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Home , Das Lied von der Erde, Der Mond, Johannes Sembach, Lili Chookasian, Michelle DeYoung, Orchestral song

SEASON 2020-2021

Mahler’s Song of the Earth

May 27, 2021 Jessica GriffinJessica SEASON 2020-2021 The Thursday, May 27, at 8:00 On the Digital Stage

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Michelle DeYoung Mezzo-soprano Russell Thomas

Mahler/arr. Schoenberg and Riehn Das von der Erde I. Das Trinklied von Jammer der Erde II. Der Einsame im Herbst III. Von der Jugend IV. Von der Schönheit V. Der Trunkene im Frühling VI. Der Abschied First performance of this version

This program runs approximately 1 hour and will be performed without an intermission.

This concert is part of the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Experience, supported through a generous grant from the Wyncote Foundation.

Philadelphia Orchestra concerts are broadcast on WRTI 90.1 FM on Sunday afternoons at 1 PM, and are repeated on Monday evenings at 7 PM on WRTI HD 2. Visit www.wrti.org to listen live or for more details. Our World

Lead support for the Digital Stage is provided by:

Claudia and Richard Balderston Elaine W. Camarda and A. Morris Williams, Jr. The CHG Charitable Trust Innisfree Foundation Gretchen and M. Roy Jackson Neal W. Krouse John H. McFadden and Lisa D. Kabnick The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Leslie A. Miller and Richard B. Worley Ralph W. Muller and Beth B. Johnston Neubauer Family Foundation William Penn Foundation Peter and Mari Shaw Dr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Townsend Waterman Trust Constance and Sankey Williams Wyncote Foundation SEASON 2020-2021 The Philadelphia Orchestra

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Music Director Walter and Leonore Annenberg Chair

Nathalie Stutzmann Principal Guest Conductor Designate

Gabriela Lena Frank -in-Residence

Erina Yashima Assistant Conductor Lina Gonzalez-Granados Fellow

Frederick R. Haas Artistic Advisor Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Experience

First Amy Oshiro-Morales David Kim, Concertmaster Yu-Ting Chen Juliette Kang, First Associate Jeoung-Yin Kim Concertmaster Christine Lim Joseph and Marie Field Chair Marc Rovetti, Assistant Concertmaster Barbara Govatos Choong-Jin Chang, Principal Robert E. Mortensen Chair Ruth and A. Morris Williams Chair Jonathan Beiler Kirsten Johnson, Associate Principal Hirono Oka Kerri Ryan, Assistant Principal Richard Amoroso Judy Geist Robert and Lynne Pollack Chair Renard Edwards Yayoi Numazawa Anna Marie Ahn Petersen Jason DePue Piasecki Family Chair Larry A. Grika Chair David Nicastro Jennifer Haas Burchard Tang Miyo Curnow Che-Hung Chen Elina Kalendarova Rachel Ku Daniel Han Marvin Moon Julia Li Meng Wang William Polk Mei Ching Huang Second Violins Hai-Ye Ni, Principal Priscilla Lee, Associate Principal Kimberly Fisher, Principal Peter A. Benoliel Chair Yumi Kendall, Assistant Principal Paul Roby, Associate Principal Richard Harlow Sandra and David Marshall Chair Gloria dePasquale Dara Morales, Assistant Principal Orton P. and Noël S. Jackson Chair Anne M. Buxton Chair Kathryn Picht Read Philip Kates Robert Cafaro Davyd Booth Volunteer Committees Chair Paul Arnold Ohad Bar-David Joseph Brodo Chair, given by Peter A. Benoliel John Koen Dmitri Levin Derek Barnes Boris Balter Alex Veltman SEASON 2020-2021

Basses Ernesto Tovar Torres Harold Robinson, Principal Shelley Showers Carole and Emilio Gravagno Chair Joseph Conyers, Acting Associate Principal David Bilger, Principal Tobey and Mark Dichter Chair Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest Chair Nathaniel West, Acting Assistant Principal Jeffrey Curnow, Associate Principal David Fay Gary and Ruthanne Schlarbaum Chair Duane Rosengard Anthony Prisk Some members of the string sections voluntarily rotate seating on a periodic basis. Nitzan Haroz, Principal Neubauer Family Foundation Chair , Principal Matthew Vaughn, Co-Principal Paul and Barbara Henkels Chair Blair Bollinger, Patrick Williams, Associate Principal Drs. Bong and Mi Wha Lee Chair Rachelle and Ronald Kaiserman Chair Olivia Staton Erica Peel, Piccolo Carol Jantsch, Principal Lyn and George M. Ross Chair Philippe Tondre, Principal Samuel S. Fels Chair Don S. Liuzzi, Principal Peter Smith, Associate Principal Dwight V. Dowley Chair Jonathan Blumenfeld Angela Zator Nelson, Associate Principal Edwin Tuttle Chair Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia, English Horn Percussion Joanne T. Greenspun Chair Christopher Deviney, Principal Angela Zator Nelson Ricardo Morales, Principal and Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Chair Kiyoko Takeuti Samuel Caviezel, Associate Principal Sarah and Frank Coulson Chair Keyboards Socrates Villegas Davyd Booth Paul R. Demers, Bass Peter M. Joseph and Susan Rittenhouse Joseph Chair Harp Elizabeth Hainen, Principal Daniel Matsukawa, Principal Librarians Richard M. Klein Chair Nicole Jordan, Principal Mark Gigliotti, Co-Principal Steven K. Glanzmann Angela Anderson Smith Holly Blake, Stage Personnel James J. Sweeney, Jr., Manager Horns Dennis Moore, Jr. Jennifer Montone, Principal Gray Charitable Trust Chair Jeffrey Lang, Associate Principal Hannah L. and J. Welles Henderson Chair Christopher Dwyer Jeffry Kirschen SEASON 2020-2021 THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

