Mahler 4

Mahler Symphonie No.4: Imov (select)

14,95

Gustav Mahler’s music is that music which we all make a little bit our own when we listen to it. The Austro-Bohemian composer knew how to express his inner world by means of his harmonies. And he did so by speaking of the universal themes that occupy ordinary people: life, childhood, love, nature or death. Gustav Mahler’s 4th Symphony, as well as the song cycle Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy’s Magic Horn), is based on Arnim and Brentano’s collection of children’s stories of the same name. The fantasy that emanates from this piece of literature finds in Mahler a natural catalyst, who manages, with each musical impulse, articulation, nuance, glissando, harmonic or any other of the myriad of details that inhabit his scores, to transport us to the dreamy and magical world of children’s stories, thus developing a fragile balance between utter fiction and overwhelming reality. With his 4th Symphony, Mahler brings to an end his so-called Wunderhorn period, marked by the reverie and imagination which can be found in such tales.

14,95

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Mahler 4

Gustav Mahler’s 4th Symphony, as well as the song cycle Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy’s Magic Horn), is based on Arnim and Brentano’s collection of children’s stories of the same name. The fantasy that emanates from this piece of literature finds in Mahler a natural catalyst, who manages, with each musical impulse, articulation, nuance, glissando, harmonic or any other of the myriad of details that inhabit his scores, to transport us to the dreamy and magical world of children’s stories, thus developing a fragile balance between utter fiction and overwhelming reality. With his 4th Symphony, Mahler brings to an end his so-called Wunderhorn period, marked by the reverie and imagination which can be found in such tales.

Burlesque overtones can be heard the first movement of the symphony, reminiscent of its original title, Humoresque, which crowned the score in its original conception, but was eventually discarded by Mahler himself. The music here conforms to a sarcastic mockery of the Viennese aristocracy and all that it represented for the Austro-Bohemian composer.

The second movement transports us to a completely different scenario. Mahler describes it as a “dance of death” inspired by A. Böcklin’s painting, Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Violin, and it is very reminiscent of Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, composed about a quarter of a century earlier, and whose violin solo also requires scordatura.

Once again seeking contrast with what has been previously heard, the third movement of Mahler’s 4th Symphony is presented before us as a song to life charged with great lyricism. The variations develop the main theme and take it down unpredictable paths, concluding with the solemnity, peace, and joy of which Mahler himself speaks: “This movement laughs and weeps at the same time. Its melody is divinely joyful as well as profoundly sad. St. Ursula herself, the most serious of all saints, presides with a great smile on the high sphere. Her smile resembles that of the statues of ancient knights or prelates which we see reclining in churches, with their hands clasped upon their breast, and with the peaceful and gentle expression of men who have earned their access to high beatitude. Solemn, blessed peace, sober out of gentle delight.”

Crowning the symphony, as if we had just arrived at the end of a path after going through four stages: life, death, ascent to heaven, and heavenly life, we find the lied Das himmlische Leben, Heavenly life. Once there, we discover an existence that relishes all the heavenly pleasures. An existence oblivious to the daily sufferings and events that occur on Earth. The gastronomic delights and the scenes featuring the apostles constitute the background for Mahler’s sublime lied. The appearance of the soprano soloist endows the whole work with an intimate and fanciful atmosphere. It is when listening to it in its entirety that we understand how the whole symphony revolves around the fourth movement, originally conceived as the 5th movement of the 3rd symphony, and which is the genesis, as well as the culmination, of Mahler’s great universe.

Rheinlegendchen or Little Rhine Legend, written as a waltz, tells the story of a boy who, before leaving, gives a golden ring to his fiancée, who, angry at his departure, throws it into the Rhine. Das irdische Leben, Earthly Life, is a lied with tragic overtones in which a mother loses her son because she cannot feed him. The instrumentation, very dissonant at times, is reminiscent of a threshing or reaping machine that represents the fatal destiny that awaits the boy. The lied Wer hat das Liedlein erdacht? (Who has thought of this little song?) is a joyful Ländler with a love theme in which the soprano soloist plays a role of dazzling virtuosity.

Mahler’s 4th Symphony and the lieder of Des knaben Wunderhorn are symphonic scores with a hue similar to that which can be found in chamber music. This is due to the fact that Mahler’s orchestration is not too dense. As a result, it depicts accurately the subject matter it deals with, seeking balance in those moments in which the human voice leads the way. Domínguez-Nieto’s conception of the work, recorded here for the first time, exploits, with utmost respect for the composer’s original orchestration, its chamber music overtones to its maximum. In short, Domínguez-Nieto, besides being a great connoisseur of Mahler’s style and oeuvre, has carefully penned this score, allowing us to enjoy the music of the Austro-Bohemian composer in an unusual, different way.

Alejandro Muñoz

Credits

CAMERATA GALA – FUNDACIÓN ANTONIO GALA

Gonzalo Vauthey, violin I

Patricia Cabanillas, violin II

Carmen Pérez, viola

Nora Prat, violoncello

Xavier Boixader, double bass

Saleta Suárez, flute

Pau Rodríguez, oboe

Manuel Jódar, clarinet

Mariana Mosquera, fagot

Francisco García Romero, horn

Maite García, harp

Carolina Alcaraz, percussion

 

Raquel Lojendio, soprano

Alejandro Muñoz, conductor

 

Recording venue: Auditorio Conservatorio Superior  (Córdoba) 7-9th September 2021

Music Producer: Francisco Moya

Sound engineer: Cheluis Salmerón

Mixer & Mastering: Iberia Studio

Liner notes: Alejandro Muñoz

Photographer: Gabriele Friscia & Marcos Zafra

Translations: Patrick T. Brady Caldera

Producer: IBS Artist S.L.

