Das klagende Lied, Mahler鈥檚 musical coming-of- age, is a chilling fable of jealousy, murder and magic. An eerie woodland and a lively wedding ceremony are the centrepieces of a cantata of vast sonic imagination 鈥� a foretaste of the symphonies to come, heard here in its original three-part version. Mahler鈥檚 sonic scope meets its match in the musical spectacle of Pierre Boulez鈥檚 鈥榤ajestic processional鈥� Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna. Dedicated to the composer鈥檚 long-time colleague and friend, the work transforms the concert hall into a temple, in which the audience is immersed in the sounds created by eight groups of musicians.

Russell Thomas 漏 Fay Fox