Unquenchable yearning, heartrending grief, ardent desire – in Gustav Mahler’s songs the romantic emotional world doubtless rises to magnificent heights.

This new recording of the piano versions with Gerhild Romberger and Alfredo Perl demonstrates that the piano versions uncover respectful relations to models such as Schubert’s Winterreise; just listen to the tormented tone of the four Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen!

The  Kindertotenlieder are moving in a very special way. Mahler selected five songs from Friedrich Rückert’s total of 428 poems penned in response to the death of two of his children, and both the text and the music go straight to the heart.

Five songs grouped together today as the Rückert-Lieder round off the programme. They include a very personal “Liebst du um Schönheit”, dedicated by the composer to his wife Alma following their marriage.

Significantly, Mahler did not orchestrate this song. Romberg and Perl’s interpretation of these very personal songs conveys special intimacy and authenticity thanks to the finely tuned Steinway Grand Piano “Manfred Bürki” (1901) – a precisely balanced SACD recording.