FreeMahler

What the Earth Tells Us

The Stegreif Ensemble is a collective of international musicians whose passion is to combine the cherished legacy of classical compositions with free improvisation. The concerts take place without a conductor, sheet music, or chairs for the ensemble, allowing for greater freedom of movement and interaction.

The Stegreif Orchestra presents Mahler’s melodies—including selections from Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, and 10, *Das Lied von der Erde*, and the *Wunderhorn* songs—with improvisational ease. As with Mahler himself, this lightness is simultaneously contrasted with themes of transience and destruction. To this end, four composers (or teams of composers) with very different sonic languages were commissioned to arrange one movement each. The program is not based on an adaptation of a single classical work, but rather contains references to various works by Gustav Mahler, all of which are united by the common theme of “nature.” The result is a multifaceted reflection on Mahler’s musical world at the present-day juncture of time.

Introduction: 7:00 p.m.

Stegreif e.V. The Improvising Symphony Orchestra
“The arrangements are outrageous—but also outrageously good.”—Opernwelt