Mezzo-soprano Alexandra Durseneva recorded Mahler's "Der Abschied" in 2021. The soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre possesses an expressive and deep voice; her ability to convey subtle musical nuances and create vivid characters has been appreciated by directors such as Boris Pokrovsky, Graham Vick, Alexander Sokurov, and Eimuntas Nekrošius. Alongside major operatic roles, Durseneva has always sung chamber works, and in recent years, she has become interested in the genre of theatrical concerts.
One such project is "Mahler. On the Edge of Eternity." The singer herself noted in an interview that she interprets "Der Abschied" as a piece directed towards light, a reminder of eternal categories: "This parting is temporary. We will all meet again and be cradled in the hands of God, just like in the hands of a mother." In March 2021, the concert performance "Mahler. On the Edge of Eternity" took place at the Zaryadye Concert Hall. Mahler's music united actor Vladimir Koshevoy, ballerina Marianna Ryzhkina, and mezzo-soprano Alexandra Durseneva. Thanks to the "Der Abschied" project, the sixth part of Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" was performed as a standalone piece.
It is challenging to define the genre of "Das Lied von der Erde"; it is close to both a symphony and a vocal cycle. The circumstances of its creation support the former definition: the composer was troubled by thoughts of death, and for many composers, the Ninth Symphony became their last. It is believed that Mahler refrained from numbering it as a symphony and instead specified the genre as "symphony in songs." Proponents of the song cycle interpretation remind us that Mahler did not include "Das Lied" among his symphonies, and many of his large works often "grew" from chamber genres. This interpretation allows for the final movement – "Der Abschied" – to be separated and performed as an autonomous piece.
Mahler intended "Das Lied von der Erde" for two soloists – a tenor and an alto or a tenor and a baritone (if no alto could be found) – and orchestra. In the 20th century, practices changed, and today, one can encounter "Das Lied" in a version for tenor and mezzo-soprano. The mezzo-soprano fully occupies the final part of the work.
In this recording, rather than the expanded Mahler orchestra, only two instruments participate – piano, played by the singer's long-time accompanist Vladimir Slobodyan, and harp, performed by Bolshoi Theatre orchestra soloist Tatyana Oskolkova. According to music critic Igor Koryabin, Alexandra Durseneva's voice in this setting is "as if coming from the heights of the cosmos and the depths of the earth itself, presenting itself in an academically stylish manner, with an aromatic bitterness, mesmerizing, and precisely refined in the pedantic traditions of 'steely' German Romanticism."
This release is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Melodiya.
