Mahler concert
Gustav Mahler. A man who lived a fairly angstful life, who composed
some pretty amazing music. This concert, performed on February 14, 16
and 17 in San Francisco, and February 22 in Carnegie Hall, featured
the Adagio from Mahler's Tenth Symphony (the only movement he
completed before dying), and Das Klagende Lied, his Opus 1,
written while he was still a teenager. The contrast between the two
is stark. The music of Das Klagende Lied, while telling the
story of a tragic fairy tale, is full of life and joy, with quirky
brass bands playing from off-stage, and full-throated chorus. The
Adagio, meanwhile, is very introspective, twisted and tortured in on
itself.
For more information on the pieces, read the
program notes, archived here.
The chorus is only part of Das Klagende Lied, and it's a fun
part, with lots for us to do. "O Schrecken" (The Horror) - a line
from the end of the piece as the newly crowned king is revealed as a
fratricide - is a favorite of the chorus.
Reviews of our performance:
Back to Eric's chorus page
Eric Nehrlich's WWW home page / nehrlich@alum.mit.edu