Das Lied von der Erde at Carnegie Hall
Anne Sofie von Otter, the great Swedish mezzo-soprano who was brought up partly in London, the daughter of a diplomat, is in town getting ready for a Metropolitan Opera production of Debussy's Pélléas et Mélisande (performances begin next Saturday). So she was available to step in for schedule-conflicted Thomas Quasthoff at this afternoon's MET Orchestra concert, to sing Das Lied von der Erde. It is characteristic of the MET Orchestra series to provide replacements of Ms von Otter's caliber; I am perhaps not alone in saying that I was happier with the change, simply because I prefer to hear a woman sing the work's three songs for lower voice. Ms von Otter is perhaps a bit too fresh, scrubbed and youthful to invest this heartbreaking music with its full measure of pathos, but I quibble, and, in any case, I will never forget her way with the ending, an ever-softer repetition of ewig, "forever."
(UPDATE: It's a good thing that I don't even want to think of myself as a journalist. I neither read the insert tucked into the Program nor paid careful attention to my friend Michael when he explained that Ms von Otter was replacing not Thomas Quasthoff, who was never booked to sing Das Lied von der Erde, but Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, who is suffering from a bad back. Mr Quasthoff was to have appeared at next weekend's concert; at the moment, the MET Orchestra has not engaged a replacement.)
Continue reading about this concert on Portico.
Comments
I have not seen many performances of this amazing work, but know that yesterday afternoon's was the most beautiful I've yet heard--I immediately thought, wow this is the orchestra to play Mahler, as the NY Philharmonic ONCE was, under Leonard Bernstein.
It was clear and shimmering and both soloists outdid themselves; she is the only reason I will venture to see a Mozart opera, in this case La Clemenza di Tito later this year, at the Met under Levine.
Her first song is the one that has always 'gotten' me. Entitled "Der Eisname im Herbst" or "The Lonely One in Autumn" , it ends with the lines:
I weep much in my loneliness.
The autumn in my heart persists too long.
Sun of love, will you ever shine again
Upon my bitter tears, to dry them up?
Posted by: PPOQ | January 24, 2005 07:52 AM
Von Otter was the reason I went to see 'Idomeneo' (one of my least favorite operas) at the Met a few years ago. Her recording of Chaminade songs ('Mots d'Amour') is one my favorites and, at the risk of being accused of having no musical taste, I will also admit to enjoying the recording she made with Elvis Costello.
Posted by: jkm | January 24, 2005 11:38 AM