MDR Symphony Orchestra, MDR Radio Choir, Dennis Russell Davies conductor, Chen Reiss soprano, Sophie Harmsen alto, Attilio Glaser tenor: Gustav Mahler — Totenfeier; Gustav Mahler — Wunderhorn and Rückert-Lieder in arrangements for voice and orchestra (selection); Gustav Mahler — Das klagende Lied ((revised version in two movements from 1898))
Leipzig this afternoon was particularly bonkers, with huge numbers of football fans singing loudly in the main town market place, a huge number of police cars about, and continuing large numbers of Goths promenading, with many in black 19th century gear. But there was a place of stillness in the Thomaskirche, and about 45 minutes of music by Bach, Mendelssohn, Byrd and a modern Norwegian composer, Ola Gjeilo, performed by the Boys Choir and members of the Gewandhaus orchestra. The most substantial work they performed was the Bach Cantata BWV59 – ‘We mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten’. I sang along with a hymn – shared between congregation and choir – with words by Luther and an older melody arranged by Bach, which felt great!
The evening concert was not as high octane an evening as others in this Festival, but certainly a worthwhile one to go to. I hadn’t known that Totenfeier, the first version of the first movement of Mahler 2, had emerged from a discussion with Richard Strauss about death, and an agreement that both should write symphonic poems on the subject! Strauss’ contribution was Tod und Verklarung – which, it has to be said, is a much less original piece than Mahler’. Totenfeier is essentially the same as the final version but without the enlarged orchestra that entails – this version has 4 horns and I think double woodwind, with maybe 3 trumpets and trombones. Where there are differences musically, they tend to be cuts to the earlier version rather than additions to the later one, and some inner voices particularly woodwind sometimes get lost because of the reduced number of instruments. A fascinating piece to hear…
The Mahler songs chosen from Des Knaben Wunderhorn and the Ruckert lieder tended to be rather sweet-toothed and as a group a bit bland. It is a pity some of the more macabre Wunderhorn ones weren’t chosen as a contrast. Sophie Harmsen sang them very well.
Das Klagende Lied was revised by 1898 and that was the version we heard in the concert – there are recordings of the original version and it would be interesting to hear that. So views that this sounds, as a piece written by Mahler as a Conservatoire student, like ‘pure Mahler’ are a bit suspect. Nonetheless it is remarkable how much foreshadowing melodically there is of the 2nd Symphony as well as occasionally of the 1st. It was very well done by the Leipzig Radio forces
John's musical journey 