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. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
Book Description
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. DONALD MITCHELL was Founder Professor of Music at the University of Sussex. He is currently Visiting Professor at Sussex and York, and formerly at King's College, London.
