Das klagende Lied (Version for Chamber Orchestra from Schönberg's version)

Symphonic Songs Symphony or song cycle? The line is difficult to draw in Gustav Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde.” While the magnificent sound of the gigantic orchestra foregrounds the symphonic component, the arrangements for fourteen instruments sophisticatedly begun by Arnold Schönberg and completed by Rainer Riehn offer more intimate insights into this composition’s vocal aspect. A rewarding new look – as this new SACD recording by Gerhild Romberger and Stephan Rügamer and the outstanding forces of the Detmold Chamber Orchestra demonstrates. Under the conductor Alfredo Perl the orchestra accompanies this excursion into the Chinese imaginative world of the fin de siècle with chamber suppleness. Chinese Nightingale The point of departure for this journey into East Asian philosophy is Hans Bethge’s Die chinesische Nachtigall (The Chinese Nightingale), a very popular anthology during the early years of the twentieth century and a free rendering of ancient poems from the Middle Kingdom. The German texts may not always meet the highest standards of philological accuracy, but this does not take away from their poetic quality. Moreover, Mahler took great liberties with his textual sources: the end of “Der Abschied” was penned by him almost in its entirety. The contrast pairs old age and youth, spring and autumn, solitude and human company, and death and life stamp the work – with the last-mentioned pair in particular impacting Mahler in 1907, the year of the work’s composition, when his daughter suffered a painful death and he himself became severely ill. Chamber Nuances It is in the chamber version that the quality of the texts is brought out with the finest nuances. Enriching the orchestral version, Gerhild Romberger and Stephan Rügamer have created space for the tenderest pianissimo, and their impressive dynamic potential unfolds without impediments. However, the public in no way misses out on the tonal sophistication of the original: the instrumentation artistry of Schönberg and Riehn sets it own accents with an elegant overall design including the harmonium, celesta, and magical instrumental color mixtures. The beginning immediately attracts our attention: the salient horn call is continued with trills shared by the piano and woodwinds – an irreal exotic sound transporting audiences into a faraway world. SophisticatedSound The SACD debut of the Detmold Chamber Orchestra has of course been produced in the finest three- dimensional MDG room sound. The result is a particularly vivid reproduction of the iridescent score. The two soloists are perfectly embedded in it all and intelligently accompanied under Alfredo Perl’s guidance throughout the mighty work. The turn-of-the- century picture of the Far East amazingly reappears and even today arouses longing for the faraway and yearning – at least as articulated in the repeated urge to press the repeat button!