Zemlinsky: Complete choral works and orchestral songs

Donnie Ray Albert (Performer), Andreas Schmidt (Performer), Michael Volle (Performer), Alexander von Zemlinsky (Composer), James Conlon (Conductor), Raimund Wippermann (Conductor), Violeta Urmana (Performer), Musikvereins zu Düsseldorf (Orchestra), Romano Giefer (Performer), Deborah Voigt (Performer), Soile Isokoski (Performer), Mariola Mainka (Performer), Young-Dal Park (Performer), Lothar Blum (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Donnie Ray Albert, Andreas Schmidt, Michael Volle, Violeta Urmana, Romano Giefer, et al.
• Orchestra: Musikvereins zu Düsseldorf
• Conductor: James Conlon, Raimund Wippermann
• Composer: Alexander von Zemlinsky
• Audio CD (February 15, 2005)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B0002XV2ZM
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,659 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Psalm 13: 'Klage und Vertrauten in grosser Not,' for chorus & orchestra, Op. 24

2. Psalm 23: 'Der gute Hirt,' for chorus & orchestra, Op. 14

3. Psalm 83: 'Gott! Schweige doch nicht,' for soloists, chorus & orchestra

4. Frühlingsglaube, for chorus & strings

5. Geheimnis, for chorus & strings

6. Minnelied, for men's chorus, 2 flutes, 2 horns & harp

7. Hochzeitgesang, Jewish liturgical piece for tenor, chorus & organ

8. Aurikelchen, for women's chorus

9. Frühlingsbegräbnis, for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra: Horch! vom Hügel, welch sanfter Klang

10. Frühlingsbegräbnis, for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra: Schöner Jüngling

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Waldgespräch, ballad for soprano, 2 horns, harp & strings

2. Mailblumen blühten überall, for soprano & string sextet

3. Der alte Garten, song for baritone & orchestra

4. Erdeinsamkeit, for baritone & orchestra

5. Songs (6), for mezzo-soprano or baritone & piano (or orchestra), Op. 13: 1. Die drei Schwestern

6. Songs (6), for mezzo-soprano or baritone & piano (or orchestra), Op. 13: 2. Die Mädchen mit den verbundenen Augen

7. Songs (6), for mezzo-soprano or baritone & piano (or orchestra), Op. 13: 3. Lied der Jungfrau

8. Songs (6), for mezzo-soprano or baritone & piano (or orchestra), Op. 13: 4. Als ihr Geliebter schied

9. Songs (6), for mezzo-soprano or baritone & piano (or orchestra), Op. 13: 5. Und kehrt er einst heim

10. Songs (6), for mezzo-soprano or baritone & piano (or orchestra), Op. 13: 6. Sie kam zum Schloß gegangen

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite collection, February 21, 2009

By 

G.D. (Norway) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Zemlinsky: Complete choral works and orchestral songs (Audio CD)

This is an excellent reissue of very fine music. The first disc concentrates on his choral music, and the performances are good, although the balance between orchestra and choir is not ideal. The choir sounds unfocused, and it is virtually impossible to hear the text (if you would want that); I cannot say that this really detracted much from the listening experience; and the performances are always involved, at times almost fiercely so.

Psalm 13 is a relatively late work dating from 1933. It starts out gently but builds up tremendous intensity as it passes through despair and turmoil to end in firm determination. This is a hugely impressive work. The other psalms are constructed in rather similar ways, all of them contrasting dark desolation or dark fury with hope or resolve, though not at the level of Psalm 13. On the other hand, they work well together as a tritpych, and a very impressive one at that. The Fruhlingsbegrabnis cantata is another dark and yearning work, whereas the other smaller pieces are beautiful and gentle minor, mostly early works, all of them at least worth hearing.

Ammong the orchestral songs, "Waldgespräch" and "Maiblumen blühten überall" are early works, but recognizably Zemlinsky, lush and beautiful - the same goes for the two songs for baritone and orchestra. The performances here are excellent with Isokoski and Schmidt as soloists. The Maeterlinck songs are mature masterpieces, well sung but lacking the last ounce of involvement by Violeta Urmana. The Symphonic Songs, based on texts by various African-American authors, are late works, highly chromatic and incorporating some cabaret style techniques. This is a somewhat strange collection and I am not sure it is in the end completely successful, although there are some fascinating orchestral touches. Michael Volle's performances, at least, are excellent.

So is the orchestral contribution. Throghout the discs, James Conlon and the Kölner Philharmonic gives fine performances with great attention to detail and color and a true ability to capture the lushness of Zemlinsky's idiom. Apart from the balancing problems in the choral works, sound quality is good as well, clear, rich and atmospheric, especially in the orchestral songs.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MUSIC FROM THE SPHERES, November 21, 2007

By 

Alfredo R. Villanueva (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zemlinsky: Complete choral works and orchestral songs (Audio CD)

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT ZEMLINSKY? HIS MUSIC IS SO EXQUISITE IT DEFIES DESCRIPTION. FOR THOSE WHO LIKE RICHARD STRAUSS, HE IS A MUST. THIS RECORD IS PERFECTION. THE CHORAL WORKS, THE SONGS WITH ORCHESTRA, TRANSPORT TO THE REALM OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER.