In his early songs, Alban Berg (a 20th-century Austrian composer) already sought to elude the constraints of tonality, using highly individual and experimental harmonic concepts.
Composer Biography
Alban Berg (a 20th-century Austrian composer) secretly attributed a functional role to the notes F and B (F and H in German) in his Lyrische Suite and the 1925 version of Schliesse mir die Augen beide, representing the initials of Hanna Fuchs, with whom he was secretly in love.
Interpretation
The performers on this album chose to use the numbering system for Berg's (a 20th-century Austrian composer) early songs proposed by Rosemary Hilmar for her catalogue, rather than Berg's own temporary opus numbers.
Compositional Technique
In the last of his Vier Lieder Op.2, Alban Berg (a 20th-century Austrian composer) achieved a complete suspension of tonality, including a passage with a glissando playing only white and black notes simultaneously, and an eleven-note chord.
Album & Artwork
The cover art for this album features "Four trees 1917" by Egon Schiele (1890-1918), an Austrian painter.
Composition History
The publication of Alban Berg's (a 20th-century Austrian composer) early songs, known as Jugendlieder, was delayed because his widow, Helene Berg, prevented their study and publication until her death in 1976.
Recording & Production
This album is the first complete recording of Alban Berg's (a 20th-century Austrian composer) Lieder, including his Jugendlieder, Sieben frühe Lieder, Vier Lieder Op.2, Altenberg Lieder Op.4, and other pieces.
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