Farewell: Folk & Folkways

Farewell

Tavern
The many folk traditions Mahler encountered gave him a rich source of songs, dances, and legends.
“The Bohemian music of my childhood home has found its way into many of my compositions.”
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VIDEO:MTT on Das Lied von der Erde

  • The first song in Mahler’s song symphony The Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde), “The Drinking Song of the Earth’s Sorrow” (Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde), expresses a bitter acknowledgement of life’s realities: “Life is dark, as is death.”

  • The opening of the song sets the mood of bitter abandon.