Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Featuring

Lucile Richardot
Yves Saelens
Reinbert de Leeuw
Het Collectief
Gustav Mahler

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Mahler intended Das Lied von der Erde to be more than a song cycle; it was conceived as a symphony conveying his personal farewell to the world.

Recording & Production

This recording is dedicated to Reinbert de Leeuw, who passed away on February 14, 2020, shortly after completing the final recording sessions for this album.

Composition History

Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde was inspired by traditional Chinese lyric poetry from an anthology called Die chinesische Flöte, translated by Hans Bethge.

Compositional Technique

Reinbert de Leeuw's transcription of Das Lied von der Erde retains crucial instruments like the double bassoon for its morbid color and the harp for its ethereal timbre, despite being a chamber version.

Composer Biography

In 1907, Gustav Mahler was diagnosed with a heart condition that would kill him four years later, and he resigned from the Vienna Court Opera due to antisemitic attacks.

Interpretation

The lighter instrumentation of Reinbert de Leeuw's version allows Mahler's often-marked pianissimo in the vocal parts to be realized and enhances the symbolism of the delicate Chinese poetry.

Performer Biography

Reinbert de Leeuw, the conductor and arranger of this version, was a world-renowned musician active as a conductor, composer, and pianist, who passed away shortly after completing this recording.