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Mahler for violin and piano? Why not! <BR style=BORDER-TOP-COLOR: ; BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: ; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: ; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: >The violin is probably the instrument most akin to the human voice and Mahler was a prolific song writer.

Georgian violinist, Lisa Batiashvili, has chosen five songs, in arrangements by Ronald Kornfeil, to enhance her own and others’ concert repertoire. She offers a selection from “Aus der Jugendzeit”, “Fahrenden Gesellen” and “Des Knaben Wunderhorn”, including the gorgeous “Urlicht”. The full-throated piano accompaniments of these originally orchestral songs will not only do the songs justice but also remind us of their use in Mahler’s symphonies where, of course, the solo violin often featured.

With no huge technical demands, these arrangements can be tackled even by intermediate players and will offer students a rewarding exercise in powerful yet lyrical playing.