Composer

:

Gustav Mahler

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song: Art Song

Compose Date

:

1901

Publication Date

:

1905

First Performance

:

Jan 29, 1905

Average_duration

:

4:50

Gustav Mahler's "Wenn dein Mütterlein" is a heart-wrenching song that is part of his Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children) cycle. The song was composed in 1901 and premiered in Vienna in 1905. The cycle consists of five songs, and "Wenn dein Mütterlein" is the fourth song in the cycle. The song is written in C minor and has a slow, mournful tempo. It is a solo song for a baritone or mezzo-soprano accompanied by a piano. The song is characterized by its haunting melody and Mahler's use of dissonance to create a sense of unease and sadness. The lyrics of the song were written by Friedrich Rückert, a German poet who lost two of his children to scarlet fever. The poem is a conversation between a mother and her child who has died. The mother is asking the child if he is happy in heaven and if he remembers her. The child responds that he is happy but misses his mother and wishes he could be with her again. The song is divided into three sections. The first section is a slow and mournful introduction that sets the tone for the rest of the song. The second section is more agitated and features a faster tempo and more dissonant harmonies. This section represents the mother's grief and anguish at the loss of her child. The final section returns to the slower tempo of the introduction and features a haunting melody that represents the child's response to his mother's questions. Overall, "Wenn dein Mütterlein" is a powerful and emotional song that captures the pain and grief of losing a child. Mahler's use of dissonance and haunting melodies creates a sense of unease and sadness that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

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