US baritone Thomas Hampson will perform for the first time today at the Macau International Music Festival (MIMF), aiming to bring a programme dedicated to Austro-Bohemian composer Gustav Mahler’s (1860-1911) evocative lieder* in collaboration with German pianist Wolfram Rieger at the Macau Cultural Centre’s (CCM) Grand Auditorium in Nape.
Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), the concert “Thomas Hampson sings Mahler” will feature selections from “Des Knaben Wunderhorn” (“The Boy’s Magic Horn”) and “Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit” (“Songs and Arias from Youthful Days”). The performance aims to showcase an immersive journey through Mahler’s lyrical universe, rich in humanity, humour and poetic imagery.
Hampson, widely regarded as one of the greatest interpreters of Mahler’s works, said during a media gathering yesterday that the programme offers “a picture of Mahler, how he saw life in a two-hour performance.” He added that “one thing that is underestimated with Gustav Mahler is his sense of humour. He adored parables and fairy tales and silly conversations between birds and jackasses – we’ll have a little bit of everything.”
Meanwhile, Rieger, who has performed with Hampson for nearly three decades, emphasised their musical partnership, noting that in Mahler’s compositions, “the piano and the singer are never separate parts – they form one complete idea, a joint dialogue between two instruments.”
The duo’s long-standing artistic chemistry aims to illuminate Mahler’s complex reflections on humanity, nature and fate. Hampson said that his goal is simple: “Every song Gustav Mahler wrote is a world in itself. Our greatest aim is for people to identify their humanness in Mahler’s stories and music.”
Tickets for the 37th Macau International Music Festival are available via Enjoy Macao (ticketing.enjoymacao.mo) with various discounts. Full programme details can be found at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm.
*Evocative lieder can refer to the classical German art song tradition which uses music and poetry to evolve deep emotions and imagery, or to modern songs that are similarly emotionally resonant and evocative, regardless of genre. The German word “Lieder” means “songs”. – Google AI overview
US baritone Thomas Hampson (right) and German pianist Wolfram Rieger pose at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) during a meet-the-press session in Nape yesterday.
– Photo: Khalel Vallo
