This is the premiere performance of Geoffrey Gordon's song cycle, Winterleben, a setting of five texts by poet Friedrich Rückert, for mezzo, horn and piano, commissioned for Los Angeles Philharmonic principal horn, Andrew Bain, through the gracious support of Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Zipper Hall, Los Angeles
Andrew Bain, horn
Renee Rapier, mezzo
Nic Gerpe, piano
PROGRAM NOTE:
Friedrich Rückert, (1788-1866) – German poet, philologist, orientalist – was a profound source of inspiration for Gustav Mahler. The composer identified deeply with the directness and refined sensibility of his verses, declaring that ‘after Des Knaben Wunderhorn I could not compose anything but Rückert – this is lyric poetry from the source, all else is lyric poetry of a derivative kind’. Mahler set many of Rückert’s texts—Rückert-Lieder, Kindertotenlieder—but of course there are many Rückert texts which he did not set, including the five poem collection known as Winterleben (Winter Life). What follows is a new work, for mezzo soprano, French horn soloist (sharing equal prominence throughout the work) and piano, based on these beautiful and evocative Rückert poems.
-Geoffrey Gordon
TEXT:
V. Wintersonne
Mond und Sonne scheint so schön,
Wie im Frühling immer;
Öder nur die Winterhöh'n
Macht der kalte Schimmer.
Ach vom Himmel kann die Lust
Nicht hernieder steigen,
Wenn der Erde, wenn der Brust
Sie nicht schon ist eigen.
