Henze: Lieder von einer Insel, Orpheus Behind the Wire & 5 Madrigäle

Featuring

Marcus Creed
SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart
Ensemble Modern
Hans Werner Henze

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Composer Biography

Henze's youth was traumatic, marked by the provincial conditions of Nazi rule and war, which influenced his sociopolitical engagement in music from the late 1960s.

Compositional Technique

'Orpheus Behind the Wire' is Henze's first unaccompanied choral work, featuring a four-part setting that expands to twelve parts, incorporating spoken, whispered, and shouted elements with and without defined pitches.

Performer Biography

The SWR Vokalensemble is recognized internationally for contemporary music, having performed more premieres than any other choir in its 70-year history.

Composition History

Henze's 'Lieder von einer Insel' sets poems by Ingeborg Bachmann, which she wrote on the island of Ischia in 1953, the same year Henze left Germany for Italy.

Performer Biography

Ensemble Modern, founded in 1980, operates without an artistic director; its 20 soloists from 10 nations jointly decide on projects, co-productions, and financial matters.

Composition History

The 'Fünf Madrigale' were composed in 1947, shortly after Henze returned from being a prisoner of war and began his studies.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Hans Werner Henze described his music as 'musica impura' with 'weaknesses, drawbacks, and imperfections,' aiming for music to be understood like language rather than an abstract sound space.