Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau & Sinfonietta, Op. 23

Featuring

John Storgårds
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Alexander von Zemlinsky

Did you know?

1/7

Performer Biography

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the oldest professional symphony orchestra in the Nordic countries, gave the first performances of many of Jean Sibelius's major works, often with the composer conducting.

Composer Biography

Zemlinsky himself was the sternest critic of Die Seejungfrau, omitting it from a list of his compositions in 1910 and withdrawing the score from public view.

Composition History

Zemlinsky composed the Sinfonietta in less than four months in 1934, after his publishers requested a short, practical orchestral work that would be easier to promote.

Cultural Impact

After being unheard for decades, Die Seejungfrau was rediscovered in 1984 and has since attained the status of a 'Greatest Hit', captivating audiences with its beauty.

Critical Reception

Die Seejungfrau received almost unanimous approval from Viennese critics, who described it with epithets such as 'charming', 'poetical', and 'heart-warming'.

Composition History

Zemlinsky initially envisioned his work Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid) as a single-movement symphonic poem, but it evolved into three movements covering more of Andersen's story.

Historical Context

In 1904, Zemlinsky and Arnold Schoenberg founded the Vereinigung schaffender Tonkünstler in Wien (Association of Creative Musicians in Vienna) with Gustav Mahler as honorary president.