Mahler Kindertotenlieder 5 -- "In diesem Wetter"

[markpkessinger]

1. My favorite Mahler song cycle!

I had the privilege of hearing mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig, in one of the final concert performances of her career, perform this in New York with the N.Y. Philharmonic. And on this particular song, she absolutely tore the audience's heart out! She made you genuine believe she was a mother racked with guilt after losing them in a storm.

Thanks for sharing this! And for the benefit of anyone reading, here is a translation of the Rückert poem from which the text is taken:

"In this weather"

In this weather, in this windy storm,
I would never have sent the children out.
They have been carried off,
I wasn't able to warn them!

In this weather, in this gale,
I would never have let the children out.
I feared they sickened:
those thoughts are now in vain.

In this weather, in this storm,
I would never have let the children out,
I was anxious they might die the next day:
now anxiety is pointless.

In this weather, in this windy storm,
I would never have sent the children out.
They have been carried off,
I wasn't able to warn them!

In this weather, in this gale, in this windy storm,
they rest as if in their mother's house:
frightened by no storm,
sheltered by the Hand of God.