Search - Gustav Mahler, Philippe Herreweghe, Ensemble Musique Oblique :: Mahler: Das Lied Von Der Erde (Chamber Version)

Postmodern Mahler

Nick D. | Montreal, Quebec | 06/21/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you love the idea of hearing Mahler's "Lied von der Erde" arranged by Schoenberg for chamber ensemble and conducted by an early music specialist, then this CD is for you. If not, you should probably look elsewhere.



In 1920, Schoenberg began work on a transcription for chamber orchestra of Das Lied von der Erde (1908), for performance by Vienna's Verein fuer musikalische Privatauffuehrungen (Society for Private Musical Performances), of which he and Alban Berg were members. The same society also commissioned chamber versions of Mahler's 4th, transcribed by Erwin Stein, and of the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (arranged by Schoenberg again) (both of which, recorded by the Smithsonian Chamber Players, are available on Dorian DOR-90315).



Schoenberg's transcription of Das Lied -- for 14 performers -- was not completed because the Society folded in 1921. The score was completed by Reiner Riehn, and published in 1983. It is this version which is recorded here.



The chamber version allows us to hear Das Lied in a completely different way. The forces are one-on-a-part for the strings and the wind (that's ten), plus two percussionists, with piano and harmonium occasionally filling in. So what we get here is a version of Das Lied with woodwinds front and center, backed up by a crystalline string quartet (plus bass). (Most of the time the piano is "hidden" or silent.) The whole score is beautifully played and recorded by the Ensemble Oblique. If you like wind sonorities, and want to hear the details of Mahler's part-writing in a completely refreshing way, this is all good. One does wonder whether the strings should have been doubled up, but then the band might have become too large for the Viennese salon for which it was scored.



This is the alto/tenor version of Das Lied, with Birgit Remmert and Hans-Peter Blochwitz. Both are excellent. To get an idea of the overall sound of the CD, listen to Blochwitz in "Von der Jugend" (track 3). Remmert is impressive and moving in "Der Abschied", in which the spaces in the orchestration actually add to the emotional impact -- in a way that fans of Herreweghe's understated but emotionally intelligent conducting will recognize.



Although clearly not the CD to choose as your only version of Das Lied, if you are someone with an interest in modernism or the neo-classical turn, or just curious about the Mahler-Schoenberg combination, or a fan of Herreweghe's work, this is definitely one to try. I am certainly glad I got hold of a copy.

"