Erwin Stein's chamber version of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4 has enjoyed increased popularity and frequent releases on CD, and small ensembles have willingly taken it up, much as it was embraced by the Society for Private Musical Performances in Vienna, for whom it was arranged. It takes a little adjustment to appreciate the leaner textures and the quirky changes of the original orchestration, but it is reasonably easy to accept it because this was already the lightest of Mahler's symphonies, and Stein took care to ...
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Erwin Stein's chamber version of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4 has enjoyed increased popularity and frequent releases on CD, and small ensembles have willingly taken it up, much as it was embraced by the Society for Private Musical Performances in Vienna, for whom it was arranged. It takes a little adjustment to appreciate the leaner textures and the quirky changes of the original orchestration, but it is reasonably easy to accept it because this was already the lightest of Mahler's symphonies, and Stein took care to approximate timbres wherever possible. Now that this reduced version has found favor with contemporary musicians and audiences, a worthy companion piece for use in concerts and on CDs has appeared in David Matthews' chamber arrangement of Hector Berlioz's Nuits d'été. Both works fit well on a program because of their transparent textures and balmy moods, and the employment of a mezzo-soprano in both makes programming the pair a practical option. These performances feature Heather Shipp as...
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