Mahler/Schoenberg: Das Lied von der Erde
Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von Der Erde
arranged for chamber orchestra by Arnold Schoenberg & Rainer Riehn
Blythe Gaissert, Mezzo-soprano
Errin Duane Brooks, Tenor*
Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra
Chris Whittaker, Music Director
8:00pm Friday April 22, 2022
3:00pm Saturday April 23, 2022 (also streaming freely online at washingtonheightsorchestra.org)
Fort Washington Collegiate Church
729 W. 181st St. New York, NY 10033
Tickets are free! Seating is limited. Reservations recommended.
*Appearing through the courtesy of The Metropolitan Opera
Join us on Earth Day weekend for Gustav Mahler’s “Das Lied von Der Erde / The Song of the Earth” arranged in this special intimate chamber orchestra setting by composer Arnold Schoenberg and Rainer Riehn. Often dubbed Mahler’s “9th symphony,” this Song Symphony explores the beauty of life in spring and the following inexorable season of death and departing, setting text from poems of the Chinese Tang Dynasty translated by Hans Bethges in “Die chinesiche Flöte” or “The Chinese Flute.”
The sky is forever blue, and the earth
Will long stand firm, and blossom in spring.
But you, man, how long will you live?
Not a hundred years are you permitted to delight
In all the brittle vanity of this earth!
-from “Das Trinklied von Jammer der Erde” / “Drinking Song of the Earth’s Sorrow”
Our season would not be possible without generous support from these organizations:
About the Artists
Errin Duane Brooks is quickly gaining momentum as an American tenor from Detroit, Michigan. Currently, Mr. Brooks is making his off-Broadway debut, performing the role of Mr. Charles in Ricky Ian Gordon/Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater. Recently, Errin was seen at The Metropolitan Opera, re-prising his role as Mingo in George and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, Nathan in Terrence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up In My Bones, which was the first opera by a black composer to perform at The Met. Also, Mr. Brooks sang as Canio in Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci at The Phoenicia Festival. In February 2021, whilst working on many virtual and live-recorded projects during the Pandemic, Mr. Brooks had the honor and privilege to perform at the going home service of the late great Cicely Tyson. If not for Covid-19, the 2020-21 season would have seen Mr. Brooks performing as the Second Priest/First Armored Man in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Magic Flute) and covering the role of Der Kaiser in Richard Stauss’ Die Frau ohne schatten, both at The Metropolitan Opera. During the 2019-20 season, Mr. Brooks made several role and company debuts such as singing the title role in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde with Connecticut Lyric Opera and opening his season of debuts as Mingo in Porgy and Bess at The Metropolitan Opera. An avid fan of new music, Mr. Brooks began the fall of his 2018-19 season as part of an exciting new project, The-Mile-Long Opera: a biography of 7’oclock by Pulitzer prize-winning composer David Lang and acclaimed poets Anne Carson and Claudia Rankine, performed on New York’s High Line. In May 2019 Mr. Brooks made his much-anticipated return to New Amsterdam Opera as Jean de Baptîste in Massenet's Hérodiade. That same month, he made his debut with American Opera Project in their world-premiere production of Stonewall, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots sparked by the late great Marsha P. Johnson. Mr. Brooks is also becoming well-versed in concert repertoire, performing as the tenor soloist in such works as the Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes in April 2019 with The National Chorale at David Geffen Hall, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Vaughn-Williams Serenade to Music and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms in May 2018 at Carnegie Hall, Mozart’s Symphony No. 23 in D Major in April 2018 with Orchestra Society New Jersey, and Verdi’s Requiem in August 2017 with Utah Festival Opera. Errin has performed with many companies including Boheme Opera New Jersey, Lyric Opera Chicago, Michigan Opera Theater, New York City Opera, Teatro Petruzelli, Teatro Regio di Torino, and Toledo Opera. Recent competition winnings include The Sullivan Foundation Awards, The Wagner Society of New York, the Giulio Gari Foundation International Voice Competition and most notably, earning the George London-Kirsten Flagstad Grand Prize Award for promising Wagnerian Singer in the 2017 George London Foundation Competition. Other competition winnings include the Grand Prize in the Bel Canto Competition, 