chris@laidbak.UUCP (Chris Granner) (10/19/85)
hi there- Has anyone heard (about?) a version of the Mahler 4th Symphony for chamber orchestra? -cg (...!ihnp4!laidbak!chris)
carnes@gargoyle.UUCP (Richard Carnes) (10/21/85)
>Has anyone heard (about?) a version of the Mahler 4th Symphony for >chamber orchestra? This received its American premiere last night at the University of Chicago in a concert given by Transit, a chamber ensemble composed of members of the CSO, and conducted by Mark Prentiss. Actually it was Prentiss' reconstruction of Erwin Stein's 1921 transcription that was performed, for the first time since 1921. (The concert also featured a performance of Tobias Picker's *Nova* (1979) with the composer at the piano.) The following is an excerpt from an article by Judith Silverstein that appeared in UC's student newspaper. "The history of the manuscript transcriptions of [Mahler's 4th] is a story of the persistent losses, findings, and reinterpretations of culture in history. Haunted by its initial critical failure, Mahler revised the Fourth Symphony nearly every time he conducted its performance. After the last performance he conducted, in 1905, he gave a copy of the score with final revisions to Arnold Schoenberg, who put it in his library. Ten years after Mahler's death [I think this occurred in 1911 -- RC] the Schoenberg circle was in full swing in Vienna. An offshoot of the Schoenberg circle, The Society for Private Musical Performances, was engaged in the arrangement of large works for chamber orchestra. In 1920, while Schoenberg was in Holland, Erwin Stein worked on the arrangement of Mahler's Fourth for chamber orchestra. After much painstaking work, much trouble finding musicians, and several trial-and-error performances, Stein arrived at what he felt was a satisfactory score. Unfortunately, the score and all the solo parts were somehow lost, perhaps destroyed by Nazis in their anti-Semitic campaign against Mahler. However, a copy of Mahler's 1902 score, marked by Mahler in red ink for the revision published in 1906 and by Stein in pencil for the chamber revision, remained in the library, along with Stein's correspondence detailing his intentions for the chamber adaptation. Using photocopies provided by the Arnold Schoenberg Institute at USC, Mark Prentiss reconstructed Stein's score for performance by Transit for flute, oboe, clarinet, solo fiddle [sometimes called a "violin" -- RC], two violins, viola, cello, bass, piano, harmonium -- the sounds of which will be duplicated by synthesizer -- and soprano." You can find out more about Transit by contacting Friends of New Music, Inc., or the University of Chicago Music Dept. P.S. For those who were interested in ordering the recording of Sorabji's O.C., I am trying to track down this information and will post any information I come up with. I mainly have to search through my "files," i.e., the clutter in my office and apartment. -- Richard Carnes, ihnp4!gargoyle!carnes
jeffw@tekecs.UUCP (Jeff Winslow) (10/22/85)
> > hi there- > > Has anyone heard (about?) a version of the Mahler 4th Symphony for > chamber orchestra? > > -cg (...!ihnp4!laidbak!chris) I thought Mahler was under the impression that it was already written for chamber orchestra. :-) Jeff Winslow PS. Why was the original article submitted to net.flame?