In 1907 Mahler suffered a series of severe losses - following pressure, he resigned his position as Director of the Court Opera in Vienna, and after his elder daughter Maria died, he himself received the diagnosis of a severe heart condition.

During the summer of 1908, Mahler sketched Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), a ‘symphony for two vocal soloists and orchestra’. The texts, taken from Hans Bethge’s The Chinese Flute, are concerned with the themes of transience and loss, culminating in the overwhelming Der Abschied (The Farewell).

Known for his wide range of repertoire and creative programming, Hans Graf is the fifteenth and one of the longest serving music directors of the Houston Symphony. In this recording, Graf is joined by two highly acclaimed singers: American mezzo-soprano Jane Henschel and American tenor Gregory Kunde.