Jurinac and Kertész: Rückert Lieder 1967

An Intersection of Lyricism and Drama

This 1967 live broadcast captures a rare alignment of post-war musical giants tackling Gustav Mahler’s most intimate vocal creations. By the late 1960s, the Mahler renaissance was in full swing, but it was predominantly dominated by his monumental symphonies. This document redirects focus onto the composer’s quietest, most vulnerable inner world, filtered through the uniquely warm artistry of soprano Sena Jurinac and the vital, clear-eyed direction of conductor István Keretész.

Jurinac, universally adored as one of the definitive Strauss and Mozart sopranos of the Vienna State Opera, brings a golden, sun-drenched lyricism to these pieces. Unlike a heavy Wagnerian dramatic soprano or a detached concert singer, Jurinac sings Friedrich Rückert’s poetry with the conversational immediacy of an opera singer in her prime.  Partnering her is the brilliant Hungarian conductor István Kertész, heading the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Known for his rhythmically propelled, lucid style, Kertész avoids the over-sentimentalized wallowing that sometimes plagues Mahler interpretations. He treats the orchestrations as pure chamber music, providing a transparent tapestry for Jurinac’s soaring line.

Composed between 1901 and 1902, the five songs based on poems by Friedrich Rückert stand apart from Mahler’s earlier Des Knaben Wunderhorn settings. There are no marching soldiers or folk ironies here; instead, the cycle probes the existential depths of love, isolation, and spiritual surrender. Mahler did not conceive them as a strict cycle, meaning conductors can choose their own ordering to build a unique narrative arc.

1          Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder! (Look not into my songs!)
A brisk, skittering opening featuring perpetual-motion woodwinds. Jurinac delivers this warning against spying on the artist’s creative process with a delightful, teasing warmth. Kertész keeps the texture remarkably light and transparent.

2          Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft (I breathed a gentle fragrance)
A masterclass in fragile, sensory tone-painting. The orchestra mimics the delicate scent of a lime branch. Jurinac’s breath control is sublime, spinning a thread of sound that hangs in the air like perfume.

3          Liebst du um Schönheit (If you love for beauty)
The only song orchestrated later by Max Puttmann (as Mahler originally wrote it with piano for his wife, Alma). It is a straightforward declaration of unvarnished love. Jurinac avoids mawkishness, imbuing the simple strophic melody with profound, honest sincerity.

4          Um Mitternacht (At midnight)
The dramatic centerpiece of the performance. Stripped of all violins and violas, the orchestration relies heavily on brooding winds, brass, and a lone timpani. Kertész builds a shattering, architectural crescendo as the soul gives up its battle and surrenders to the divine. Jurinac opens up her lower and middle registers with thrilling, operatic authority.

5          Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (I am lost to the world)
One of the most devastatingly beautiful pieces of music ever written. Centred around a plaintive cor anglais melody, the song explores the ultimate bliss of total artistic and personal isolation. Jurinac sings with a hushed, ethereal stillness, and Kertész ensures the orchestra fades away into absolute silence.

Live radio broadcasts from this era possess an electricity that studio recordings simply cannot replicate. The subtle give-and-take between Jurinac and Kertész creates a palpably tense, lived-in atmosphere. For collectors, this 1967 recording is a crucial addition to the discography—a document of a legendary soprano stepping away from the opera house to deliver a masterclass in German song, and a tragic reminder of Kertész’s immense talent just a few years before his untimely death in 1973.