The 'Royal Winter Music' sonatas were inspired by Shakespearean characters, a common approach for Henze to find inspiration for instrumental pieces in poetic texts.
Composition History
The 'Drei Tentos' were reworked from guitar interludes Henze composed for a radio reading of Ernst Schnabel's novel 'Der sechste Gesang', inspired by the Odyssey.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Henze explored the guitar's evocative potential to express a wide range of situations, using the instrument to conjure scenes that allow deep penetration into his music.
Composition History
The 'Drei Tentos' later became part of 'Kammermusik 1958', one of Henze's most important early works, dedicated to Benjamin Britten and premiered by Julian Bream on guitar and Peter Pears on vocals.
Recording & Production
This recording includes a 'Ritornello' from the manuscript of 'Royal Winter Music' that was initially removed from printed editions but has been reinstated in recent versions.
Composer Biography
Hans Werner Henze, one of the most important and prolific composers of the second half of the 20th century, often wrote for the guitar.
Composition History
Henze, having left Germany for Ischia in the mid-1950s, found the guitar symbolized the unspoilt simplicity and purity of his new surroundings.
