Four Last Songs – Death and Transfiguration

The early tone poem (No. 2) “Death and Transfiguration” and the “Four Last Songs”, written in the final year of his life, complement each other perfectly in their theme: creating a mystical bridge to the beyond.
“Death and Transfiguration” depicts, with a Schopenhauerian colouring, the arduous final struggle of a poet, artist, hero? on his sickbed. Childhood memories, experiences of youth and love, the entire “film of a person’s life” unfolds once more before the claws of death strike him down (“death, which stands inevitably in the background of every life and—in and through life—has merely played with its prey for a while before devouring it.” — Arthur Schopenhauer).
The vision of a higher life through the IDEAL, however, provides the transcendent conclusion.

Live recording at the Wiener Konzerthaus.

• Four Last Songs
• Biographical background
• The poets of the songs
• “Spring” (H. Hesse)
• “September” (H. Hesse)
• “Going to Sleep” (H. Hesse)
• “At Sunset” (Eichendorff)
• Concert performance
• Death and Transfiguration
• Overview
• Explanations
• Performance

Total playing time: 128′18″.

The early tone poem (No. 2) “Death and Transfiguration” and the “Four Last Songs”, written in the final year of his life, complement each other perfectly in their theme: creating a mystical bridge to the beyond.
“Death and Transfiguration” depicts, with a Schopenhauerian colouring, the arduous final struggle of a poet, artist, hero? on his sickbed. Childhood memories, experiences of youth and love, the entire “film of a person’s life” unfolds once more before the claws of death strike him down (“death, which stands inevitably in the background of every life and—in and through life—has merely played with its prey for a while before devouring it.” — Arthur Schopenhauer).
The vision of a higher life through the IDEAL, however, provides the transcendent conclusion.

Live recording at the Wiener Konzerthaus.

CD 1 – 65′07″ – Four Last Songs
1 Biographical background
2 The poets of the songs
3 “Spring” (H. Hesse)
4 “September” (H. Hesse)
5 “Going to Sleep” (H. Hesse)
6 “At Sunset” (Eichendorff)
7 Concert performance

CD 2 – 63′11″ – Death and Transfiguration
1 Overview
2 Explanations
3 Performance

Total playing time: 128′18″.