2nd prize in the Luminarts Cultural Foundation Vocal Competition, both in Chicago of 2016, Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (MONC) in 2015, and 1st place in The National Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists in 2014. Upcoming performances for Mr. Brooks includes another return The Metropolitan Opera as Normanno in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor and company debuts with Des Moines Metro Opera and Lakes Area Music Festival. Graduating with honors, Errin received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance with a minor in Business from Madonna University, his Master of Music in Vocal Performance at Bowling Green State University and an Artist Diploma in Opera from Roosevelt University. Mr. Brooks is currently represented by Peter Randsman, President and founder of Randsman Artists Management. Mr. Brooks is appearing through the courtesy of The Metropolitan Opera
Mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert has established herself as one of the preeminent interpreters of some of the brightest stars of new classical music. A true singing actress, she has received critical acclaim for her interpretations of both new and traditional repertoire in opera, concert, and chamber repertoire. “Gaissert gave a dramatically powerful, vocally stunning portrait of a woman growing increasingly desperate and delusional from lack of contact with the outer world. Gaissert’s development of Loats’s personality was utterly believable, and she gave a virtuoso performance of this very challenging music’ (Arlo McKinnon, Opera News for The Echo Drift). Known for her warm tone, powerful stage presence, and impeccable musicianship and technical prowess…."Mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert was impossible to ignore as the headstrong Mother Marie. She has a pure, powerful and appealing voice and a forceful stage presence to match." (Denver Post)
In the 19-20 season, Ms. Gaissert created the role of Dorothy in the world premiere of Kamala Sankaram and Rob Handel's LOOKING AT YOU with Here Arts Center NYC, sang Gertrude Stein in Ricky Ian Gordon and Royce Vavrek’s 27 with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, Hannah After in AS ONE with Opera Columbus and Opera Memphis, covered Margret in WOZZECK at the Metropolitan Opera, sang Hansel in HANSEL AND GRETEL at San Diego Opera, performed the world premiere of a chamber piece by John Glover and Kelly Rourke with Echappe Ensemble, sang BEETHOVEN 9 with the Fort Worth Symphony, performed the world premiere of songs by Kamala Sankaram, David T. Little and Martin Hennessy with Sybarite5 as well as the world premiere of Robert Patersons AUTUMN SONGS with American Modern Ensemble at Carnegie Hall. Blythe finished out with a recital of Brahms and Schubert with the Brooklyn Art Song Society.
In the 2018-19 season, Ms. Gaissert is created the role of Georgia O’Keefe TODAY IT RAINS with San Francisco’s Opera Parallele, the world premiere of the third opera by the highly acclaimed and record setting team of AS ONE: Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed. She is also reprising her role as Hannah After in her 6th production of AS ONE with New York City Opera/American Opera Projects, performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with both the Buffalo Symphony and Sarasota Orchestra, and performed in a workshop performance of Laura Kaminsky’s fourth opera, also with librettist Kimberly Reed, POSTVILLE: HOMETOWN TO THE WORLD with Opera Fusion: New Works in conjunction with Cincinnati Opera and her alma mater Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Recent engagements include Berio Folk Songs and Siegrunue DIE WALKUERE with the Dallas Symphony, and Berlioz L’Enfance du Christ with the Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro RTVE conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya.
Previous engagements include CARMEN, Orlovsky DIE FLEDERMAUS, Hansel HANSEL UND GRETEL, Siegrune DIE WALKURE, Lucretia RAPE OF LUCRETIA, Maddalena RIGOLETTO, Suzuki MADAMA BUTTERFLY, soloist in the Verdi Requiem, Berio Folk Songs, Mozart Requiem, world premieres by John Adams, Laura Kaminsky, Mikael Karlsson, Robert Paterson, Martin Hennessy, Mohammed Fairouz, Richard Pearson Thomas, Glen Roven, Yotam Haber, Jorge Martin, Tom Cipullo, Renee Favand-See, Gilda Lyons, Jessica Meyer, Gabriel Kahane and more. companies with whom Ms. Gaissert has performed include the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, Dallas Symphony, San Diego Opera, Prototype Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Lyrique en Mer, Tulsa Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Sarasota Opera, and Opera Saratoga.