Will Livermann: Mahlers Kindertotenlieder en 'art songs' volgens Liverman

Will Liverman

Following his successful recital two seasons ago, Will Liverman is back in the Kleine Zaal. Alongside Mahler's impressive Kindertotenlieder , he brings along well-known and less frequently performed works. Also included is Four Private Parables , which he composed himself, and he has arranged music by Schubert and Vaughan Williams. For Liverman is an all-rounder, described by Opera Magazine as a singing actor who completely immerses himself in his role. The American Liverman is internationally acclaimed for his versatility in recitals and dramatic and comic opera roles, and for his dedication and vision as a composer.

Mahler's Kindertotenlieder and 'art songs' according to Liverman

The deceased children about whom Mahler's Kindertotenlieder are written were those of the lyricist, Friedrich Rückert; when Mahler began the songs, he was still childless. That does not make the words and the music any less poignant. In 1904, his second daughter had just been born, Mahler completed the cycle, to the dismay of his wife Alma, who believed that one should not invite fate upon oneself. Sadly, she was proven right: in 1907, their eldest daughter, Maria, passed away. Sublime music—with a deeply tragic background. The resignation of the Kindertotenlieder is echoed in Vaughan Williams' melancholic Whither Must I Wander . One of the 'art songs' on this program to which Liverman gives his own twist tonight. A recital with 'loss' as a key theme.