Special thanks: 

Conservatorio Superior de Música “Rafael Orozco” de Córdoba

Orquesta de Córdoba

Orquesta Joven de Córdoba

CD time 62:23

 

Camerata Gala

Since its foundation under the name of Camerata Capricho Español (Capricho Español Chamber Orchestra) in 2006, the Camerata Gala owes its current name to the renowned Spanish poet, playwright, novelist, and writer Antonio Gala, whose similarly named foundation enjoys a close cooperation with the Camerata Gala. Having performed over a hundred concerts throughout Spain, the Camerata Gala has become a reference point in the Spanish musical scene. In 2015, for instance, the Camerata Gala undertook the concert for the 60th anniversary of the Madrid-based Juan March Foundation, which was met with great success and was broadcast live on Spain’s national radio service (Radio Nacional de España). Cooperation with renowned musicians is also one of the Camerata Gala’s distinctive features: Michael Thomas, Thierry Barbè, Paula Coronas, José Luis Temes, and Lorenzo Ramos, along with Mario Navas, Rubén Jordán, Jose Javier Delgado, Pau Rodríguez, Sara Galán, and Juan Antonio Martínez, are amongst the celebrated musicians who have made their mark on the orchestra’s concert and recording history. Due to its commitment to high-quality music and performing standards, the Camerata Gala has been awarded several prizes and distinctions, thus becoming one of the most popular and versatile Spanish ensembles, whose future commitments include concert tours, recordings, and music festivals nationwide.

Alejandro Muñoz

As principal conductor of the Camerata Gala, Alejandro Muñoz has performed in over a hundred concerts as well as in numerous recordings. Currently, he is also the principal conductor of the Sinfonietta Córdoba and of the Youth Orchestra of Cordoba (Orquesta Joven de Córdoba), combining his activities as conductor with those of teacher at the Cordoba Symphony Orchestra (Orquesta de Córdoba) and at Academia Córdoba Music, where he teaches violin, viola, and conducting. As a graduate instrumentalist of the prestigious Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (CNSMDP), and, having completed a master’s degree in Orchestral and Choral Conducting at the Madrid-based Katarina Gurska Centre, Alejandro Muñoz has performed under the baton of maestros such as Pierre Boulez, Daniel Barenboim, Kurt Masur, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Jesús López Cobos. Moreover, as visiting conductor, Alejandro Muñoz has performed with many ensembles across Spain, such as the Cordoba Symphonic Orchestra (Orquesta de Córdoba), the Granada Philharmonic Orchestra (Orquesta Filarmonía de Granada), the Ziryab Chorus (Coro Ziryab), the Katarina Gurska Symphonic Orchestra (Orquesta Sinfónica del Centro Superior Katarina Gurska), the Seville Philharmonic Orchestra (Orquesta Filarmonía de Sevilla), the Averroes Chorus (Coro Averroes), the l’Òpera Jove Orchestra (Orquestra de l’Òpera Jove), the Symphonic Orchestra of Southern Spain (Orquesta Sinfónica del Sur de España), the Chamber Orchestra of the Youth Orchestra of Andalusia (Orquesta de Cámara de la Orquesta Joven de Andalucía), and—as assistant conductor— with the Youth Orchestra of Andalusia (Orquesta Joven de Andalucía). Also, his participation as conductor in different symphonic-choral productions such as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Mozart’s Requiem has earned him the respect of critics and audiences. Moreover, Alejandro Muñoz has collaborated with remarkable national and international soloists such as Konstantin Derri, Michael Thomas, Lucía Tavira, Pablo Martos, Beatriz Lanza, Auxi Belmonte, Paula Coronas, Javier Povedano, Vicente Huerta, and Thierry Barbè. Due to his commitment to new music, Alejandro Muñoz has not only premiered but also recorded a great number of works by rising composers. In this regard, Rubén Jordán’s Miró a mi Corazón (He looked at my heart), which was recorded with the special collaboration of renowned Spanish writer Antonio Gala, constitutes a celebrated example. In addition, Alejandro Muñoz occupied the post of first violin in the internationally acclaimed Toldrà Quartet (Cuarteto Toldrà) for eight years.

Raquel Lojendio

She has performed with all the major Spanish orchestras, and internationally with the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Turin, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Filarmonica “Giuseppe Verdi”, Trieste and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse amongst many others. She studied at the Conservatorio Superior in her native city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, then at the Conservatorio Superior de Musica del Liceo in Barcelona with Carmen Bustamente. She has taken part in masterclasses with María Orán and Krisztina Laki. Raquel Lojendio’s operatic highlights include roles such as Pamina (The Magic Flute), Violetta (La Traviata), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Morgana (Alicina), Susanna (Il Segreto di Susanna by Wolf Ferrari), Marguerite (Faust), in theatres such as the Teatro Verdi in Trieste , Teatro Real Madrid, and the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville. Her concert repertoire includes Mahler’s Symphonies Nº 2, 4 and 8, Falla’s El Sombrero de Tres Picos, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Menotti’s Muero porque no muero, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Christ on the Mount of Olives, Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras, Haydn’s The Creation, Stravinsky’s Les Noces and Frank Martin’s Maria-Triptychon, in venues such as the Berliner Philharmonie, the Tanglewood Festival, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, the Georg Enescu Festival, Bergen’s Grieghallen, the Teatro Municipal in Cali, Halle aux Grains in Toulouse and Bogotá’s Teatro Colón amongst others. She has recorded for major record labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, Licanus, RTVE Música and Chandos. Raquel Lojendio’s other passion is ballet, for which she has gained qualifications from the Royal Academy of Dance in London.