Thomas Hampson sings Mahler: Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn

Thomas Hampson and pianist Wolfram Rieger plunge into Mahler’s world in a selection of songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn – settings that stood at the heart of the composer’s imagination and would find their way into his early symphonies. By turns ironic, playful, unsettling and deeply moving, these songs trace a landscape in which folk poetry is transformed into something altogether more complex. Hampson, long associated with this repertoire, brings a particular authority to the cycle, with Rieger as his close musical partner. Along the way, brief spoken introductions by the artists open up the songs from within, offering vivid glimpses into their meaning and background.