Stephen Stucky, Friedrich Rückert

Aus Der Jugendzeit

As part of the Dolce Suono Ensemble project 'Mahler 100/Schoenberg 60;' Stucky was commissioned for a work reflecting on these two remarkable composers. For Stucky; this was a look back to his beginnings as a composer; and he injects cues from both Mahler and Schoenberg in his completed work. For the text; he chose one of the Ruckert poems that Mahler never did use; but one which has attracted some 60 other composers. The song of lost youth and farewell incorporates a nod to Schoenberg (including the Pierrot ensemble scoring) and Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde at the end.