New-York tribune., 1922-02-02
Mal1ler's ||Lied
Won der Erde''
Is an Anomaly
First Performance of Com
position Here Is Given
by Friends of Music:
Bodanzky Is Conductor
Songs in Its Six Parts
Presentation of So-Callcd
Symphony Is Interesting
and Artislically Done
By III. f. krehbicI

IN Carnegie Hall yesterday after
noon. at q concert Of the Friends Of
Music, the late Gustav Mahler's "Das
Lled Won der Erde" received its first
pubic performance in America. The
occasion was set apart as one of spe-
cial significance by the change from
the concert ROOM in which the concerts
of the society are usually given. by an
augmentation Of the orchestra. the
bringing Of Nine. Charles Caher from
EUROPE to sing the three contralto
songs, which make up something more
than half of the work, and w unusuo)
efforts TO direct attention to it. We
might also add by the enthusiastic and
Jealous labor devoted by Mr. Bodanzkv
to the preparation Of the music if en-
thuslasm and zeal did not enter into all
OF that conductors work.
Without attempting to measure the
significance of the occasion, il must
be characterized as an extremely in
terestIng one in respect to the music
as we'll as its performance. We are.
call the composition, If it is to be
accepted as unit and not as a series
of songs set for solo voices and or
chestra. Without qualification. the
composer called If symphony; but in
no sense which has received accept
ance from the inception of the sym
phonc form down to to-day is it that.
There are six sections, and each one Of
these is song. tenor and contralto
Cor barytone) voice being employed
alternately. But tho instrumental part
is more than an accompaniment and
the vocal part is frequently less than
TO thnk-for sometimes the voice in
dulees IN genuine lyricism, which the
orchestra WHITES and adorns with har-
monies and musical color. and some
times the orchestra does the singing
and the voice assumes the role of an
eXpoundc~. Always. however, the music
goes for lis moods and its pictures for
il is largely delincation) TO the under
lying poems.
Paraphrases of Chinese Poems
For these poems. seven in number,
though the composer has drawn the
sixth and seventh into one section di-
vlded by long orchestral interludc
(which probably caused more brain
racking, bewildermcnt and WEAKNESS
than all the rest OF the work., Nh.
Mailer went to some paraphrascs Of
eighth century Chinese poems made
by German poet named Hans Bethgc,
who called his collection "Thc Chinese
Flute" In making his settings the
composer took few liberties with the
poets lines and even added a few of
his own, but this is an inconscquential
matter. 1t is of consequence. however.
since it adds to the riddle which the
hearers OF the music are asked to
solve. that he gave his compages of
songs the title "Das Lied Won der
Erde" and described it as a symphony.
We do not know what the composer
meant by "Das Lied Won der Erde' 1t
is easy enough to translate it as "'rhe
Song Of the Earth" but it is not the
earth that sings. and the poems deal
less with the aspects Of nature than
with tho philosophy of human cx-
stence. The first poem is cpicurean,
n drinking song the world is full Of
WOO. the skies are ctcrnal earth will
long endure. hut mans life is but a
span: look down. an ape sits grlmacing
on the graves of the dead Hithcr my
lutte and wine. no. Empty tho cup to
the dregs DARK is life and death
dark" Tho second poem describes
nature in the pail Of sutumNal mists
cold winds bend the stalks, scatter the
blossoms and send tho withercd
bloom, of the lotus scuddlnc across