20017 Es Sungen Drei Engels

from Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

arranged by Roger Harvey
for Symphonic brass ensemble

(4 Tpts, Flugel, 4 Hns, 3 Trbs, Tuba, percussion)

Difficulty: Medium

Price: £25.00

Programme note:
Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Youth's Magic Horn) is a collection of German folk poems published in 1805-8. Mahler's numerous settings of these poems are scattered around his catalogue: some for voice and piano, some with orchestral accompanimiment and some of which he used as movements in his symphonies. The first 9 were written in 1887 and make up Volumes 2 and 3 of his voice and piano collections. 12 more were published in 1899, originally as Humoresken, conceived with orchestral accompaniment. Urlicht and Es sungen drei Engel were replaced in 1901 by 2 new songs after Mahler had incorporated the earlier songs into his 2nd and 3rd symphonies. Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt and Ablösung im Sommer were also included in the 2nd and 3rd symphonies as instrumental movements.

Es Sungen drei Engels originally appeared as the 12th song in the 1899 collection of Humoresken and was replaced after Mahler had used it as a movement in his 3rd Symphony. There it is scored for soloist, womens chorus and boy trebles with orchestra. The ringing bells implied in the accompaniment are voiced by the 'bimm, bamm' of the boys chorus.
The words tell of the heavenly, sweet and joyful song of 3 angels; they sing that at the Last Supper Peter cries and confesses that he has sinned. Jesus assures that by praying to God he will attain heavenly joy that has no end.

Performance note:
This version can be used as accompaniment for a solo voice performance. If this is the case, balancing the dynamics is vital and some of the transcribed vocal lines may be omitted to avoid doubling the voice.
Characterise the bell sounds cleanly. Always play the motive first stated by the trombones in bar 4 light and staccato, especially where it provides an ostinato in the bass at 47 and later.
Accented notes in passages such as from bar 3in the gtrumpets should also be played with some release in the sound to avoid becoming too heavy in style.
From 30-64 the main lines can be more cantabile but the horn accompaniment and the interjections in the upper trumpets should still be lightly and rhythmically played. The 'instrumental' section from figure 6 to 7 can be more dramatic but resolve this carefully before resorting to the lighter style afterwards.