Paul August von Klenau - a reminder

Started by adriano, Monday 29 May 2023, 06:43

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adriano

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_von_Klenau
Another excellent composer, whose personality and art, alas, remains strongly associated with National Socialism...
Some of his orchestral works are available on the CaDapo label.
His vocal cycle "Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Kornetts Christoph Rilke" (excellently conducted by Paul Mann) is a masterwork. In there you are confronted with the various aspects of his musical style, ranging from post-Romanticism to Impressionism - and even to quarter-tone music.
Swiss composer Frank Martin also wrote an impressing vocal cycle on the same poem cycle by Rainer Maria Rilke.
Incidentally: in 1923 Klenau conducted Schoenberg's "Gurrelieder" and Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis", and in 1924 Liszt's "Christus" at the Vienna Konzerthaus.
Unfortunately, CDs with his music have become very difficult to buy...
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/composers/7133/browse
(This composer has already been a theme in here in the past...)

Ilja

Thankfully, most of these recordings are available online, either on the Presto Streaming service, YouTube or Spotify.