Search - Smithsonian Chamber Players :: Mahler/Schoenberg: Das Lied von der Erde

Superbly Insightful

M. Cleveland | Albuquerque, NM USA | 12/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Das Lied von der Erde is one of the paramount creations in Western music, if not all art. It represents the supreme effort of a master in full flower of his craft coupled with the insight of maturity and wisdom. Many great musicians have essayed its many challenges, musical and philosophical, and numerous wonderful recordings are available, going back to great interpreters at the beginning of the recorded era, like Bruno Walter, a protégé of Mahler's. My personal favorite has long been Kurt Sanderling's with Peter Scheier and Brigit Finnila.



Maestro Slowik's new recording, which just was nominated for a Grammy, is a stunning addition to the list. Start with the conductor: as demonstrated repeatedly throughout the music and in his superb notes, Slowik has the full intellectual and emotional grasp of this unearthly, staggeringly beautiful music. Radiant, colorful, flexible, responsive and many other adjectives come to mind listening to this recording.



Take the soloists. John Elwes has a distinctive voice, reflected not only in his unique timbre, but more importantly in the extraordinary intelligence and range of expressiveness he always brings to his performances. I've had the honor of working with him and the man is extraordinary in every facet of his life, which he clearly brings to this music in full measure. Russell Braun is an extremely capable partner in a role that more often is sung by a mezzo, but fully sanctioned by Mahler in its baritone incarnation.



Take the "arrangement," a beautifully clear "reduced" chamber variant produced for Schoenberg's famous Verein für musikalische Privatauffuhrüngen (but, as Slowik points out in his excellent notes, probably not actually arranged by Schoenberg himself, but by fellow composer Rainer Riehn, following Schoenberg's practice and preliminary notes). The texture of this version is thrilling: agile, responsive to singers and conductor, and extraordinarily expressive.



Take the musicians. Rather than the full orchestral forces usually heard, this Verein version employs only a dozen musicians drawn from the Smithsonian Chamber Players and Santa Fe Pro Musica, who often work together. You may not recognize all these names, but if you don't, learn them and seek them out! Each is a stunning virtuoso in his or her own right. Incredible playing by Carol Redman (flutes), Thomas O'Connor (oboe and english horn), RJ Kelley (french horn), especially. This version prominently features piano and harmonium, which add tremendously to the clarity of the textures, but provide a solid, orchestral feel.



Finally, take the recording: crystal clarity, capturing fabulous warmth from the gut strings on the Amati strings, and great balance and range you'd expect from Dorian.



Not to be missed: this is now my favorite, as great as the others are. Quite an achievement. Bravi!!"

A surprisingly enjoyable reading of the Schoenberg chamber v

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 11/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mahler was arguably the greatest orchestrator in classical music, so it's always seemed self-defeating to play his works in other people's arrangements. In the case of Das Lied von der Erde, however, the arranger was another genius, Arnold Schoenberg. He made a much sclaed down Das Lied, with prominent piano part, as a make-do so that the work could be heard with smaller forces. Severalr ecordings have emerged over the years. I know a couple, but Slowik's new account is the best.



For one thing, the sonics from Dorian are clear as crystal and show off every detail in the scoring. More importantly, the conducting is first rate and truly heroic despite the reduced forces at hand. The smaller, more intimate songs work best, naturally, but for the first time I don't feel a fatal loss of power in the big ones. If this account had been issued with full orhestra, I think praise would have been heaped on Kenneth Slowik's head. He has opted for two male soloists, tenor John Elwes and baritone Russell Braun. Both are very musical, and it's great to hear Elwe sing full out like the heldentenor Mahler's music requires (one wishes that Elwe had a more ingratiating tone, however).



In all, I didn't expect to be this impressed but am glad that I ran across an out-of-the-way gem."