Originating from James Hepokoski and Warren Darcy’s Elements of Sonata Theory, the concept of ‘dialogic form’ has emerged as a promising solution to the formal developments observed throughout the Romantic era and beyond. Dialogic form’s unique account of historical influence is closely linked to a deformational understanding of sonata form, both in terms of how sonatas were constructed and how we—as listeners and analysts—engage with them. However, despite Sonata Theory’s prevalence in the New Formenlehre, the theory’s dialogic approach constitutes only one perspective towards sonata form, one that is still being explored and debated.
Through the final movement of Mahler’s First Symphony, this paper explores conceptions of history within the New Formenlehre. While analysts such as Julian Horton, James Buhler, and Seth Monahan explain this movement’s sonata form through Theodor Adorno’s category of ‘breakthrough’, their different treatments of breakthrough generate divergent interpretations of its form. By linking each analyst’s particular approach to their broader formal conceptions, I explore how deformation intersects with a wide range of perspectives regarding the relationship between history and musical form. While the deformational understanding of breakthrough retains many similarities to its Adornian origins, the subtleties of dialogic form enable an alternative interpretation that substantially departs from its original meaning. This departure ultimately reflects radically different conceptions of sonata form and its relationship to history. Beyond addressing questions that confront sonata form in general, this discussion also explores broader aspects of the New Formenlehre, especially surrounding history and philosophy.