Jessica Griffin

The Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the world’s preeminent . It strives to share the transformative power of music with the widest possible audience, and to create joy, connection, and excitement through music in the Philadelphia region, across the country, and around the world. Through innovative programming, robust educational initiatives, and an ongoing commitment to the communities that it serves, the ensemble is on a path to create an expansive future for , and to further the place of the arts in an open and democratic society.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin is now in his ninth season as the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra. His connection to the ensemble’s musicians has been praised by both concertgoers and critics, and he is embraced by the musicians of the Orchestra, audiences, and the community.

Your Philadelphia Orchestra takes great pride in its hometown, performing for the people of Philadelphia year-round, from Verizon Hall to community centers, the Mann Center to Penn’s Landing, classrooms to hospitals, and over the airwaves and online. The Orchestra continues to discover new and inventive ways to nurture its relationship with loyal patrons. SEASON 2020-2021 THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

In March 2020, in response to the cancellation of concerts due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Orchestra launched the Virtual Philadelphia Orchestra, a portal hosting video and audio of performances, free, on its website and social media platforms. In September 2020 the Orchestra announced Our World NOW, its reimagined season of concerts filmed without audiences and presented on its Digital Stage. Our World NOW also includes free offerings: HearTOGETHER, a podcast series on racial and social justice; educational activities; and Our City, Your Orchestra, small ensemble performances from locations throughout the Philadelphia region.

The Philadelphia Orchestra continues the tradition of educational and community engagement for listeners of all ages. It launched its HEAR initiative in 2016 to become a major force for good in every community that it serves. HEAR is a portfolio of integrated initiatives that promotes Health, champions music Education, enables broad Access to Orchestra performances, and maximizes impact through Research. The Orchestra’s award-winning education and community initiatives engage over 50,000 students, families, and community members through programs such as PlayINs, side-by-sides, PopUP concerts, Free Neighborhood Concerts, School Concerts, sensory-friendly concerts, the School Partnership Program and School Ensemble Program, and All City Orchestra Fellowships.

Through concerts, tours, residencies, and recordings, the Orchestra is a global ambassador. It performs annually at , the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and the Bravo! Vail Music Festival. The Orchestra also has a rich history of touring, having first performed outside Philadelphia in the earliest days of its founding. It was the first American orchestra to perform in the People’s Republic of in 1973, launching a now-five-decade commitment of people-to-people exchange.

The Orchestra also makes live recordings available on popular digital music services and as part of the Orchestra on Demand section of its website. Under Yannick’s leadership, the Orchestra returned to recording, with nine celebrated releases on the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label. The Orchestra also reaches thousands of radio listeners with weekly broadcasts on WRTI-FM and SiriusXM.

For more information, please visit philorch.org. SEASON 2020-2021 MUSIC DIRECTOR

Jessica Griffin

Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will lead The Philadelphia Orchestra through at least the 2025–26 season, a significant long-term commitment. Additionally, he became the third music director of New York’s Metropolitan in 2018. Yannick, who holds the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Chair, is an inspired leader of The Philadelphia Orchestra. His intensely collaborative style, deeply rooted musical curiosity, and boundless enthusiasm have been heralded by critics and audiences alike. has called him “phenomenal,” adding that “the ensemble, famous for its glowing strings and homogenous richness, has never sounded better.”

Yannick has established himself as a musical leader of the highest caliber and one of the most thrilling talents of his generation. He has been artistic director and principal conductor of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain since 2000, and in 2017 he became an honorary member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He was music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic from 2008 to 2018 (he is now honorary conductor) and was principal guest conductor of the Philharmonic from 2008 to 2014. He has made wildly successful appearances with the world’s SEASON 2020-2021 MUSIC DIRECTOR

most revered ensembles and at many of the leading opera houses. Yannick signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon in 2018. Under his leadership The Philadelphia Orchestra returned to recording with nine releases on that label. His upcoming recordings will include projects with the Philadelphians, the , the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and the Orchestre Métropolitain, with which he will also continue to record for ATMA Classique.

