Despite being showered with honors during the National Socialist era, Pfitzner remained a 'grumbling oddball' difficult to integrate into the propaganda machine.
Compositional Technique
Pfitzner's sixth song from Op. 33, 'Röschen biß den Apfel an' (Rosie Bit into the Apple), lasts barely thirty seconds with a minimal accompaniment and largely freestanding vocal line.
Composer Biography
Hans Pfitzner, a German composer, was initially considered a modern musician, with Alban Berg and Anton Webern wishing to study with him before they went to Schoenberg.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Pfitzner became a traditionalist who condemned Ferruccio Busoni's 'Sketch of a New Aesthetic of Music' and warned against 'The Danger of Futurism' during World War I.
Compositional Technique
The 'Alte Weisen' (Ancient Airs), Op. 33, is Pfitzner's only song-cycle, comprising eight settings of poems by Gottfried Keller.
Composer's Artistic Vision
For Pfitzner, song was not merely a form but a 'personal creed' closely tied to his aesthetic of inspiration, allowing for a unified mood to emerge from a single musical idea.
Performer Biography
Klaus Simon, the pianist on this recording, is also a conductor and artistic director of the Holst Sinfonietta and the Young Opera Company, focusing on 20th-century music.
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