Credits:

Elise Caluwaerts, Mariana Sirbu

Description:

[All 17 songs left by Alma Mahler are recorded for the first time! Piano is played on an original instrument of the time] Alma Mahler was married to Gustav Mahler, and also interacted with many musicians and artists. It is said that she herself was blessed with various talents, and as a composer, she left behind songs. This album contains 17 songs for the first time, ranging from five songs (tracks 3-7) prepared for publication by Mahler in her final years to "Solo Steps," published in 2018. Soprano Elise Karlwarz is active in her native Belgium and throughout Europe, with a repertoire ranging from Mozart to Berg, and has released two albums to date. She conveys the charm of her works with a wide variety of expressive power, from the clear mid-high range reminiscent of a boy soprano to the deep melancholy of the lower registers. The piano is played by Marianna Shirinyan from Armenia, who has visited Japan before. The piano is a Steinway from the era in which Alma lived, and she brings out a beautiful tone. The booklet of the original recording states that the piano used was made in 1899, but after confirmation, it is highly possible that it was made in 1895. Naxos Japan