Thank you Paul,

I totally agree. "Stiff" phrases is one of the reasons why I recently bought two of the bigger string bundles, but my Mahler playbacks do not yet benefit from them. They're all done with the special edition, which to my opinion is not to blame. But one of my problems when coping with the SE is the slow attack of some string (and clarinet) legato patches and the fact that the target notes are not looped. So they often had to be replaced by rather unexpressive "sus" patches both for passages needing a clear timing and for very extended notes lasting several bars. So some cantilenas loose their singing character and sound like just “unmusically” added notes. This is a detailed reply to what you write although I can only guess, that you mean the same thing as I do. So there's another self-criticism I have to offer: With Mahler, it sometimes was not easy to find the different gradations of pianissimo in songs, which also have sudden loud eruptions. It is like cutting the legs of a table without a cane. There is always remaining one leg too long. So you correct and correct and at the end there's almost nothing left but the tabletop. By the way: I’ve done the first steps of translating my German-speaking website into English and French.
The Mahler page is the one I began with. So if you like you can visit it, for example to get free access to a video offering much more extended excerpts than the one you know: https://www.uli-schauerte.de/mahler-minus-you-english/
So long

Uli

Hi there,

when I first presented my MAHLER MINUS YOU project here some months ago, I had already created the orchestral accompaniments of every Mahler song as far as orchestrated by the ccomposer and part of a lied cycle resp. collection. I had already added "Urlicht", but was not sure when or if I would add "Wir genießen die himmlischen Freuden" (4th symphony) or "O Mensch, gib acht !" from the 3rd one. Doing this kind of work is a deep joy for me, otherweise I'd never do it. On the other hand, I always felt sort of horrifired when asked if I think of doing the "Lied von der Erde" too. I sometimes do love Mahler more than any other composer (including myself not only sometimes) but an hour is an hour and a month is a month and a year is a year...

I'm now posting this message to let you know that I was not able to overcome the temptation:Several weeks ago I first worked on the "Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde". There's an excerpt to listen to on:

I would be interested in what you think about my recent results. Of course I would also be interested to know what to do in order to get a better following and to find people willing to buy my playbacks. There's one very fine tenor who's highly enthusiastic and making his recordings with help of my wav files. Besides him it's mostly people making me learn about exotic instruments I had never heard about before: A tárogató (!) player uses my Kindertotenlieder, and my Urlicht is used by a theremin (!) player. Maybe you're smiling when reading this. Just like I did. But I have to admit that I slightly tend to give priority to singers.

Thanks for reading (and maybe listening)

Uli

Maybe this might inspire you. My friend Reinholf Behringer is since years very enthousiastic especially with programming Mahler with virtual Instruments. Beside many other Mahler Movements he has also already done Urlicht and Farewell, may be this is interesting for you:

http://www.virtualphilharmonic.co.uk/Music.php

You're right: We all rely on inspiration.

My project was inspired by several people (Mahler, but not only), VSL skilled collegues (you, dito) but also by amazing facts which could easily mislead me to behave as a Donald Trump like gorilla if I lost control. But even staying well-mannered I cannot help them being facts:

As far as I can see I'm the first one to create sample based orchestral accompaniments of any Mahler song. And not regarding „Urlicht“ rendered by your friend I still am the only one apparently, not just when considering that I've accomplished all of them meanwhile.

The 4^th movements of the 4^th and the 3^rd symphony are not yet done and the „Lied von der Erde“ has only reached 40 of its 60 minutes, but these items usually are not regarded as part of the lieder cycles.

To cut a long story short:

I'm depending on being inspired and I'm thankful for any source of inspiration, but speaking of Mahler accompaniments I begin to feel like being justified to see myself as also giving inspiration rather than only needing it. Or is this what I've just called Trump like ?

Hope it isn't.

Yours sincerely

PS:

Of course it was a matter of inspiration and perspiration to visit your friend's site. But I could stop sweating learning, that he uses „Farewell“ naming the 9^th symphony and not „Abschied“ from („Das Lied von der Erde“).

Uli, the Absheid sounds really great, fantastic performance!  The musical performance is simply excellent and the instruments sound completely natural.  

(one technical problem  - I heard a repeated noise on the right channel like a compression artifact or something similar. Not sure if it is on youtube itself)

I am very flattered being regarded as inspiration for you. Being respected from other VSL-collegues for what we do could be a great mutual encouragement.

Dear William,

reading that you appreciate my results means a lot to me. Thank you for a beneficial experience. Thanks also for mentioning the technical noise. In spite of my tinnitus I sometimes notice some sort of crackling noise myself and I guess (hope) you're right thinking of a youtube resp. compression problem. So as a "Trost im Ungück" (solace in sorrow) I experienced that at least my original wav files exported from my DAW (Samplitude) seem to be clean. Fortunately. So, when an audio file is ordered I usually send it via workupload.com and apparently there's no noise or worsening of the sound quality to fear. May I ask you a favour ? I would like to know if the noise is gone in the Abschied excerpt you know, but now as my original wav file without beeing spoilt by neither a video editing software nor by Youtube. It should be possible to download it after a click on http://workupload.com/file/ajGV8E2 It would be very helpful for me to know if there's no more crackling or at least a difference. See you soon ? Thank you. William !

Uli

Yes, Steffen,

I totally agree. Let me emphasize your word "mutual" which didn't come to my mind yesterday. It's all about mutuality or, in (y)our own language: "Augenhöhe".

On other subject: "My" tenor Gustavo Monastra (although "Der Abschied" is for alto or baritone) has made a recording using my accomapaniment. I made a video, everybody is happy. And then i got a copyright claim presented by Youtube, cause I've stolen "Das Lied von der Erde". I've sent a protest immediately, telling them that I take it as a compliment, when they think they hear a real orchestra. I'm curious how things will develope. Last year they had tried to pretend the copyright for "Oh du fröhliche" quoted in my "Zweihnachtsmusik". There's a million of ways to waste time. 

Bye for now

Uli 

Uli

I tried the download file and there is definitely no noise on the original - it sounds very clear and perfect.  So it was some upload conversion problem.  

Thank you, William,

you helped me a great deal. I think I'll explain in the descriptions of my internet videos that sporadic ennoying crackle is not God-given, rather Youtube-Given and that my wav-files are free from any noise. I don't even want to know how many singers already have been deterred from ordering any of my accompaniments. If you like to have any of them as little personal thankyou, let me know.

Bye for now

Uli