Kindertotenlieder
Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children, though more closely translated as Children's songs about Death) is a song cycle for voice and orchestra by Gustav Mahler. The words of the songs are poems by Friedrich Rückert.
Text and music
The original Kindertotenlieder were a group of 428 poems written by Rückert in 1833–34[1] in reaction to the illness (scarlet fever) and death of his children. Painter describes the poems thus: "Rückert's 428 poems on the death of children became singular, almost manic documents of the psychological endeavor to cope with such loss. In ever new variations Rückert's poems attempt a poetic resuscitation of the children that is punctuated by anguished outbursts. But above all the poems show a quiet acquiescence to fate and to a peaceful world of solace."[1] These poems were not intended for publication.[1]
Mahler selected five of Rückert's poems to set as Lieder, which he composed between 1901 and 1904. The songs are written in Mahler's late-romantic idiom, and like the texts reflect a mixture of feelings: anguish, fantasy resuscitation of the children, resignation. The final song ends in a major key and a mood of transcendence.
The poignancy of the cycle is increased by the fact that four years after he wrote it, Mahler lost his daughter, Maria, aged four, to scarlet fever. He wrote to Guido Adler: "I placed myself in the situation that a child of mine had died. When I really lost my daughter, I could not have written these songs any more."[2]
Scoring and performance
The work is scored for a vocal soloist (the notes lie comfortably for a baritone or mezzo-soprano) and an orchestra consisting of piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais (English horn) , 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, timpani, glockenspiel, tam-tam, celesta, harp, and strings.
The composer wrote, concerning the performance of the work, "these five songs are intended as one inseparate unit, and in performing them their continuity should not be interfered with".[3]
The Kindertotenlieder were premiered in Vienna on January 29, 1905. Friedrich Weidemann was the soloist, and the composer conducted.
The work takes about 25 minutes to perform.
Lyrics
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Selected recordings
- Heinrich Rehkemper with orchestra (Berlin, Polydor 78rpm 66693-66695, 1928)
- Kirsten Flagstad, Wiener Philharmoniker cond. Adrian Boult (Decca 414624, = London LP OS 25039/LXT 5395)
- Kathleen Ferrier Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, cond. Otto Klemperer (Decca CD 028942599529)
- Kathleen Ferrier, Wiener Philharmoniker cond. Bruno Walter (Orig. Columbia 78 rpm LX 8939-8941: Col. 33c 1009: HMV/Angel LP & CD)
- Lorri Lail, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra cond. Rolf Kleinert (Saga LP 5106-7)
- Věra Soukupová, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Václav Neumann (Supraphon LP SUA 10498)
- Norman Foster, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra cond. Jascha Horenstein (1955) (VOXBOX CDX2 5509)
- John Shirley-Quirk, with Benjamin Britten (BBC LP Transcription CN 515 01)
- Anne Sofie von Otter, Wiener Philharmoniker cond. Pierre Boulez (DGG CD)
- Christa Ludwig, Berliner Philharmoniker cond. Herbert von Karajan (DGG CD)
- Christa Ludwig, Philharmonia Orchestra cond. André Vandernoot (Col. CX 1671/Angel LP 35776)
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Berliner Philharmoniker cond. Rudolf Kempe (Electrola E 70004 (WBLP 511)/HMV BLP 1081)
- Jessye Norman, Boston Symphony Orchestra, cond. Seiji Ozawa (Philips 426-251-2)
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Berliner Philharmoniker cond. Karl Böhm (DGG LP 138 879)
- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, w. Daniel Barenboim (pno) (EMI CDC7676572)
- Hermann Prey, Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam cond. Bernard Haitink (Philips LP)
- Janet Baker, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Leonard Bernstein (Columbia MQ 33532)
- Janet Baker, Hallé Orchestra cond. John Barbirolli (EMI/HMV LP ASD 4409: EMI GROC CD 24356 69962)
- Marilyn Horne, cond Henry Lewis (Decca LP SXL 6446)
- Maureen Forrester, Boston Symphony Orchestra cond. Charles Münch (RCA Victor LP)
- Brigitte Fassbaender, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin cond. Riccardo Chailly (Decca CD 425 790-2)
- Thomas Hampson, Wiener Philharmoniker cond. Leonard Bernstein (DGG CD 28943 16822)
- Thomas Hampson, w. Wolfram Rieger (pno) (EMI CLassics 24355 64432)
- Bryn Terfel, Philharmonia Orchestra of London cond. Giuseppe Sinopoli (DGG CD)
Notes
- ^ a b c Painter (2002, 174)
- ^ Reik, Theodor (1953). The Haunting Melody: Psychoanalytic Experiences in Life and Music. New York: Farrar, Straus and Young. p. 315. ISBN 978-0-306-76138-6.
- ^ This instruction is reproduced on page 3 of the piano score (IMC, New York, c.1952).
References
- Nussbaum, Martha (2003) Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-53182-9.
- Painter, Karen (2002) Mahler and his World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09244-3.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Kindertotenlieder (MIDI)
- Complete collection of Rückert's Kindertotenlieder (in German)
- A discussion of the songs by Mitch Friedfeld
- A discussion of the songs by Derek Lim
- The German lyrics as translated by Emily Ezust; from Ezust's Lied and Art Song Texts Page
- A side by side layout of German & English text, using Emily Ezust's translation
- The score of the work has been posted by the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University School of Music.
- Free scores by Kindertotenlieder at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)