Das Lied von der Erde was composed in 1908-09 and premiered on November 20, 1911, six months after Mahler's death, conducted by Bruno Walter, Mahler's protégé and Giulini's early idol.
Performer Biography
Carlo Maria Giulini, the conductor, was conscripted into the Italian army during the war but refused on principle to fire on human targets.
Performer Biography
Carlo Maria Giulini, the conductor, studied viola, composition, and conducting at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome during the 1930s.
Performer Biography
As an orchestral viola player in pre-war Rome, Carlo Maria Giulini played under great conductors like Willem Mengelberg, Bruno Walter, and Otto Klemperer, all associated with Mahler.
Composition History
Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, subtitled a 'Symphony' for contralto, tenor, and large orchestra, is based on Hans Bethge's translations of Chinese poems from Die chinesische Flöte.
Performer Biography
Francisco Araiza, the tenor on this recording, first gained fame in lighter Mozart and Rossini roles before taking on heavier assignments like Walther von Stoltzing in Die Meistersinger.
Recording & Production
This studio recording of Das Lied von der Erde was made in Berlin in February 1984, immediately following a live concert performance with the same musicians.
