DVD celebrates the 150th Birthday of Gustav Mahler!
Precisely on the day of Gustav Mahler’s 150th birthday, July 7th, 2010, a group of music performers got together in the village of Kaliste, Bohemia, to honor the memory of one of Austria’s great composers.
The site was an outdoor stage, and the performers included:
• Thomas Hampson, Baritone
• Anne Sofie von Otter, Mezzo Soprano
• Marita Selberg, Soprano; and the
• Mahler Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Manfred Honig
• Prague Philharmonic Choir
• Czech Boys Choir
The music included selections from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Rueckert Lieder, and Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen. Also performed were several movements from Mahler’s Symphony #2.
The setting shown in this DVD was really beautiful, and the singing quite excellent, as done by these well-known singers. For me, there is a huge drama in the Symphony #2, and some of this drama gets lost with outdoor distractions. Still, I have to say that the playing of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra was very good.
Here’s an extract of Mahler’s Second Symphony, with Bernard Haitink conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. I get the chills with this ending, every time I hear it!
Tags: Gustav Mahler, 150th Anniversary