Mahler - 4th Symphony (piano solo)

Описание: Gustav Mahler - 4th Symphony (piano solo) with score

Arranged and performed by Iain Farrington
Helen Neeves - soprano

Published by Aria Editions: https://www.ariaeditions.org/store/c7...

http://www.iainfarrington.com​

1. Bedächtig, nicht eilen
2. In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast
3. Ruhevoll, poco adagio
4. Sehr behaglich

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) started composition on his Fourth Symphony in the summer of 1899, finishing the short score the following year while staying on the Wörthersee in Austria. Mahler himself conducted the work's premiere in Munich on 25th November 1901. The symphony's final movement is a song written and orchestrated in 1892, using a text from 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn' (The Boy's Magic Horn), the collection of folk-songs made by Achim von Amim and Clemens Brentano and published in the first decade of the nineteenth century. This movement was recorded by Mahler himself on a Welte-Mignon piano roll in November 1905.

An arrangement for solo piano of Mahler's work brings the music close to its compositional origins. In each one of his composing 'huts', Mahler had a piano at his disposal. His sketches are often on two or three staves of music, and can be read directly on the piano. Mahler often played his latest works on the piano to friends and colleagues, and his early training as a pianist left him with a good virtuoso technique. By performing the music in this way, it enabled the first listeners to hear the melodies and harmonies unadorned.

Mahler also 'recorded' some of his music onto piano rolls: the first movement of the 5th symphony, the last movement of the 4th symphony and several songs. These demonstrate Mahler's 'orchestral' piano technique, full in texture and tone, carrying the general sweep and drama of the music.

This solo piano arrangement of Symphony No. 4 is not just a literal transcription of the notes onto two staves, but a transformation into pianistic texture of the full sonic landscape. Hearing Mahler's music in this way allows us to take in the content as 'pure' music. In Mahler's lifetime, piano duet versions of the Symphonies were published, but very few for solo piano. This arrangement allows one player the opportunity to perform and study them.

Das himmlische Leben

Wir genießen die himmlischen Freuden,
D'rum tun wir das Irdische meiden.
Kein weltlich' Getümmel
Hört man nicht im Himmel!
Lebt alles in sanftester Ruh'!
Wir führen ein englisches Leben!
Sind dennoch ganz lustig daneben!
Wir tanzen und springen,
Wir hüpfen und singen!
Sankt Peter im Himmel sieht zu.

Johannes das Lämmlein auslasset,
Der Metzger Herodes d'rauf passet!
Wir führen ein geduldig's,
Unschuldig's, geduldig's,
Ein liebliches Lämmlein zu Tod!
Sankt Lucas den Ochsen tät schlachten
Ohn' einig's Bedenken und Achten;
Der Wein kost' kein Heller
Im himmlischen Keller!
Die Englein, die bakken das Brot.

Gut' Kräuter von allerhand Arten,
Die wachsen im himmlischen Garten!
Gut' Spargel, Fisolen
Und was wir nur wollen!
Ganze Schüsseln voll sind uns bereit!
Gut' Äpfel, gut' Birn' und gut' Trauben;
Die Gärtner, die Alles erlauben.
Willst Rehbock, willst Hasen,
Auf offener Straßen
Sie laufen herbei!

Sollt' ein Fasttag etwa kommen,
Alle Fische gleich mit Freuden angeschwommen!
Dort läuft schon Sankt Peter
Mit Netz und mit Köder,
Zum himmlischen Weiher hinein.
Sankt Martha die Köchin muß sein!

Kein' Musik ist ja nicht auf Erden,
Die unsrer verglichen kann werden.
Elftausend Jungfrauen
Zu tanzen sich trauen!
Sankt Ursula selbst dazu lacht!
Cäcilia mit ihren Verwandten
Sind treffliche Hofmusikanten!
Die englischen Stimmen
Ermuntern die Sinnen!
Daß alles für Freuden erwacht.

-----

The heavenly life

We enjoy heavenly pleasures,
And so avoid earthly ones.
No worldly tumult
Is heard in heaven;
Everything lives in gentlest peace.
We lead angelic lives,
And yet have a merry time.
We dance and we leap,
We skip and we sing;
Saint Peter in Heaven looks on.

Saint John lets the little lamb out,
And Herod the butcher lies in wait for it.
We lead a patient,
An innocent,
Dear little lamb to its death.
Saint Luke slaughters the ox,
Without thinking or caring.
Wine doesn't cost a penny
In the Heaven's cellars.
The little angels bake the bread.

Good greens of every sort
Grow in Heaven's gardens.
Good asparagus, string beans,
And whatever we want,
Whole dishfuls are set for us.
Good apples, good pears and good grapes,
And gardeners who offer us everything.
If you want roebuck or hare,
On the public streets
They are running about.

Should a fast day come,
All the fishes at once come swimming with joy.
There goes Saint Peter
With his net and his bait,
To the heavenly pond.
Saint Martha must be the cook.

There's no music on the earth
That can be compared with ours.
Eleven thousand virgins
Venture to dance.
Saint Ursula herself has to laugh.
Cecilia with her relations
Are excellent court musicians.
The angelic voices
Gladden our senses,
So that joy wakens in all.