A native of Montreal, Yannick studied piano, conducting, composition, and at Montreal’s Conservatory of Music and continued his studies with renowned conductor ; he also studied choral conducting with Joseph Flummerfelt at Westminster College. Among Yannick’s honors are an appointment as Companion of the Order of Canada; an Officer of the Order of Montreal; ’s 2016 Artist of the Year; and honorary doctorates from the University of Quebec, the Curtis Institute of Music, Westminster Choir College of Rider University, McGill University, the University of Montreal, and the University of .

Todd Rosenberg SEASON 2020-2021 SOLOIST

Kristin Hoebermann

Mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung made her Philadelphia Orchestra debut in 2012. She has appeared with many of the world’s leading ensembles, including the New York, , Los Angeles, and Royal philharmonics; the Boston, , , San Francisco, and BBC ; the Cleveland, Minnesota, Royal Concertgebouw, and Metropolitan Opera orchestras; the Met Chamber Ensemble; London’s Philharmonia; the Orchestre de Paris; and the Staatskapelle Berlin. She has also appeared at the prestigious festivals of Ravinia, Tanglewood, Aspen, Cincinnati, Saito Kinen, Edinburgh, Salzburg, St. Denis, and Lucerne.

Ms. DeYoung has sung at many of the world’s great opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, the , , , Opera Philadelphia, Glimmerglass Opera, La Scala, the , the Berlin Staatsoper, Hamburg State Opera, the Opéra National de Paris, the Théâtre du Châtelet, Opéra de Nice, English National Opera, the Theater Basel, and Tokyo Opera. She was also named the 2015 artist in residence at Wolf Trap Opera. Her many roles include the title ones in Saint-Saëns’s Samson and Dalila and Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia; Fricka, Sieglinde, and Waltraute in Wagner’s Ring Cycle; SEASON 2020-2021 SOLOIST

Kundry in Wagner’s ; Venus in Wagner’s Tannhäuser; Brangäne in Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde; Herodias in Strauss’s ; Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlo; Amneris in Verdi’s ; Marguerite in Berlioz’s The Damnation of ; Gertrude in Thomas’s Hamlet; and Jocasta in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex. She also created the role of the Shaman in ’s The First Emperor at the Metropolitan Opera.

Ms. DeYoung’s recording of Mahler’s and No. 3 with and the was awarded the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Classical Album. She also won 2001 Grammy awards for Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recording for with and the London Symphony. Her discography includes recordings of Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 with the BBC Symphony and and Mahler’s with the and . Her first solo disc was released on the EMI label. SEASON 2020-2021 SOLOIST

Fay Fox

American tenor Russell Thomas has established his reputation in key lyric roles such as the title one in Verdi’s Don Carlo, Manrico in Verdi’s , Don Alvaro in Verdi’s , and Pollione in Bellini’s . Significant debuts in recent seasons have included the title role in Verdi’s at the Canadian Opera Company and the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Manrico at the ; the title role in Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux at ; and Radames in Verdi’s Aida at Houston Grand Opera. Further notable role debuts include the title role in Verdi’s (Oper Frankfurt), Turiddu in Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (Deutsche Oper Berlin), and the title role in Gounod’s Faust (Michigan Opera), as well as house debuts at the Royal , Covent Garden (Gabriele Adorno in Verdi’s ), the Lyric Opera of Chicago (Pollione), and Canadian Opera Company (the title role in Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann). Further highlights include Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca for LA Opera. An alumnus of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Program, Mr. Thomas most recently returned to that house as Rodolfo in Puccini’s La bohème and Ismaele in Verdi’s , the latter of which was broadcast worldwide via the Met’s Live in HD series. SEASON 2020-2021 SOLOIST

Mr. Thomas has enjoyed a long collaboration with renowned director Peter Sellars, notably making his debut at English National Opera as Lazarus in ’s The Gospel According to the Other Mary, a role he created in the world premiere performances with the , now released on the Deutsche Grammophon label. This collaboration continued at the , where he made his debut in the title role in Mozart’s , returning last season in a new staging of Mozart’s .

Mr. Thomas is in great demand on the concert platform and recent performances have included his first Loge in Wagner’s with the and Florestan in Beethoven’s Fidelio with both the and the Finnish Radio Symphony. In Europe concert performances last season included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in the Vienna Konzerthaus’s annual New Year series and on tour to Hamburg with the . Mr. Thomas made his Philadelphia Orchestra debut in 2009. SEASON 2020-2021 FRAMING THE PROGRAM

During the final three summers of his life, as he approached age 50, composed Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth, 1908), his Ninth Symphony (1909), and began an ultimately unfinished Tenth Symphony (1910). These works have long been considered a sort of valedictory trilogy. Death haunted Mahler’s life, beginning with that of many of his siblings and later of his beloved daughter Maria Anna.

Mahler composed almost exclusively in two genres—song and symphony—and Das Lied von der Erde represents a great synthesis of the two. He called it a “Symphony for Tenor and Alto (or ) Voice and Orchestra” and it consists of six extraordinary songs on texts paraphrased into German from eighth-century Chinese poems. Mahler was clearly attracted by poems touching on the themes of the brevity of life, drunkenness, youth, loneliness, beauty, spiritual rebirth, and ultimately farewell to the world that will go on living forever.

