Gustav Mahler 1860 – 1911

Gustav Mahler 1860 – 1911 19:50 Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (1897) 01 4:59 Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht 02 4:44 Ging heut’ morgen übers Feld 03 3:48 Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer 04 6:19 Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz GUSTAV MAHLER 52:33 Symphony No.1 in D (1899) SongS of a Wayfarer 05 15:39 Langsam. Schleppend – Immer sehr gemächlich Symphony no.1 in D (Slow. Dragging – always very steady) 06 7:28 Kräftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell (Ländler Scherzo) (With vigorous movement, but not too fast) THOMAS HAMPSON baritone 07 10:22 Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen – (Solemn and measured, without dragging) KLAUS TENNSTEDT conductor 08 19:04 Stürmisch bewegt LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (With stormy movement) THOMAS HAMPSON baritone KLAUS TENNSTEDT conductor London Philharmonic Orchestra David Nolan leader LPO – 0012 A BBC recording Gustav Mahler 1860 – 1911 and for a performance of a revised version in Hamburg in 1893, Mahler provided Gustav Mahler was not only a great their diction finds a counterpart in the movement titles and an explanatory composer but also one of the most simple melodic shapes of the vocal line; but programme drawn from Jean Paul’s novel celebrated and sought-after conductors in other ways the score is extraordinarily Titan. But by the time the work reached of his age. This meant that his time for sophisticated, with minute indications of publication in 1899, it was called simply composition was severely limited (in later dynamics and expression in the orchestral ‘Symphony in D major’ and had lost all years to summer holidays in the mountains), parts, and restless inflections of tempo. its programmatic references (as well as and he was forced to concentrate on a In the first song, the wayfarer reflects on losing one of its original five movements, small number of major works. These belong his sadness at his girl-friend’s marriage to an Andante called ‘Blumine’ which had entirely to two categories, sometimes someone else, but finds solace in nature. been placed second). Nevertheless, it overlapping: one was the song-cycle or In the second, he expresses his delight at remains as autobiographical in feeling song collection with orchestra, a genre setting out through the fields on a fine as, say, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique or which he virtually invented; the other was morning, but concludes sadly that his joy Tchaikovsky’s later symphonies, and its the symphony, a form to which he brought will not bloom again. The third song, in cross-references to the ideas and moods an unprecedented expansion of scale and which he describes his suicidal impulses, of the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen expressive range. And his first masterpieces brings a sudden outburst of violence, in offer some clues to Mahler’s intentions. in each category, composed within a few which (almost) the full orchestral forces The first movement begins with a slow years of each other during his twenties, are are used together for the only time. In minor-key introduction, a nature scene of closely related musically and emotionally. contrast, the last song is a restrained immense space and stillness with birdsong, Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, funeral march, as the wayfarer finds lasting distant fanfares, and pregnant stirrings ‘Songs of a Wayfarer’, were written towards peace in death under the linden-tree. of melody. A figure appears in this spring the end of 1884, while he was working Mahler’s First Symphony constitutes landscape with a paraphrase of the second at the court theatre in Kassel; they were an astonishing début in the form, with its of the Fahrenden Gesellen songs, which is orchestrated early in the following decade, assured and imaginative scoring for very repeated: it seems that the main Allegro and revised before their first performance in large orchestra, its unconventional formal of the movement is under way. But the Berlin in 1896 and publication the following construction, and its apparent eccentricities slow nature music returns, to launch a year. The poems, Mahler’s own, reflect the of gesture and mixing of styles. It was wide-ranging development section which failure of his love affair with a singer in the mostly written in a frenzy of creativity in throws up new ideas en route to a fanfaring Kassel company: their protagonist, he said, six weeks in early 1888, while Mahler was climax and the exuberant return of the is ‘a wayfarer who has met with adversity working at the Leipzig Opera. At its first song material. The second movement is an setting out into the world and wandering performance, in Budapest in November A major scherzo in rustic ländler rhythm, on in solitude’. The folk-like simplicity of 1889, it was called ‘symphonic poem’; with a trio section full of lazy Viennese Royal College of Music, Royal London Gustav Mahler 1860 – 1911 and for a performance of a revised version