Gustav Mahler: Rueckert Lieder (Songs from Latter Days) Soloist: Nancy Maultsby; Gustav Mahler: "Totenfeier" ("Funerary Rites" - 1st Mvt. from Symphony No. 2); Augusta Read Thomas: Of Paradise and Light; Bernard Rands: Adieu. Mahler's turbulent loves are expressed through his music. His settings of poems by Friedrich Rueckert explore themes of love, nature, and otherworldliness. Mahler was haunted throughout his life by the premonition of his own death. The first movement of his 2nd Symphony draws stark contrasts between the composer's premonition of doom, and his vision of life. Modern parallels can be found in "Adieu" by Bernard Rands and "Of Paradise and Light" by his wife, composer Augusta Read Thomas. Both comment on the unique dynamics of creative/personal partnerships.
