# A discussion of Mahler's last 3 works



## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

In my opinion, the greatest works he ever wrote.

Das Lied von der Erde
Symphony #9
Symphony #10 (which remained unfinished at his death)

These are the works which I feel Mahler demonstrated his full prowess. They feel very different to me than all his other works. There's a spirituality here that runs deeper than any of the others.

DISCUSS


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

When a composer starts writing about were-monkeys perched on a grave and howling at the moon, you know he means business.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

I like these works, but I find them difficult and sometimes perplexing. Right now, I think my favourite Mahler period is the mid-period (symphonies 5,6,7). They embody the contradictory spirit of Mahler, a man "in war with himself". After symphony 8, Mahler becomes more... revelatory. There's conflict in the 9th, still, but he seems to transcend beyond the conflict. Das Lied and the (adagio of) the 10th seem to revolve around the same concepts: resignation, acceptance, wisdom.

I think these works will continue to grow on me; right now, though, I prefer Mahler when he's a bit more schitzophrenic and anxious.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

I've been gathering numerous recordings of Das Lied in the hopes of giving it a proper chance, I initially and probably foolishly dismissed it in my younger more impatient days after only one listen.

I do enjoy his later works, but I think the youthful energy and ambition of the early symphonies (especially the 3rd) speaks to me more right now, maybe because of my age, I don't really know.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I consider Das Lied von der Erde the most impressive piece of music ever written. I have 10 different versions, whereas normally I don't go for more than one interpretation of any composition. The 9th symphony is not far behind.

I do think that the Kindertotenlieder is in the same class as these two late works.


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## Moscow-Mahler (Jul 8, 2010)

I think that at this moment my favourites are his 1,2,3,4 and 9. And maybe 7 and 8.
But I do not like the *Sixth *now, it's less spiritual, more Shostakovichian


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## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

Dad lied is the most spiritual music I've ever heard. The 9th is the most emotive. The 10th Adagio is amazing as well.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Art Rock said:


> I consider Das Lied von der Erde the most impressive piece of music ever written.


I have two versions of this remarkable piece, pictured below. One is full-blood Karajan style, and another is lighter under Herreweghe. A nice complement of different interpretations.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Another is lighter under Herreweghe. A nice complement of different interpretations.


Interesting! I'll have to check that one out.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I'm a big DLvdE fan as well (9 recordings in all). An interesting take on it is the piano version - I have the recording with Moser, Fassbaender and Katsaris. I liked the optional piano versions of Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn and the three shorter song cycles so it intrigued me to see how a larger-scale work would fare when scaled-down and I'm pleased I did (and I bet the singers were as well as there are obviously less physical demands made of them than with the usual orchestral version). Many may think that a piano is woefully inadequate to do justice to it but I like the different kind of light and shade that the piano version creates.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

You're right, David, these works are unique in Mahler's output.

THey are quite modernistic in many ways and there are many links between them.

Very human as well, eg. how at the start of the 9th, Mahler does an image in sound of his uneven heart beats, which was part of the condition he was suffering from, which was to kill him. Arrhythmia, I think it's called.

Those 9 note clusters in the opening _Adagio_ of the 10th, are like the markers (or one of such works) that is like a point where late romanticism ends and modernism begins. He was really a seminal figure in early 20th century music, a friend of R. Strauss and Schoenberg and his circle equally.

But on the whole I find his music rather dark, I rarely listen to it. Perhaps the work I can listen to most often without being pulled down to the depths too much is his 4th symphony with that wonderful soprano solo at the end, the accompanying orchestra imaging animals being led to slaughter, their sounds, the preparation of a feast in heaven for a deprived child on earth...


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## hespdelk (Mar 19, 2011)

The 9th is his greatest achievement in my view, but based on the extant adagio I feel quite certain that the 10th would have exceeded even this had he been able to complete it.


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

For me Mahler's 9th is his masterwork. I rank der Abscheid from Das Lied alongside it. In respect of the 10th, it is an unfinished work and,for me, Cooke's realisation is just that another mans view of what Mahler might have done. it does not rank highly with me in Mahler's works.
Just like Bruckner's unfinished 9th, it indeed may have been the composers greatest work but we will never know.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2012)

Pardon the interruption, but I was wondering if I could ask a dumb question. I have this version of Das Lied. 









My question to those of you who have many versions of this work is (a) is this version still considered good, and (b) what would you recommend for a second version? I tend to care most about sound quality, followed by performance quality.

Thanks, Brian


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## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

^ I have this version. It's very good, though the sound gets messed up in Der Abscheid at a very important part, theres a lot of crackling in the right channel.

Klemperers has great performance and sound quality. In some ways better sounding than the one above. Haitink and Kubelik's are also among the best versions. I would recommend getting the Kubelik next for the voice performance. No one matches Baker in this piece.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Among the finest recordings of Das Lied von der Erde I would include:





































I personally find the Ferrier/Walter recording to be the most heat-breaking. Ferrier undoubtedly understood the theme of staring death in the face and recognizing that life will still go on without us as intimately as the composer as she was facing her own certain demise from incurable cancer at the time. Ferrier was reportedly so emotionally overwrought that she missed the final "ewig". Upon the completion of the recording session she apologized to Walter for this. Walter responded that it was not her place to apologize, rather we (he and the orchestra) should apologize for the fact that if they were at all fully human they should all be in tears.

Ernst Haefliger and Nan Merriman's performance with Eduard van Beinum and the Concertgebouw Orchestra is especially fine... but nearly impossible to find. The same two singers also recorded the cycle with Eugene Jochum and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. This is an equally marvelous recording... but again difficult or expensive.

The Wunderlich and Fischer-Dieskau live recording with Krips has only recently been re-released. In it's own way it is as special as Ferrier's recording as the electricity moving through the audience becomes almost palpable in recognition that they were witnessing something truly magnificent in the efforts of these two spectacular singers.

The Karajan/Ludwig/Wunderlich is my clear first choice for clear modern studio recording.

There are a number of other top-notch recordings... including the already mentioned Kubelik/Kmentt/Baker as well as the Haitink/Baker/King recording.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

The 8th is actually my favourite of these works, I put it on quite regularly. I like it as a whole, but it's especially the 1st movement that always puts a smile on my face with its ragingly joyous, radiant splendour. And when "Alles Vergängliche ist nur ein Gleichnis..." starts, I'm usually ready to start singing along.


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