Summer with the Mahlers
Donald Macleod focuses on Mahler's Kindertotenlieder and Sixth Symphony, works which seemed to presage the death of the composer's daughter.
Gustav Mahler is the blessed with bright children and a beautiful wife. And yet he feels the need to compose music imbued with a profound sense of tragedy. Donald Macleod continues the story of Mahler's marriage to Alma.
Their relationship wasn't always the happiest, the terms he laid down for their marriage were far from fair, and she wasn't always faithful to her husband. But Alma Mahler exerted a powerful fascination on Gustav Mahler, and proved not only an inspiration but a also a very practical support for his working and creative life.
In today's programme we find Mahler composing extraordinary songs on the deaths of children just hours after kissing and hugging his own daughters. Tempting fate, maybe? Certainly that's what Alma Mahler thought. It's tempting also to see something premonitory about his 6th symphony - The 'Tragic' - which he sketched out at his idyllic summer retreat at Maiernigg on the W枚rthersee during the summer of 1904. And yet it was written at one of the calmest, most serene periods of Mahler's life - and possibly wouldn't have been written at all had Alma not managed to find the manuscript which Gustav had forgotten to bring with him!
Nun Will die Sonn' so hell aufgehen (Kindertotenlieder)
Dietrich Fisher-Dieskau, baritone
Berlin Philharmonic orchestra
Rudolf Kempe, conductor
Nun se'ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen (Kindertotenlieder)
Dietrich Fisher-Dieskau, baritone
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Rudolf Kempe, conductor
Symphony 6, 1st movt: Allegro; 2nd movt: Scherzo)
New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein, conductor
Wenn dein Mutterlein tritt zur Tur herein (Kindertotenlieder)
Dietrich Fisher-Dieskau, baritone
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Rudolf Kempe, conductor.
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
Gustav Mahler
Kindertotenlieder - no.1; Nun will die Sonn so hell aufgeh'n
Performer: Berliner Philharmoniker. Singer: Dietrich Fischer鈥怐ieskau. Conductor: Rudolf Kempe. -
![]()
Gustav Mahler
Kindertotenlieder - no.2; Nun seh' ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen
Singer: Dietrich Fischer鈥怐ieskau. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Rudolf Kempe.- EMI : CDC 7-47657-2.
- EMI.
- 6.
-
![]()
Gustav Mahler
Symphony no. 6 in A minor - 1st movement; Allegro energico, ma non troppo
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Leonard Bernstein.- CBS : M3K-42199.
- CBS.
- 1.
-
![]()
Gustav Mahler
Symphony no. 6 in A minor - 2nd movement; Scherzo. Wuchtig
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Leonard Bernstein.- CBS : M3K-42199.
- CBS.
- 1.
-
![]()
Gustav Mahler
Kindertotenlieder - no.3; Wenn dein Mutterlein
Singer: Dietrich Fischer鈥怐ieskau. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Rudolf Kempe.- EMI : CDC 7-47657-2.
- EMI.
- 7.
Broadcasts
- Wed 28 Jun 2017 12:00大象传媒 Radio 3
- Wed 28 Jun 2017 18:30大象传媒 Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed 鈥� the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time 鈥� why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.