These songs reveal Mahler, that frankly autobiographical composer, at his emotionally most personal. For the Songs of a Wayfarer, the earliest cycle (later extensively revised), the poetry--a

Mahler: Lieder
- BOULEZ PIERRE / WIENER P. O.
- MUSICA CLASICA
- INTERNATIONAL
- MUSIC
These songs reveal Mahler, that frankly autobiographical composer, at his emotionally most personal. For the Songs of a Wayfarer, the earliest cycle (later extensively revised), the poetry--a sorrowful tale of unrequited young love--is Mahler's own. The music is simple, lyrical, and deeply moving, going from inward grief through suicidal anguish to calm resignation. (Two of the themes reappear in the First Symphony.) In Kindertotenlieder, the poet Friedrich RÃ¼ckert laments the loss of his children, a tragedy he knew from personal experience. Mahler, however, began composing the music before he became a father; two years after he'd completed it, his older daughter died. The cycle contains some of the most harrowing, wrenching songs in the literature. By contrast, the five other RÃ¼ckert songs radiate a serene happiness that is like a breath of fresh air. The performances on this disc are breathtaking. Quasthoff's voice seems to become more and more beautiful; pure, velvety and warm, it has an endless range of dynamics, nuances and inflections. He draws the listener in from the first moment. Urmana gives the RÃ¼ckert songs just the right sunny lightness, soaring up in long, sustained, caressing phrases; she keeps the last song, "Um Mitternacht," from becoming bombastic. Although the Kindertotenlieder are really a bereaved father's lament, von Otter makes them totally convincing. Her voice is dark, intense, and luminous. As for the orchestra, Boulez inspires masterful precision and impeccable balance, letting every line stand out. He turns Mahler's incomparable instrumentation into a tapestry of blazing, glittering colors, unleashing both inward and outward tempests. This record will leave you overwhelmed and heartbroken. --Edith Eisler
Country USA
Brand Verve
Manufacturer Deutsche Grammophon
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber 028947753292
Model 028947753292
ReleaseDate 2005-01-11
UnitCount 1
UPCs 028947753292
EANs 0028947753292

Country	USA
Brand	Verve
Manufacturer	Deutsche Grammophon
Binding	Audio CD
ItemPartNumber	028947753292
Model	028947753292
ReleaseDate	2005-01-11
UnitCount	1
UPCs	028947753292
EANs	0028947753292

Mahler: Lieder

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