On this concert we hear the magnificent work in a unique way, in an arrangement for chamber orchestra by and Rainer Riehn that highlights the transparency and intimacy of Mahler’s vision.

The Philadelphia Orchestra is the only orchestra in the world with three weekly broadcasts on SiriusXM’s Symphony Hall, Channel 76, on Mondays at 7 PM, Thursdays at 12 AM, and Saturdays at 4 PM.

SEASON 2020-2021 PARALLEL EVENTS

1908 Mahler Das Lied von der Erde Music Bartók No. 1 Literature Foster A Room with a View Art Monet The Ducal Palace History First Model “T” produced SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

Das Lied von der Erde (arranged by Arnold Schoenberg and Rainer Riehn)

Gustav Mahler Born in Kalischt (Kaliště), Bohemia, July 7, 1860 Died in Vienna, May 18, 1911

Gustav Mahler primarily composed in the summers. His fame as a conductor grew during his 30s, as did his professional responsibilities, which left little time for him to pursue composition except during the “off season.” By 1897, when he became the director of the Vienna Court Opera, arguably the most powerful musical position in Europe, his schedule reached a dizzying complexity. He usually took one or two years to complete a symphony, and by 1906 he was up to his Eighth, the “Symphony of a Thousand,” a - like work in two parts, the first using the Pentecostal Latin hymn “Veni creator spiritus” and the second setting the closing scene of Goethe’s Faust, Part II. Mahler would have to wait until September 1910 for the premiere of that monumental work in what would prove to be the greatest popular success of his career. (The Philadelphia Orchestra gave the United States premiere of the Eighth in 1916.)

Dark Days Between the completion of the Eighth Symphony and its triumphant debut in Munich came one of the darkest periods in the composer’s life. He worked on his final three compositions during the summers of 1908–10: Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), the Ninth Symphony, and sketches for an unfinished Tenth Symphony. The connections between and among these works, as well as their ultimate place in the composer’s output, have made it all too tempting to view them as pointing toward death, a “farewell” trilogy, the artistic testament of a dying man.

Mahler had, in fact, endured serious personal traumas in 1907, beginning with the resignation of his position at the Court Opera. SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

(He soon after signed a lucrative contract with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.) Far more devastating was the death in July of his beloved elder daughter, Maria Anna, at the age of four. A few days later a local physician examined Mahler, gave a dire prognosis about a heart condition, and placed severe restrictions on his activities. It is hardly surprising that his mind was not on composition and that he put creative work aside.

After his first season in New York, Mahler and his wife, Alma, returned to Europe for the summer, as they also would for the next three. Disturbing memories of the previous year prompted them to give up the lovely home they had built in Maiernigg, on the Wörthersee, and find refuge in Toblach, near the Dolomite Mountains, where Mahler wrote Das Lied von der Erde. The next summer, 1909, he wrote the Ninth Symphony. More troubles came the following year, as Mahler learned that his wife, nearly 20 years younger, was having an affair with the architect Walter Gropius (later her second husband). While composing the Tenth Symphony, Mahler sought out Freud for help. There was to be no next summer. The fatally ill Mahler left New York for Vienna, where he died on May 18, 1911.

These crises left their mark on Mahler. His doctors advised that he curtail not only some of his demanding and physically taxing conducting activities, but also the long walks in both city and country that he so treasured. He commented in unusually personal letters that he had to “start a new life.” While writing Das Lied, he remarked: “This time it is not only a change of place but also a change in a whole way of life. You can imagine how hard the latter comes to me. For many years I have been used to constant and vigorous exercise—roaming about in the mountains and woods, and then, like a kind of jaunty bandit, bearing home my drafts.”

A Symphony of Songs After writing some early (sometimes now lost) compositions, the mature Mahler composed exclusively in two genres: song and symphony. Not surprisingly, they often merge, and never more so than in the work we hear tonight, what might be considered a symphony of songs. Mahler supposedly had superstitions about composing a ninth symphony, as had concluded the careers of Beethoven and Bruckner. , a far from reliable source in many instances, reported that her husband initially called Das Lied von der Erde his Ninth Symphony, but that he tried to cheat fate when he later “crossed the number out.” Das Lied, left unnumbered, SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

was entitled a “Symphony for Tenor and Alto (or Baritone) Voice and Orchestra.” After completing the official Ninth Symphony, he allegedly told her, “Actually, of course, it’s the Tenth, because Das Lied von der Erde was really the Ninth.” When he began the Tenth Symphony, he remarked: “Now the danger is past.” In any case, Das Lied is clearly symphonic, while at the same time it continues the tradition of the orchestral that Mahler had already cultivated in the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer) and Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children).

