Das klagende Lied

Song of Lamentation is a fairy tale cantata by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) for soloists, boys' choir, mixed choir, large orchestra and remote orchestra. The text of Gustav Mahler is based on Ludwig Bechstein's Fairy Tales Song of Lamentation, as well as on the fairy tale The Singing Bones of the Brothers Grimm. The original version of the three -part work was created 1878-1880 and was described by Mahler few years after the creation of his " Opus 1". Mahler revised the work in 1893 and 1898 before he first performed it on 17 February 1901 in Vienna into a two-part version. The Duration of the entire three -part work is about 70 minutes.

• 3.1 1 Waldmärchen
• 3.2 2 The minstrel
• 3.3 3 piece wedding

Genesis and first performance

Mahler had completed in 1878 his three-year training at the Conservatory of the Society of Friends of Music at the age of 18 years and also passed the matriculation examination in the same year. Then he designed several musical works which he, however, already rejected during the work. In the same year he wrote the poetry for mourners song. Although Mahler took over the title and theme of the red flower of Bechstein, but followed in the subsequent act of the Brothers Grimm. From 1879 he began composing, which was completed on 1 November 1880 as a " fairy tale in three divisions ." In 1881 he competed with this composition for the Beethoven Prize of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna, but was rejected in advance by the jury. Then he tried to submit the work to other competitions, but had just as little success.

Then Mahler revised in 1883 for the first time the work and reduced the enormous dimensions. In this purification, he eliminated the first part, " The Forest Fairy Tale " and the remote orchestra in the 2nd and 3rd parts. He reduced the number of soloists from 11 to 4, in which the boys' voices accounted for. The number of harps was reduced from 6 to 2. It was not until 1898, when Mahler was already director of the Vienna Court Opera, Mahler found a publisher. Before going to press Mahler worked at the plant again, and he took the remote orchestra in the 3rd part back inside.

On February 17, 1901 Mahler was able to premiere the work in this revised two-part version under his leadership and with renowned soloists. In the criticism was Song of Lamentation little positive response. Music critic and Brahms 's biographer Max Kalbeck wrote: " What is interesting about the work is for the musician his technique. We pay tribute to her with a shudder our appreciation. "

Occupation

Original version

• Soloists: soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, boy soprano, boy alto
• Orchestra: 3 flutes ( 2 piccolos ), 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 bass tubas, timpani, percussion: triangle, cymbals, tam-tam, bass drum, 6 harps, strings
• Remote orchestra: 3 flutes, 4 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, wings, 2 Pistons, timpani, percussion: triangle, cymbals

Revised two-part version of 1898

• (. Lib plus boy alto ad. ) Soprano, alto, tenor soloists
• Orchestra: 3 flutes ( 1 Piccolo), 3 clarinets, 3 oboes ( English horn ), 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, percussion: triangle, cymbals, tam-tam, bass drum, 2 harps Strings
• Remote orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 4 clarinets, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, triangle, cymbals

Content

1 Waldmärchen

The poem of Mahler draws on the shape of the ballad. In the forest Fairy Tales The history is told. "It was a proud queen ... ". A young queen rejects every suitor and wants only to those who take for a husband who finds a certain red flower in the forest. From now on, the text tends to follow the Grimm fairytale, as amended in 1819. Two brothers, of whom the elder violent, but is younger meek, to break, to find the flower. After the younger the flower has found, he puts it on his hat and lays down to sleep. The older brother pierced the sleeping under a willow tree with his sword and takes the flower itself.

2 The minstrel

As a bridge, the motif of willow tree is taken up again.

"At the willow tree in the cool Tann, flutter as the owls and ravens, there is a fair-haired knight buried under leaves and flowers. ... "

The refrain " O sorrow, woe oh sorrow! " Runs from now on also musically as a leitmotif throughout the work.

A traveling minstrel who comes past the pasture, place a white bone and carves it into a flute. The moment where he puts the bone flute to his lips, the flute begins to sing:

"Oh Spielmann, my dear minstrel, I must now accuse you For a beautifully colored little flowers Took me my brother killed In the wood bleaches my young body! My brother shall marry a lovely wife! "

Every time the minstrel attaches the flute sounds the same eerie song.

3 piece wedding

In his travels, the musician comes to the royal castle, where the young Queen is celebrating with the fratricide wedding. Again, the song of the bone sounds. The king snatches the minstrel the flute and puts it himself in the mouth. At this moment, the song of the singing bone transforms into an indictment against the king:

"Oh brother, my dear brother ... "

The Queen falls to the ground unconscious, fleeing the guests, and the castle collapses.

Performance practice

The score of the original version was preserved and handed down over Mahler's favorite sister Justine at their son Alfred Rosé. This led in 1934 in Brno the premiere of the first part. In 1935, he combined the first part of the revised version of the second and third part, which led to a mixed version. The rest of the original version he held back and did not publish it, but sold the score in 1969 to the collector James M. Osburn, who in turn gave Yale University.

The work is now available in three versions, which initially prevailed only Mahler's revised two -part form of 1898. 1970 Pierre Boulez played the mixed version one involving the forest fairy tale. The original version was published in 1997 in a critical edition by Reinhold Kubik and premiered in the same year under Kent Nagano. The German premiere of the original version took place on 28 November 1997 again under the direction of Kent Nagano in the Laeiszhalle instead.

Classification

Although the plaintive song still stands in the tradition of the late musical romance under the influence of Wagner, but also shows in the original version already the stand-alone personal style of Mahler. It is characterized by the use of leitmotifs. Mahler had, similar to found his own musical language at the age of 19 years before him Mendelssohn. Mahler previous youthful compositions are mostly lost.

First recordings

• Revised two-part version - Ambrosian Singers, New Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Wyn Morris, Nimbus 1967
• Mixing version with inclusion of the forest fairy tale - London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez in 1970.
• Original version - Hallé Orchestra, choir and soloists, Vienna Boys' Choir conducted by Kent Nagano, 8th - 12th October 1997 Elatus / Erato 1998