Songs to Poems by Rueckert; No. 4: Um Mitternacht, high voice (B minor, transposed) Cover Image

Songs to Poems by Rueckert; No. 4: Um Mitternacht, high voice (B minor, transposed): High Voice, Orchestra Accompaniment

$8.00 USD

Songs to Poems by Rueckert; No. 4: Um Mitternacht, high voice (B minor, transposed): High Voice, Orchestra Accompaniment

Name: Songs to Poems by Rueckert; No. 4: Um Mitternacht, high voice (B minor, transposed): High Voice, Orchestra Accompaniment
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 36-A289001
Price: 8.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Gustav Mahler / Text by Friedrich Rückert

Item: 36-A289001

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Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) composed Songs to Poems by Rueckert (Songs after Rückert; Rückert-Lieder) between 1901 and 1902. They were not conceived of as a cycle, with each song only connected by the poet Friedrich Rückert and the themes. But they were published together, first as Sieben Lieder aus letzter Zeit (Seven Songs of Latter Days) with two additional Mahler songs, then with only the five songs. They have simply come to be known as Rückert-Lieder and are now most frequently performed together, although Mahler did set other Rückert poems aside from these five. Mahler orchestrated the first four songs himself, while the fifth song, Liebst du um Schönheit, was orchestrated after Mahler's death by Max Puttmann. The fourth song, Um Mitternacht (At midnight hour), was written in the summer of 1901, and it premiered among the other first four songs on January 29th, 1905, in Vienna, Mahler conducting. While the other four songs are more lyrical, the fourth stands out as a more austere symphonic ode, with hymn-like settings for the orchestra that include broad contrapuntal lines and a grand brass chorale. Versions in A minor, B minor, and G minor are available from the publisher. Instrumentation: 2.2+Obd'a.2.2+CBsn: 4.2.3.1: Timp: Hp.Pno: Solo Voice.

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Series: Kalmus Vocal Library

Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.

ISBN10: 8-88-852678-1

ISBN13: 979-8-88-852678-1

UPC: 676737931520

SKU: 36-A289001

Instrumentation: 2.2+Obd'a.2.2+CBsn: 4.2.3.1: Timp: Hp.Pno: Solo Voice

More about this title

About the Composer: Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was an Austrian composer and conductor whose symphonies and vocal works shaped late Romantic music. His career spanned positions at major European opera houses, culminating in his tenure at the Vienna Court Opera, where he championed new music and transformed the institution's artistic standards. Mahler's compositional voice merged symphonic ambition with intimate song writing; his orchestral songs and symphonies explore profound emotional and philosophical terrain, often drawing on folk traditions and literary texts.

Mahler's approach to composition was inseparable from his work as a conductor. He understood orchestration with extraordinary specificity and revised his scores throughout his life. His influence on 20th-century music was immediate and profound, shaping how composers thought about the integration of voice and orchestra, the expressive potential of counterpoint, and the orchestra's capacity for both grandeur and delicacy.

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Why we love this

Um Mitternacht breaks the mold of the Rückert cycle by abandoning lyricism for austere architectural strength. The hymn-like brass chorale and broad contrapuntal lines create a work that feels both intimate in its vocal writing and monumental in its orchestral conception. High voice singers gain access to a genuinely challenging, dramatically rich part of the art song repertoire.

What to expect

The music evokes midnight contemplation with stark, almost liturgical beauty. Broad orchestral lines unfold like a processional hymn, while the vocal part moves through a landscape that feels both exposed and supported, intimate yet monumental.

Who it's for

High voice singers with strong orchestral collaboration experience and mature interpretive skills. Suitable for professional soloists, advanced graduate vocal students, and experienced recitalists preparing for orchestral song performances.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the vocal line with long-breathed phrasing that mirrors the orchestra's broad contrapuntal statements; resist the temptation to break the line into smaller gestures.
Coordinate closely with the conductor on the balance between your voice and the ensemble's brass chorale, particularly in passages where the hymn-like texture dominates.
Distinguish the austere, introspective character of this song from the more lyrical songs in the cycle; approach the text with philosophical weight rather than emotional urgency.

How to use it

Program this song alongside orchestral works that emphasize contrapuntal architecture or symphonic song cycles. It pairs effectively with other Rückert-Lieder orchestrations, though its austere character makes it compelling as a standalone item on a concert featuring Mahler's orchestral or vocal works.