Gustav Mahler Philippe Quesne Klangforum Wien Emilio Pomàrico
Le Chant de la terre Das Lied von der Erde
Le Chant de la terre - Das Lied von der Erde, Philippe Quesne © Martin Argyroglo ©
Music, Gustav Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde, chamber music version arranged by Reinbert de Leeuw
Musical director, Emilio Pomàrico
Staging, creation, stage design, Philippe Quesne
Christina Daletska, alto
Maximilian Schmitt, tenor
Ensemble Klangforum Wien
Thomas Frey, flute
Markus Deuter, oboe, English horn
Michele Marelli, clarinet
Yulia Drukh, clarinet
Lorelei Dowling, bassoon
Christoph Walder, horn
Virginie Tarrete, harp
Joonas Ahonen, harmonium
Johannes Piirto, piano, celesta
Lukas Schiske, percussions
Sophie Schafleitner, violin
Annette Bik, violin
Paul Beckett, alto
Benedikt Leitner, cello
Evan Hulbert, Double bass
Lights, Nico de Rooij
Staging assistant, François-Xavier Rouyer
Musical assistant, Gabriele Baksyté
Stage work collaboration, Camille Louis
Technical collaboration, Marc Chevillon
Artistic collaboration, Élodie Dauguet
Costumes, Ajla Ayidan
The set includes two paintings of the artist Albert Bierstadt
Technical direction, Gabriele Kaiba
Set technician, Antony Osborne
Light technician, Reto Schubiger, Nicholas Langer
Video technician, Szymon Olszowski
Commissioned and produced by Wiener Festwochen
Co-produced by deSingel – International arts campus (Antwerp)
In collaboration with Vivarium Studio
Copyright Universal Edition (Vienna)
Co-directed by Théâtre du Châtelet; Festival d’Automne à Paris
With support from Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers
With support from the Austrian Cultural Forum
Commissioned by Wiener Festwochen and in partnership with the Vienna Klangforum’s ensemble, Philippe Quesne elegantly stages Gustav Mahler’s Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde). This is a rare foray into a musical repertoire nostalgic of romanticism and cultivating an intimate bond to time and nature.
Mahler composed Das Lied von der Erde in 1907. The song reflects Mahler’s later life struggles, having left the Vienna Opera, lost his eldest daughter, and been diagnosed with heart disease. Interpreted by Reinbert de Leeuw’s chamber orchestra, Song of the Earth is presented as a cycle of six songs for two soloists. The texts were inspired by Chinese poetry. In his no-frills staging of Mahler’s work, Philippe Quesne presents a melancholic outlook on nature, fueled by nostalgia for romanticism, an era when people had a different relationship to time and nature, which came to a brutal end as the 20th century began. Echoing in this giant chasm are the woes of the modern-day Anthropocene. To put together his ethereal décor, Quesne, a scenographer and director, relies on elements such as rain and dirt, as well as two paintings by Albert Bierstadt, Mahler’s contemporary, whose landscapes mirror the cycle of life.