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This concert begins with Mahler’s Mitternachtslied, the fourth movement from his Third Symphony, leading the audience immediately into a dream-like world. When Mahler was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, the fear of death enshrouded him, casting a shadow through the rest of his life. Even his musical compositions became obsessed with death. When he knew that he could not escape fate, Mahler turned to Chinese philosophy in search for an explanation of death among Tang dynasty poetry, and the result was the masterpiece Das Lied von der Erde. In the final movement, Der Abschied, Mahler repeated the word “ewig” nine times, as if expressing the sentiment that although life is short, nature and the earth regenerate day by day, the sun, moon and stars continue to shine. In that sense, Mahler’s understanding of death has far exceeded death per se.
Of the three contemporary works that share this program, each is inspired by nature around the world, from Iceland to China to central Europe. With Mitternachtslied as the frame, and Der Abschied to end, this program features two soloist: baritone Wang Yunpeng and sheng soloist Wu Wei.
There is a special film that serves as a prelude to the program. This documentary utilizes Das Lied von der Erde to discover the connections between Mahler and nature.

Track:
17:00
FILM: Singer for the Earth （Frank Scheffer, Director）
19:30
Gustav Mahler (arr. John Warner): 4th Movement of Symphony No. 3 “Midnight Song”,
arranged for chamber orchestra
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Illumine
Huang Ruo: The Color Yellow
Shen Yiwen: Night in the Watch-tower
Gustav Mahler (arr. John Warner): Abschied, from Das Lied von der Erde, arranged for chamber orchestra

Artist/Group:
Wang Yun-Peng, baritone
Wu Wei, sheng

Mahler Foundation Festival Orchestra
John Warner, conductor
Huang Ruo, Shen Yiwen, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Gustav Mahler, composers