About this Book

Since its première Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) has been widely regarded as his finest masterpiece. It was written in the wake of three catastrophic events that shook the foundations of his life in 1907 and, like all his earlier works, it is deeply influenced by the composer's personal and philosophical worldview. Stephen Hefling provides a background to this symphony for voice and orchestra, describes its genesis, summarises reviews of the première, and gives a careful account of all six movements.