He's more than a bunch of symphonies and songs. Even those are not what you think. And although the music stopped with his death in 1911—100 years later, his time is now. During four months of concerts, jam sessions, conversation, and film, free your mind about what Mahler really means.
What happens when Classical Music misses its subway stop and gets off at Improvisation? In tonight's concert, NEC's Contemporary Improvisation and jazz departments cross paths with their classical colleagues. The virtuosi of NEC's conductorless Chamber Orchestra provide a foundation for the imagination of MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran—the familiar Adagietto from Mahler's Symphony No. 5 will appear in an unfamiliar, new light. Another NEC MacArthur Fellow, Ran Blake, creates a film of Mahler's life at the piano keys. Improvising singers add fresh ingredients to Mahler songs. Would Mahler recognize his own music? As a composer haunted by a wide variety of sounds, would he feel right at home?
Read Anthony Coleman's compilation of texts on the "Mahler in Chinatown" theme.
Ran Blake Mahler Noir
re-composition/solo piano performance based on Blake's storyboarding of important events in Mahler's life
I. Death Gong
II. Conversion
III. Death of Maria
IV. Auf Wiedersehen Wien
V. The Last Boat Trip: New York to France
VI. Flashback and Death
Mahler St. Anthony's Sermon to the Fish
from Des Knaben Wunderhorn
re-composition by Eden MacAdam-Somer
performed by
Sarah Jarosz, vocals and mandolin
Eden MacAdam-Somer, violin and vocals
Vesela Stoyanova, MIDI marimba and vocals
Valerie Thompson, cello and vocals
Jeffrey Balter, drums and percussion
Read Eden MacAdam-Somer's note on this re-composition.
Read Katarina Markovic's note on Des Knaben Wunderhorn.
Mahler third movement of Symphony No. 3
re-composition by Contemporary Improvisation ensemble Survivors Breakfast coached by Anthony Coleman, with interpretation of posthorn solo
The members of Survivors Breakfast are:
Leah Hennessy, voice
Mia Friedman and Eden MacAdam-Somer, violin
Zoe Christiansen, clarinet
Joelle Wagner, bassoon
Fausto Sierakowski, alto saxophone
Jason Belcher, baritone saxophone
Nigel Taylor, trumpet
Cale Israel, trombone
Arian Shafiee, guitar
Simón Willson and Simon Hanes, bass
Andy Fordyce, drums
Andria Nicodemou, percussion
Anthony Coleman, leader and pianist
During rehearsals, Coleman posts on Facebook: "Mahler's Third is a bunch of incredible, quasi-theatrical extravaganzas and events that, when put all together, I am not sure really add up to a 'Symphony,' exactly. We just started rehearsing it again, but I think it will really be something … something."
Read Anthony Coleman's note on this re-composition.
Fain/Kahal I'll Be Seeing You
Tanya Kalmanovitch, viola
Ted Reichman, accordion
Anthony Coleman, piano
The standard by American songwriter Sammy Fain and lyricist Irving Kahal opens with melodic material that closely resembles a passage of the last movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 3.
Read Tanya Kalmanovitch's note on this song.
Read Katarina Markovic's note on Symphony No. 3.
Mahler from Symphony No. 4
re-composition/performance by
Fausto Sierakowski, saxophone
Andrew Clinkman, guitar
Read Ellen Pfeifer's note on Symphony No. 4.
Mahler Adagietto from Symphony No. 5
Jason Moran, piano improvisations, performed with the NEC Chamber Orchestra coached by Donald Palma
Mahler from Das Lied von der Erde
selections arranged by Schoenberg
On Youth Maria Kim, vocalist
On Beauty Natalie Cadet, vocalist
Drunk in Spring Nedelka Prescod, vocalist
NEC Wind Ensemble, Charles Peltz, conductor
Read Charles Peltz's note on these songs.
Brubaker Mahler's Ninth Symphony
Huijuan Pan, piano
Yoojin Park, violin
Chia-Hui Hung, viola
Seungwon Chung, cello
Are you an NEC faculty member or student who is giving a school concert? Submit your artist and repertoire information now!
DUKE ELLINGTON