in Hamburg in 1893, Mahler provided Gustav Mahler was not only a great their diction finds a counterpart in the movement titles and an explanatory composer but also one of the most simple melodic shapes of the vocal line; but programme drawn from Jean Paul’s novel celebrated and sought-after conductors in other ways the score is extraordinarily Titan. But by the time the work reached of his age. This meant that his time for sophisticated, with minute indications of publication in 1899, it was called simply composition was severely limited (in later dynamics and expression in the orchestral ‘Symphony in D major’ and had lost all years to summer holidays in the mountains), parts, and restless inflections of tempo. its programmatic references (as well as and he was forced to concentrate on a In the first song, the wayfarer reflects on losing one of its original five movements, small number of major works. These belong his sadness at his girl-friend’s marriage to an Andante called ‘Blumine’ which had entirely to two categories, sometimes someone else, but finds solace in nature. been placed second). Nevertheless, it overlapping: one was the song-cycle or In the second, he expresses his delight at remains as autobiographical in feeling song collection with orchestra, a genre setting out through the fields on a fine as, say, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique or which he virtually invented; the other was morning, but concludes sadly that his joy Tchaikovsky’s later symphonies, and its the symphony, a form to which he brought will not bloom again. The third song, in cross-references to the ideas and moods an unprecedented expansion of scale and which he describes his suicidal impulses, of the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen expressive range. And his first masterpieces brings a sudden outburst of violence, in offer some clues to Mahler’s intentions. in each category, composed within a few which (almost) the full orchestral forces The first movement begins with a slow years of each other during his twenties, are are used together for the only time. In minor-key introduction, a nature scene of closely related musically and emotionally. contrast, the last song is a restrained immense space and stillness with birdsong, Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, funeral march, as the wayfarer finds lasting distant fanfares, and pregnant stirrings ‘Songs of a Wayfarer’, were written towards peace in death under the linden-tree. of melody. A figure appears in this spring the end of 1884, while he was working Mahler’s First Symphony constitutes landscape with a paraphrase of the second at the court theatre in Kassel; they were an astonishing début in the form, with its of the Fahrenden Gesellen songs, which is orchestrated early in the following decade, assured and imaginative scoring for very repeated: it seems that the main Allegro and revised before their first performance in large orchestra, its unconventional formal of the movement is under way. But the Berlin in 1896 and publication the following construction, and its apparent eccentricities slow nature music returns, to launch a year. The poems, Mahler’s own, reflect the of gesture and mixing of styles. It was wide-ranging development section which failure of his love affair with a singer in the mostly written in a frenzy of creativity in throws up new ideas en route to a fanfaring Kassel company: their protagonist, he said, six weeks in early 1888, while Mahler was climax and the exuberant return of the is ‘a wayfarer who has met with adversity working at the Leipzig Opera. At its first song material. The second movement is an setting out into the world and wandering performance, in Budapest in November A major scherzo in rustic ländler rhythm, on in solitude’. The folk-like simplicity of 1889, it was called ‘symphonic poem’; with a trio section full of lazy Viennese Royal College of Music, Royal London charm and a shortened reprise. The ‘solemn Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen Songs of a Wayfarer and measured’ D minor third movement Text Gustav Mahler Text Gustav Mahler was inspired by an engraving of a hunter’s funeral procession accompanied by all the Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht When my darling has her wedding-day forest animals. The main rondo theme is a parodistic version of ‘Frère Jacques’, Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht When my darling has her wedding-day, or to German children ‘Bruder Jakob’, in fröhliche Hochzeit macht, her joyous wedding-day, a grotesque round led by solo double- hab’ ich meinen traurigen Tag! I will have my day of mourning! bass; contrasting episodes bring echoes Geh’ ich in mein Kämmerlein, I will go to my little room, of klezmer music, traditionally associated dunkles Kämmerlein, my dark little room, with Jewish funerals, and a paraphrase weine, wein’ um meinen Schatz, and weep, weep for my darling, of the resigned ending of the Fahrenden um meinen lieben Schatz! for my dear darling! Gesellen cycle.

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