Das Lied is considered the most personal of Mahler’s works. It represents a synthesis of the two great pillars in Mahler’s oeuvre, the symphony and the song. On the face of it, it is cycle of six orchestral songs. But at the same time, it features three protagonists: not just the two solo voices, but the orchestra as well, and its formal structure is symphonic in nature.

The two soloists on this recording are the best known for this work. They sing it all over the world with top orchestras to fabulous reviews and PentaTone is delighted to welcome them to their label. The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra has a splendid reputation for its Mahler performances mainly under previous Music Director Harmut Haenchen.