Sinfonia n.4, Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen

The present recording brings together two great early works of Gustav Mahler in chamber orchestra arrangements made for use by Arnold Schönberg’s "Society for Private Musical Performances," played by an ensemble whose interpretations owe much to those of Willem Mengelberg, the celebrated conductor of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra and Mahler’s most fervent advocate for more than a quarter century. Thus, rather than rehearse the details of Mahler’s life during the period in which he composed his Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Fourth Symphony or discuss the works themselves (since this information can be found in numerous other sources), this note will sketch the history of Schönberg’s Society and attempt to convey the importance of Mengelberg’s work with Mahler, which presents a fascinating but little-known commentary on myriad performancepractice issues and casts new light on these familiar pieces. A warning to the faint-hearted may be in order: Mengelberg’s style clashes, at times violently, with the "objectivist" stance championed by Toscanini, and adopted generally in his wake. - Kenneth Slowik