Mahler’s initial engagement with song had centered on folk poetry, most notably the collection Das Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn), but around the turn of the century he switched to the elevated “art” poems of Friedrich Rückert. For his final foray into song he moved in yet another direction: a volume of eighth- century Chinese verse “paraphrased” by Hans Bethge (1876–1946) into German from various available translations. Mahler selected seven poems from those collected in Bethge’s The Chinese (1907) and shaped them, heavily editing, cutting, and expanding them into usable texts for six songs. He was clearly attracted by poems touching on the themes of the brevity of life, drunkenness, youth, loneliness, beauty, spiritual rebirth, and ultimately farewell to the world that will go on living forever. In addition to the exoticism of the poems, Mahler infused a quasi-Asian musical flavor through the use of the pentatonic and whole-tone scales, instruments like tam-tam, and occasionally a vocal style reminiscent of Chinese opera. It is unclear exactly how much he knew of authentic Chinese music, although he may have already heard some early cylinder recordings. By this time he had also conducted Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, which likewise includes musical orientalism.

Mahler never heard Das Lied von der Erde, or the Ninth Symphony, both of which were premiered posthumously. His protégé conducted Das Lied in Munich five months after Mahler’s death. Alban Berg, Anton Webern, and other prominent musicians attended this premiere. The critical response was extremely favorable, even from critics who were generally unsympathetic to his music.

A Chamber Orchestra Arrangement On the concert tonight we hear an arrangement for chamber orchestra that dates from a decade after Mahler’s death. In late 1918, Arnold Schoenberg founded the Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen (Society for Private Musical Performances), an SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

innovative concert series that presented meticulously rehearsed performances of “all modern music—from that of Mahler and Strauss to the newest,” as its charter stated. There were various rules: members only (no critics were allowed), the programs were not announced in advance, pieces were often repeated (sometimes on the same concert), applause and booing were prohibited, and so forth. Schoenberg was the president, but most of the organization fell to former students Berg and Webern, working alongside others. The repertory the Society presented was remarkably international.

Although most of the music performed at the Society were keyboard, chamber, or vocal works, on occasion orchestral compositions were arranged for reduced ensembles or for piano. These arrangements were usually made at Schoenberg’s suggestion by assistants, although he reduced Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen in 1920 and the following year started the first song of Das Lied von der Erde. Rainer Riehn completed the setting in 1983 and this version has frequently been performed and recorded since then. It brings out the inherent intimacy and chamber-music qualities of Mahler’s original.

A Closer Look Mahler had incorporated songs or song melodies into his first four symphonies. In his instrumental middle ones (5–7), song was less obvious, but still made occasional appearances in various guises. In the Eighth Symphony he stretched the symphonic genre toward the direction of and oratorio, while the instrumental Ninth once again keeps its explicit connections to song more hidden. (A poignant reference at the end of the work to the fourth Kindertotenlieder is representative of Mahler’s late subtlety.) Das Lied von der Erde, with its various musical and literary interconnections among the movements, marks Mahler’s ultimate synthesis of song and symphony.

The six movements alternate between tenor and alto or baritone. (Mahler designated an alto in the manuscript, although Walter reported that Mahler considered a baritone singing those movements.) The first movement, “Das Trinklied von Jammer der Erde” (The Drinking Song of Earth’s Misery) immediately places great demands on the tenor, who must compete against the orchestra in what is a wild drinking song and at the same time convey the haunting intimacy of the refrain, “Dunkel ist das Leben, ist der Tod” (Life is dark; death is dark). The contrasts of mood evident in this opening movement will be further explored in those that follow. SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

The second movement, “Der Einsame im Herbst” (The Lonely One in Autumn) shifts the feeling to one of melancholy and loneliness. The lively third movement, “Von der Jugend” (Of Youth), offers a series of strophic verses with a quality; the shortest section in the work, this is the only one with sustained glimmers of happiness. “Von der Schönheit” (Of Beauty) returns to a more reflective and nostalgic tone as a girl remembers her attraction to horsemen she encountered; in the middle a boisterous march interlude separates the delicate opening and closing sections. The bright fifth movement, “Der Trunkene im Frühling” (The Drunkard in Spring) again has a theme of ecstatic drunkenness.

The final movement, “Der Abschied” (Farewell), is nearly as long as all the others combined and in it Mahler enters an almost mystical realm. A movement of symphonic proportions, he shows how far he had come in combining the modest Lied and the monumental symphony, for this movement is neither song nor symphony, but both at once. It transcends formal conventions as it explores the metaphysics of transcendence, ending with the ethereal repetition of the word ewig (forever).

—Christopher H. Gibbs

Mahler composed Das Lied von der Erde in 1908.

On December 15, 1916, , The Philadelphia Orchestra, Tilly Koenen, and tenor performed the United States premiere of Das Lied von der Erde. The work was most recently performed by the Orchestra on subscription in April 2006, with , tenor Paul Groves, and baritone . This current performance is the Orchestra’s first in the Schoenberg/Riehn arrangement.

The Philadelphia Orchestra recorded the piece in 1966 for CBS with , contralto , and tenor .

