choral version of "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen"

[barry guerrero]

I was quickly looking at The Arts Channel, and there was a choral version of "I'm Lost To The World" happening, arranged by a Clytus Gottwald. In was part of dvd simply called "Jansons Conducts Mahler", which must be with his Munich performance of M2 (just gauging from the orchestral forces on stage in front of the chorus).  Anyway, here's a different performance on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4i6K3djf4I

[Sturmisch Bewegt]

Another version by "Accentus":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovBzDWq3I6I

Clytus Gottwald also arranged "Die zwei blauen Augen"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWUvfd7OAwc

[Penny]

Interesting, and thank you for the postings, but to me “Ich bin der Welt…”  is about Mahler’s solitariness, his pantheism, his connection with the natural world, and (at the risk of being considered pedantic) to arrange it for multiple voices, however beautifully, is missing the point, plus by definition it lacks the important dimension of his orchestration.  I sing in a choir and have a long-standing ambition to sing Mahler, so fortunately am a bit more convinced by “Die Zwei Blauen Augen”, with the reservation that I’m not sure whether the transition to the Lindenbaum section [2’23”] really works. 

[waderice]

I sing in a choir and have a long-standing ambition to sing Mahler.......

Penny, good luck in your ambition to sing Mahler.  I was in the chorus in performances of M2 and M8 (Chorus I) some 40 years ago, and consider those among the musical highlights of my life.  A couple of years ago, while still living in the Washington, DC area, the Washington Chorus put on a concert of everything choral that Mahler wrote, including the "Waldmarchen" movement from Das klagende Lied.  The choral arrangement of "Ich bin der Welt...." was part of the program.  In M2, they sang only the part of the finale from the choral entrance and in M8, only Part I (despite a reduction in choral forces).  Quite a program that I will always remember.

Wade

[barry guerrero]

I just listened to that "zwei blauen Augen" arrangement, and it works far better than I could have imagined. I think the 'trick' is to keep the Lindenbaum section flowing at a nice clip, such as they do on this chamber choir video.

[Constantin]

It was certainly interesting to hear the choral version by Accentus, but for me "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" is so personal--such a departure from or dropping out of the world, that it seems wrong to perform it with a group.

It's so personal, so intimate, that it's inconceivable (at least to me) to have a group singing of what is such a solitary experience.

[Sturmisch Bewegt]

Just musically speaking I find this choral version interesting because the tone unity enphasizes the harmonic frictions and the polyphonic richness.

[Constantin]

True, SB, even as a non-musician, I can appreciate the polyphony and the harmony.
It's hard for me to separate the musicality of Mahler's works from the intimate personal revelation and involvement. 

Perhaps that is a result of paying too much attention to the meaning of the words.
But you're right--I can listen only to the music, which even without paying attention to the meaning is lovely. 

Thanks for sharing the Accentus choral performance.

[barry guerrero]

I'm with SB. Even though the words are very personal, I enjoy hearing this choral version from a purely musical standpoint. However, I would never suggest eliminating the original Wunderhorn song.

[Sturmisch Bewegt]

However, I would never suggest eliminating the original Wunderhorn song.

neither do I!
I always melt with delight at the oboe-clarinet take over just after  "von mir vernommen"