Stephen E. Hefling

Since its premiere Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) has been widely regarded as his finest masterpiece. It was written in the wake of personal events that shook the foundations of his life in 1907 and, like all his earlier works, it is deeply influenced by the composer's individual and philosophical worldview. Stephen Hefling provides a background to this symphony for voice and orchestra, describes its genesis, summarizes reviews of the premiere, and gives a careful account of all six movements.

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth)

Mahler's Symphony for Voices and Orchestra : Or Piano

Das Lied Von Der Erde

The opening chapter, "Background: Mahler's symphonic worlds before 1908," sets the stage for a study of the work's genesis, a summary of the most important critiques of the premiere, and a careful reading of this six-movement symphony for voices and orchestra. An appendix provides an interlinear translation that makes Mahler's superb treatment of texts accessible to readers with little or no knowledge of German."--Jacket.

Song of the Earth

James Cooke

Mervyn Cooke

An illuminating study of Britten's War Requiem, examining the composer's treatment of the anti-war poetry of Wilfred Owen.

Stephen E. Hefling

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