Known for her brilliant work in Mozart’s roles, the German soprano Christiane Karg also excels in Puccini (Musetta in La Bohème), Richard Strauss (Zdenka in Arabella) and even in the title role of Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. This “Erinnerung” (Memory) recital is dedicated to a selection of Lieder by Gustav Mahler, drawn largely from his vast collection of popular songs from the Knaben Wunderhorn, some early compositions, and the Rückert-Lieder - one of the composer’s most accomplished cycles.
On piano, his long-standing partner Malcom Martineau is an ideal match. He wonderfully modulates his sound to match the singer’s every intention. The final two pieces in this recording are unusual for the fact that he hands the piano over to the composer himself! Gustav Mahler has indeed “recorded” his compositions (such as Ich ging mit Lust and the famous Das himmlische Leben which closes Symphony No. 4) on perforated card for a Welte-Mignon system.
Approached on a modern keyboard, the Welte-Mignon’s automatic articulated fingers reproduce Mahler’s tempo, intentions and, to some extent, touch. It’s obviously not a perfect replication, but Christiane Karg’s considerable effort to follow his tortuous rhythm is tremendously moving. © François Hudry/Qobuz