The idea of a piano version of
Mahler's orchestral song cycle
Das Lied von der Erde, an enormous work featuring four timpani and a tam-tam, may sound ridiculous, but
Mahler apparently thought of it as more than a home study edition; he did the arrangement himself, revised the score, and generally took it seriously. Surely, it requires a bit of readjustment of the ears, but once this is done, it is quite persuasive. This reading from baritone
Christian Gerhaher, tenor
Piotr Beczala, and pianist
Gerold Huber landed on classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2023. The use here of a tenor and baritone instead of the usual alto and tenor was also sanctioned by
Mahler. The arrangement surely puts a spotlight on the singers, and baritone
Gerhaher, hitting his stride in recent recordings, steps up to the requirements; he never loses momentum in the 27-minute "Der Abschied" finale.
Beczala shows a bit more strain in the drinking songs and the fast-moving "Der Pavillon aus Porzellan," but
Huber's work, catching the numerous orchestral details
Mahler introduced with the subtlest gestures, is arresting throughout. Anyone wanting to hear
Das Lied von der Erde, as a majority of its hearers encountered it for many decades, must experience this release. ~ James Manheim
