of seven players)

Timpani (2 players and 8 timpani, with a third player in the last movement using two of the second timpanist's drums)

Several Snare Drums

Bass Drum

Cymbals

Triangle

Glockenspiel

3 deep, untuned steel rods or bells

Rute, or "switch", to be played on the shell of the bass drum

2 Tam-tams (high and low)

Offstage Percussion in Movement 5:

Bass drum with cymbals attached (played by the same percussionist), Triangle, Timpano

Keyboards

Organ (used in fifth movement only)

Voices

Soprano Solo (used in fifth movement only)

Alto Solo (sometimes credited as and sung by a mezzo-soprano) (used in fourth & fifth movements only)

Mixed Chorus (used in fifth movement only)

Strings

Harps I, II (several to each part in the last movement and possibly at one point in the Scherzo)

"The largest possible contingent of strings"

First and Second Violins

Violas

Violoncellos

Double basses (some with low C extension).