Gustav Mahler

Songs to Poems by Rüeckert - No. 1: Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder, high voice

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) composed Songs to Poems by Rüeckert (Songs After Rückert; Rückert-Lieder) between 1901 and 1902. They were not conceived of as a cycle, with each song only connected by the poet Friedrich Rückert and the themes. But they were published together, first as Sieben Lieder aus Letzter Zeit (Seven Songs of Latter Days) with two additional Mahler songs, then with only the five songs. They have simply come to be known as Rückert-Lieder and are now most frequently performed together, although Mahler did set other Rückert poems aside from these five. The first song, "Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder" ("Do Not Look at My Songs"), presented in the transposed key of A-flat in this version for high voice, portrays a poet who conceals his poems from his lover but promises her that when they emerge into the sunlight, she will be the first to read them. Instrumentation: 1.1.1.1: 1.0.0.0: Hp: Str (4.4.3.3.0 in set): Solo Voice.