Das Lied in the Schoenberg/Riehn arrangement is scored for flute (doubling piccolo), (doubling English horn), clarinet (doubling E-flat clarinet and ), , horn, percussion (, , , tam-tam, , triangle), piano, celesta (doubling harmonium), and string quintet, in addition to the solo tenor and mezzo-soprano (or baritone) voices.

The work runs approximately 60 minutes in performance. SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

DAS LIED VON DER ERDE THE SONG OF THE EARTH

I. “Das Trinklied von Jammer der I. “The Drinking Song of Earth’s Erde” Misery” (after Li-Tai-Po)

Schon winkt der Wein im gold’nen The wine, in its golden goblet, Pokale, beckons, doch trinkt noch nicht, erst sing’ ich but don’t drink yet—first I’ll sing euch ein Lied! you a song! Das Lied vom Kummer The song of sorrow soll auflachend in die Seele euch klingen. will resound laughingly in your souls. Wenn der Kummer naht, For when sorrow draws near, liegen wüst die Gärten der Seele, the gardens of the soul are laid waste, welkt hin und stirbt die Freude, and joy and song wither and der Gesang. die. Dunkel ist das Leben, ist der Tod. Life is dark; death is dark.

Herr dieses Hauses! Lord of this house! Dein Keller birgt die Fülle des goldenen Your cellar holds a richness of golden Weins! wine! Hier, diese Laute nenn’ ich mein! Here, this lute I call my own! Die Laute schlagen und die Gläser To strum the lute and to empty the leeren, glasses, das sind die Dinge, die zusammen these things belong passen. together. Ein voller Becher Weins zur rechten A full mug of wine at just the right Zeit moment ist mehr wert als alle Reiche dieser is worth more than all the riches of Erde! the earth! Dunkel ist das Leben, ist der Tod! Life is dark; death is dark!

Das Firmament blaut ewig, und The firmament is eternally blue and die Erde the earth wird lange fest steh’n und aufblüh’n im will remain long, and blossom in Lenz. spring. Du aber, Mensch, wie lang lebst denn But you, O man, how long will you du? live? Nicht hundert Jahre darfst du dich Not even a hundred years shall you ergötzen, languish an all dem morschen Tande dieser among the decaying trifles of this Erde! earth! Seht dort hinab! Im Mondschein Look down there! In the moonlight auf den Gräbern on the graves hockt eine wild-gespenstische Gestalt! crouches a wild, ghostly figure! Ein Aff’ ist’s! Hört ihr, wie sein Heulen It’s an ape! Listen to how its howl hinausgellt in den süssen reverberates through the sweet Duft des Lebens! fragrance of life!

Jetzt nehmt den Wein! Jetzt ist es Zeit, Now take wine! Now is the time, Genossen! comrades! Leert eure gold’nen Becher zu Empty your golden cups to the Grund! last drop! Dunkel ist das Leben, ist der Tod! Life is dark; death is dark! SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

II. “Der Einsame im Herbst” II. “The Lonely One in Autumn” (after Chang-Tsi)

Herbstnebel wallen bläulich überm The blue autumn fog floats over the See, lake; vom Reif bezogen stehen alle the grass stands covered with Gräser; hoar- frost; man meint, ein Künstler habe Staub one says that an artist has strewn von Jade jade-dust über die feinen Blüten ausgestreut. over the delicate blossoms.

Der süsse Duft der Blumen The sweet fragrance of the flowers ist verflogen; has vanished; ein kalter Wind beugt ihre Stengel nieder. a cold wind bends down their stems. Bald werden die verwelkten, gold’nen Soon the wilted, golden Blätter petals der Lotusblüten auf dem of the lotus blossoms will fall off Wasser zieh’n. into the water.

Mein Herz ist müde. Meine kleine Lampe My heart is tired. My little lamp erlosch mit Knistern, es gemahnt sputters and goes out, reminding mich an den Schlaf. me of sleep. Ich komm’ zu dir, traute I’m coming to you, beloved Ruhestätte! resting place! Ja, gib mir Ruh, ich hab’ Erquickung Yes, give me rest, I’m in dire need of not! refreshment!

Ich weine viel in meinen Einsamkeiten. I weep continuously in my loneliness. Der Herbst in meinem Herzen währt Autumn lingers too long in my zu lange. heart. Sonne der Liebe, willst du nie Sunshine of love, shall you never mehr scheinen, shine again, um meine bittern Tränen mild gently to dry my bitter aufzutrocknen? tears?

III. “Von der Jugend” III. “Of Youth” (after Li-Tai-Po)

Mitten in dem kleinen Teiche In the middle of the little pond steht ein Pavillon aus grünem stands a pavilion of green und aus weissem Porzellan. and white porcelain.

Wie der Rücken eines Tigers Like a tiger’s back wölbt die Brücke sich aus Jade the bridge of jade arches across zu dem Pavillon hinüber. to the pavilion.

