Mahler originally conceived Das Lied von der Erde as a lavishly scored orchestral work, however, in Reinbert de Leeuw’s view, the music is in fact ideally suited to being performed by reduced instrumental forces. Not only does the work contain many chamber music-like passages, the vocal soloists also gain added nuance when they are no longer obliged to compete with a full-scale orchestra. The arrangements of orchestral music made by Arnold Schönberg in the 1920s for the ‘Verein für Privataufführungen’ serve as a model for De Leeuw. Thus, fidelity to the score is the foremost consideration. However, unlike Schönberg, who made an unfinished arrangement of Mahler’s Lied, De Leeuw adds more colours (including harp and bass clarinet) to his ensemble. The director Neil Wallace has taken on the staging of this production. Concertgebouw De Doelen commissioned Reinbert de Leeuw’s arrangement for the Rotterdam Opera Days. The Flemish website for classical music Klassiek Centraal awarded the production a Golden Label, the Flemish equivalent of the Edison.

Artists

GUSTAV MAHLER
Das Lied von der Erde (arr. Reinbert de Leeuw)

ASKO|SCHÖNBERG
conductor 
Reinbert de Leeuw
alto 
Birgit Remmert
tenor 
Yves Saelens
direction 
Neil Wallace
film 
Tessa Joosse
light 
Uri Rapaport 
choreography 
Sanne van der Put
costums 
Mirjam Pater