Christian Gerhaher - Mahler: The Song of the Earth (CD)

"Christian Gerhaher - undoubtedly the world's leading lieder interpreter - turns to an intimate, piano-accompanied version of Gustav Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" for his latest release on Sony Classical. Gerhaher's long-time piano partner Gerold Huber accompanies the baritone and tenor Piotr Beczała. Mahler wrote the six songs of "The Song of the Earth" in 1908 after the death of his eldest daughter, his forced resignation from the Vienna State Opera and the doctor's revelation that he himself was near death. The result is a fascinating synthesis of song and symphony, a reflection on life, death, farewell and redemption in which grief and joy seem to mingle. Inspired by Mahler's own discovery of the cultures of the Far East, she set classical Chinese verses to music in the interpretation of the German poet Hans Bethge. Mahler insisted that all of his songs be performed in his own versions with both piano and orchestra, making the piano version of "The Song of the Earth" a standalone version of the work. After the opulence of a symphony orchestra - with which Gerhaher recorded "Das Lied von der Erde" for Sony Classical in 2009 - Mahler's piano version offers a sharper focus, an x-ray view, as it were. It is perfect for Gerhaher's trademark, the intimacy of the sound and the striking attention to detail of the interpretation. Together with Gerold Huber - Gerhaher's trusted piano partner, whose decades-long collaboration with the baritone was celebrated by the New York Times as "the greatest song partnership in the world" - Christian Gerhaher has received several awards, including the Diapason D'or, the Opus Klassik and the Gramophone Award. Piotr Beczała, who sings the first, third and fifth movements of "Song of the Earth", is known for his luminous tenor, which combines aristocratic bearing, resounding vocal power and meticulous textual finesse. The Polish tenor's voice is an ideal partner for Gerhaher in terms of colour and weight."