Gustav Mahler: Songs and Symphonies of Life and Death. Interpretations and Annotations (Music) (Vol 3) [Paperback]

Donald Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2008 | Series: Music

A monument in Mahler studies, this volume concentrates on the composer's vocal music and, in particular, on some of his most famous, most original and best loved compositions: the late Rueckert orchestral songs and Kindertotenlieder; Das Lied von der Erde, one of the composer's supreme masterpieces, and the vast Eighth Symphony. Much new ground is broken but the author bases his conclusions on a meticulous examination of the principal manuscript sources, especially those for Das Lied. He offers an unprecedented exploration of the original Chinese texts for that work and indeed of the whole Oriental dimension of Mahler's last and greatest song-cycle. Time and time again, the composer's sketches back up the author's reading of these massive scores and there will be few among this book's readers who will not find a familiar passage or movement sharply illuminated by fresh insights and information. The scope of the book, despite its concentration, is immensely wide; and so is the readership it addresses: Mahler scholars, performers, and general readers.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A quarter-century ago, the music of Mahler was little known in the United States. It was a period that had less support for Romantics, especially those who emerged late in the previous century. The interpretations by Bruno Walter, Leonard Bernstein, and others eventually won Mahler an ardent following, and now he is acknowledged as a major composer, with the symphonies and lieder receiving particular attention. In this third volume of Mitchell's monumental study, detailed attention is given Das Lied von der Erde, the Ruckert lieder, Kindertotenlieder, and the eighth symphony, explicated with translations, music examples, and facsimiles. This is a major contribution to the literature, essential for all historians and performers whose interests include the music of this pre-Expressionist master. Dominique-Rene de Lerma, Music Dept., Morgan State Univ. , Baltimore, Md.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

He is...an enthusiast, and his enthusiasm, which lights up every page, is reinforced by an unsurpassed knowledge of his subject. However well one thinks one knows Das Lied von der Erde, one's knowledge and understanding of it will be enhanced by reading this book. --Musical Times (Michael Kennedy)

Anyone genuinely interested in this composer should acquire this book at the earliest opportunity. It is magnificently produced, as befits the depth of scholarship the author continues to impart to his subject. --Music and Musicians

No book I have read on any composer brings one closer to the act of composition itself, to imagining the creative decisions that occupied Mahler, especially in Das Lied... If ever a book forced one to reconsider every detail of a masterpiece it is this. --New Statesman

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Product Details

• Paperback: 664 pages
• Publisher: Boydell Press (April 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0851159087
• ISBN-13: 978-0851159089
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 9.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,606,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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