The Double Fugues, WoO 33 and 50, composed around 1917-1918, explore the boundaries between musical convention and novelty, and tonality and atonality.
Performer Biography
Hanna Weinmeister, the violinist on this album, plays on the Bennett Stradivarius from 1662, provided by the Axa-Winterthur Insurance Company.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Krenek's music was influenced by the creative tension between the weight of Viennese musical tradition and a sense of irony and uncertainty.
Historical Context
Krenek was forced to flee to the United States of America due to the rise of the Third Reich, despite not being Jewish.
Recording & Production
Two of the works on this album, the Double Fugues, WoO 50 and WoO 33, are first recordings.
Performer Biography
Tatjana Masurenko, the violist, has released an album dedicated to Gladys Krenek, featuring all of Ernst Krenek's works for viola.
Composer Biography
Ernst Krenek (1900-91) was born in Vienna, a city synonymous with classical music, at the turn of the 20th century.