In dem Häuschen In the little house, well-dressed sitzen Freunde, friends are sitting, schön gekleidet, trinken, plaudern, drinking and chatting, manche schreiben Verse nieder. many are writing down verses. SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

Ihre seidnen Ärmel gleiten Their silken sleeves slide back, rückwärts, ihre seidnen Mützen their silken caps hocken lustig tief im Nacken. hang jauntily low on their necks.

Auf des kleinen Teiches stiller Upon the little pond’s quiet Wasserfläche zeigt sich alles surface, the whole scene is wunderlich im Spiegelbilde. wonderfully mirrored.

Alles auf dem Kopfe stehend Everything standing on its head in dem Pavillon aus grünem in the pavilion of green und aus weissem Porzellan; and white porcelain.

wie ein Halbmond steht die Brücke, The bridge stands like a half-moon, umgekehrt der Bogen. its arch turned upside down. The Freunde, well-dressed friends schön gekleidet, trinken, plaudern. are drinking and chatting.

IV. “Von der Schönheit” IV. “Of Beauty” (after Li-Tai-Po)

Junge Mädchen pflücken Blumen, Young girls are picking blossoms, pflücken Lotosblumen an dem plucking lotus blossoms on the Uferrande. shore. Zwischen Büschen und Blättern Among the bushes and the leaves sitzen sie, they sit, sammeln Blüten in den Schoss collecting blossoms in their laps und rufen and calling out sich einander Neckereien zu. teasingly to one another. Gold’ne Sonne webt um die The golden sun traces about their Gestalten, figures, spiegelt sie im blanken Wasser wider. and is reflected in the bright water. Sonne spiegelt ihre schlanken Glieder, The sun reflects their slender limbs, ihre süssen Augen wider, their sweet eyes, und der Zephir hebt mit and the breeze, with tender Schmeichelkosen caresses, lifts das Gewebe ihrer Ärmel auf, führt den the fabric of their sleeves, carries Zauber the magic ihrer Wohlgerüche durch of their delicious perfume through die Luft. the air. O sieh, was tummeln sich für schöne O look! What beautiful boys are Knaben hastening dort an dem Uferrand auf mut’gen along the shore on their valiant Rossen, steeds; weithin glänzend wie die far in the distance, gleaming like Sonnenstrahlen; rays of sun; schon zwischen dem Geäst der there among the branches of the grünen Weiden green willows, trabt das jungfrische Volk einher! the cheeky lads are drawing near! Das Ross des einen wiehert fröhlich auf One lad’s steed brays with joy und scheut, und saust dahin, and shies and blusters along, über Blumen, Gräser wanken hin die over blossoms and grass, galloping Hufe, rashly, SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

sie zerstampfen jäh im Sturm die stomping and smashing the hingesunk’nen Blüten, hei! bowed blossoms! Wie flattern im Taumel seine Mähnen, Look how his mane flows in the wind, dampfen heiss die Nüstern! how his nostrils flare! Gold’ne Sonne webt um die The golden sun traces about the Gestalten, figures, spiegelt sie im blanken Wasser wider. reflected in the bright water. Und die schönste von den Jungfrau’n And the fairest of the young maidens sendet sends the lad lange Blicke ihm der Sehnsucht nach. lingering, yearning looks. Ihre stolze Haltung ist nur Vorstellung. Her proud bearing is only pretense. In dem Funkeln ihrer grossen Augen, In the sparkle of her large eyes, in dem Dunkel ihres heissen Blicks in the darkness of her hot gaze schwingt klagend noch die Erregung the excitement within her heart ihres Herzens nach. swirls plaintively.

V. “Der Trunkene im Frühling” V. “The Drunkard in Spring” (after Li-Tai-Po)

Wenn nur ein Traum das Leben ist, If life is only a dream, warum denn Müh’ und Plag’? what good is care and strife? Ich trinke, bis ich nicht mehr kann, I’ll drink until I can drink no more, den ganzen lieben Tag! the whole livelong day!

Und wenn ich nicht mehr trinken kann, And when I can drink no more, weil Kehl’ und Seele voll, with throat and soul full, so tauml’ ich bis zu meiner Tür I’ll stumble to my doorstep und schlafe wundervoll! and sleep like a baby.

Was hör’ ich beim Erwachen? What’s that I hear when I awaken? Horch! Listen! Ein Vogel singt im Baum. A bird’s singing in that tree. Ich frag’ ihn, ob schon Frühling sei. I ask him if it’s spring yet. Mir ist als wie im Traum. It’s all as if in a dream to me.

Der Vogel zwitschert: Ja! The bird twitters: Yes! Der Lenz ist da, sei kommen über Nacht! Spring is here, it came overnight! Aus tiefstem Schauen lauscht’ ich Gazing, deep in thought, I watch auf, attentively der Vogel singt und lacht! as the bird sings and laughs!

Ich fülle mir den Becher neu I fill my cup anew und leer’ ihn bis zum Grund and drink it to the last drop, und singe, bis der Mond erglänzt and sing, until the moon shines am schwarzen Firmament! in the black firmament!

