Monday, July 21, 2014

1000 SONGS - DAY 326 SONG # 357

DAY 326: A Song transposed from Major to  Minor Key

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was a great Austrian composer, opera director and so on. His symphonies are among my favourites. His first symphony (named after a book by Jean Paul that I have read in its entirety [each and every one of the "Jobelperioden"]: Titan), features - as the 3rd movement - a treatment of one of the most popular French folk songs (along with "Sur le pont d'Avignon"), Frere Jacques, transposed from the major key of the original to the minor key in which the song might have been rendered in the Austrian empire. Some commentators also hear influences of Kletzmer in this one. Be that as it may, it is simply great. Here is a version of it, as performed by The Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez.


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