Zwei Gesänge, Op. 1 (Schoenberg)
| Zwei Gesänge | |
|---|---|
| Lieder by Arnold Schönberg | |
.jpg) Arnold Schönberg by Richard Gerstl, 1905 | |
| Opus | 1 |
| Text | poems by Karl Michael von Levetzow |
| Language | German |
| Composed | 1898 |
| Dedication | Alexander von Zemlinsky |
| Performed | 1 December 1900 Vienna |
| Published | 1903 |
| Duration | 16 minutes[1] |
| Scoring |
|
Zwei Gesänge (Two songs), Op. 1, is a set of two Lieder for baritone and piano by Arnold Schönberg. He composed them to poems by Karl Michael von Levetzow in 1998. They were first performed in 1900 in Vienna and published in 1903 in Berlin, under the full title Zwei Gesänge für eine Baritonstimme und Klavier (Two songs for a baritone voice and piano) and with a dedication to Alexander von Zemlinsky.
History[edit]
Schönberg composed Zwei Gesänge early in his development as a composer. He was mostly selftaught but had taken conterpount lessons with Alexander von Zemlinsky.[2] His first songs had been influenced by Richard Wagner and Johannes Brahms among others.[3]
He met the author Karl Michael von Levetzow in Vienna in 1898, possibly at the Café Glattauer where writers regularly met and read from their books. Levetzow gave him a copy of his Höhenlieder. Gedichte und Aphorismen. in July that year, with the dedication: "Dedicated kindly to Mr Arnold Schönberg with the best wishes for success". The poems "Abschied" (Farewell), "Dank" (Thanks) and "Auf den Knien" (On my knees) appeared in the book in succession. Schönberg set "Dank" and "Abschied" to music for the Zwei Gesänge.[4]
The songs were first performed in the Bösendorfer-Saal in Vienna on 1 December 1900 by Eduard Gärtner and pianist Alexander von Zemlinsky. It took three more years until they were published, in different keys, by Verlag Dreililien in Berlin in 1903 as Schönberg's Opus 1,[4] with a dedication to Zemlisnky whom he addressed as his teacher and friend.[1] At this time he had already composed Vier Lieder, Op. 2, also to be published there.[4]
Recordings[edit]
Zwei Gesänge were recorded on 1 May 1965 by baritone Donald Gramm and pianist Glenn Gould, in Gould's collection of piano music and Lieder by Schönberg.[5] Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Aribert Reimann recorded the songs in January 1983.[6]
Schönberg 150[edit]
Performances in Schönberg's anniversary year 2024 included a recital by Liviu Holender and Lukas Rommelspacher at the Oper Frankfurt on 17 April.[7]
References[edit]
Cited sources[edit]
- Beaumont, Antony (2000). Zemlinsky. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-57-116983-2.
- Gerlach, Dennis (2020). "Zwei Gesänge für eine Baritonstimme und Klavier [Two Songs for Baritone and piano] op. 1 (1899)". Arnold Schönberg Center. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- Musgrave, M. G. (1979). Schoenberg and Brahms: a study of Schoenberg's response to Brahm's music as revealed in his didactic writings and selected early compositions (Thesis).
- "Zwei Gesänge für eine Baritonstimme und Klavier op. 1". Arnold Schönberg Center. 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- "Zwei Gesänge für eine Baritonstimme und Klavier op. 1". Arnold Schönberg Center. 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- "Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) / Zwei Gesänge op. 1 (1898)". IRCAM. 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- "Eventarchiv". schoenberg150.at. 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
External links[edit]
- 2 Gesänge, Op.1 (Schoenberg, Arnold): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Lieder und Kanons Schoenberg Gesamtausgabe
- Arnold Schoenberg - Zwei Gesänge Op.1 (Audio + Score, 1983) on YouTube
- Donald Gramm discusses his career (broadcast) studsterkel.wfmt.com
- Arnold Schönberg (1874 – 1951) / Sämtliche Lieder · Complete Songs Chandos Records
