Bucheon Philharmonic 30th Regular Concert... Mahler's 'Farewell Trilogy' Complete

Performance of "Song Drawing a Dead Child" and "Song of the Earth"

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the 262nd regular concert, "Youngmin Park's Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde," at 5 p.m. on the 30th at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall.

In this concert, Youngmin Park and the Bucheon Philharmonic will perform Gustav Mahler's symphonies "Kindertotenlieder" and "Das Lied von der Erde." The Bucheon Philharmonic performed Mahler's Symphony No. 9 at the Lotte Concert Hall on November 7 last year, and upon completing this concert, they will complete the "Farewell Trilogy."

"Kindertotenlieder" is a piece Mahler composed inspired by reading poems by German poet Friedrich R?ckert (1788?1866). R?ckert, having lost two children to diphtheria, expressed his grief and longing in over 400 poems, published as the poetry collection "Kindertotenlieder." Mahler selected five of these poems to create the song cycle of the same name.

Mahler's "Kindertotenlieder" also expresses the profound sorrow of parents who have lost a child, with lyrics for each movement. At the time of composing this piece, Mahler had two daughters but soon lost his eldest to typhoid fever. Additionally, Mahler himself was diagnosed with heart disease, which engulfed him in fear of loss and death. "Das Lied von der Erde" was composed during this painful period. Although it should have been numbered Symphony No. 9, Mahler refrained from numbering it because many composers died after composing their ninth symphonies. In "Das Lied von der Erde," Mahler used poems by Chinese poets such as Li Bai, Meng Haoran, and Wang Wei as lyrics, expressing a will to let go of worldly attachments and face life and death with equanimity.

Mezzo-soprano Lee Ah-kyung and tenor Kim Jae-hyung will join the Bucheon Philharmonic for this regular concert. Lee Ah-kyung was the first Korean to win first place outright at the 34th Bellini International Competition. She has performed leading roles in operas such as "Don Carlo," "Il Trovatore," "Rigoletto," "The Marriage of Figaro," and "Madama Butterfly" at prestigious venues worldwide. Tenor Kim Jae-hyung won second place without a first prize and a special award in the vocal category at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Germany.

Since 2015, the Bucheon Philharmonic, together with principal conductor Youngmin Park, has presented the "Youngmin Park's Mahler" series. Marking the 160th anniversary of Mahler's birth this year, they plan to conclude the series with two regular concerts. The final stage will be adorned with Mahler's Symphony No. 8, also known as the "Symphony of a Thousand," on November 27 at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall.

The Bucheon Philharmonic will also take thorough measures to prevent COVID-19 during this concert. They will have thermometers, thermal cameras, and hand sanitizers on hand, and will require mask-wearing and signing a guestbook upon entering the venue.