Und wenn ich nicht mehr singen kann, And when I can sing no more, so schlaf’ ich wieder ein. I fall asleep again. Was geht mich denn der Frühling an? What concern of mine is spring? Lasst mich betrunken sein! Let me stay drunk! SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

VI. “Der Abschied” VI. “Farewell” (after Mong-Kao-Jen)

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem The sun vanishes behind the Gebirge. mountains. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder In every valley, evening falls mit seinen Schatten, die voll with its shadows, full of Kühlung sind. coolness. O sieh! Wie eine Silberbarke O look! How the moon floats like a schwebt silver boat der Mond am blauen Himmelssee herauf. upon the blue lake of heaven. Ich spüre eines feinen Windes Weh’n I feel the breeze of a fine wind hinter den dunklen Fichten! behind the dark pine trees! Der Bach singt voller Wohllaut durch The brook sings resonantly in das Dunkel. the darkness. Die Blumen blassen im The flowers grow pale in the Dämmerschein. twilight glow. Die Erde atmet voll von Ruh’ und The earth breathes of rest and Schlaf. sleep. Alle Sehnsucht will nun träumen, All yearning turns to dreams, die müden Menschen geh’n heimwärts, weary folk turn homeward, um im Schlaf vergess’nes Glück to sleep, and to learn anew und Jugend neu zu lernen! forgotten happiness and youth! Die Vögel hocken still in ihren The birds perch silently on their Zweigen. branches. Die Welt schläft ein! The world falls asleep! Es wehet kühl im Schatten A cool breeze blows in the shadow meiner Fichten. of my pines. Ich stehe hier und harre meines Freundes; I stand here and await my friend; ich harre sein zum letzten Lebewohl. I tarry for the last farewell. Ich sehne mich, o Freund, an deiner Seite I yearn, O friend, to be at your side, die Schönheit dieses Abends zu to enjoy the beauty of this evening geniessen. together. Wo bleibst du? Du lässt mich lang Where are you? You leave me alone allein! too long! Ich wandle auf und nieder mit meiner I wander back and forth with my Laute lute auf Wegen, die von weichem Grase on paths lined with soft schwellen. grass. O Schönheit! O ewigen Liebens-, O beauty! O eternal love-drunk, Lebens-trunk’ne Welt! life-drunk world!

(after ) Er stieg vom Pferd und reichte ihm den He climbed from the horse and Trunk took the draught des Abschieds dar. of farewell. Er fragte ihn, wohin er führe He asked him where he was going und auch warum es müsste sein. and why it must be so. Er sprach, seine Stimme war umflort: He spoke, with muffled voice: Du, mein Freund, You, my friend, mir war auf dieser Welt das Glück nicht fortune was not kind to me in this hold! world! SEASON 2020-2021 THE MUSIC

Wohin ich geh’? Ich geh’, ich wandre in Where am I going? I am going to die Berge. wander in the mountains. Ich suche Ruhe für mein einsam Herz! I seek rest for my lonely heart! Ich wandle nach der Heimat, meiner I wander toward home, toward my Stätte! own house! Ich werde niemals in die Ferne I will never again roam into distant schweifen. places. Still ist mein Herz und harret seiner My heart is still, awaiting its Stunde! hour! Die liebe Erde allüberall The dear earth everywhere blüht auf im Lenz und grünt blooms in spring, and grows green aufs neu! again! Allüberall und ewig blauen licht die Everywhere and forever the blue Fernen, light in the distance, ewig … ewig! forever … forever!

English translation by Paul J. Horsley

Program note © 2021. All rights reserved. Program note may not be reprinted without written permission from The Philadelphia Orchestra Association. SEASON 2020-2021 MUSICAL TERMS

GENERAL TERMS

Aria: An accompanied solo song (often in ternary form), usually in an opera or oratorio

Cantata: A multi-movement vocal piece consisting of arias, recitatives, ensembles, and choruses and based on a continuous narrative text

Chord: The simultaneous sounding of three or more tones

Lied: Song

Oratorio: Large-scale dramatic composition originating in the 16th century with text usually based on religious subjects. Oratorios are performed by choruses and solo voices with an instrumental accompaniment, and are similar to but without costumes, scenery, and actions.

Pentatonic: Five tones. B) A five-tone pattern common in folk music of many regions; often used in Western music as an example of exoticism.

Recitative: Declamatory singing, free in tempo and rhythm. Recitative has also sometimes been used to refer to parts of purely instrumental works that resemble vocal recitatives.

Scherzo: Literally “a joke.” Usually the third movement of symphonies and quartets that was introduced by Beethoven to replace the minuet. The scherzo is followed by a gentler section called a trio, after which the scherzo is repeated. Its characteristics are a rapid tempo, vigorous rhythm, and humorous contrasts. Also an instrumental piece of a light, piquant, humorous character.

Ternary: A musical form in three sections, ABA, in which the middle section is different than the outer sections

Trio: A division set between the first section of a minuet or scherzo and its repetition, and contrasting with it by a more tranquil movement and style