Lyric Symphony

The Lyric Symphony (German: Lyrische Symphonie), Op. 18, is a musical work for soprano and baritone soloists and large orchestra composed between 1922 and 1923 by Austrian composer Alexander Zemlinsky.

Composition and performance history

The work was begun in April 1922. In a letter to his publishers of 19 September 1922, Zemlinsky described the work-in-progress as "...something along the lines of [Mahler's] Das Lied von der Erde". The orchestration was completed in August 1923.^[1] The sung texts are taken from The Gardener by Rabindranath Tagore in a German translation by Hans Effenberger.

The work received its premiere in Prague on June 4, 1924, under the composer's direction.

Structure

The work is in seven connected movements, sung alternately by the two soloists:

Ich bin friedlos, ich bin durstig nach fernen Dingen ("I am restless. I am athirst for far-away things")
O Mutter, der junge Prinz ("O mother, the young Prince")
Du bist die Abendwolke ("You are the evening cloud")
Sprich zu mir Geliebter ("Speak to me, my love")
Befrei mich von den Banden deiner Süße, Lieb ("Release me from the bonds of your sweetness, Love")
Vollende denn das letzte Lied ("Then finish the last song")
Friede, mein Herz ("Peace, my heart")

The performance duration is approximately 45 minutes.

Alban Berg quoted the third movement in his Lyric Suite for string quartet.

Instrumentation

Woodwinds: 4 flutes (3rd and 4th doubling piccolos); 3 oboes (3rd doubling cor anglais); 3 clarinets in A/B-flat (3rd doubling E-flat clarinet); bass clarinet; 3 bassoons (3rd doubling contrabassoon)

Brass: 4 horns; 3 trumpets in C; 3 trombones; bass tuba

Percussion: timpani; bass drum; side drum; tam-tam; cymbals; tambourine; triangle; xylophone

Keyboards: harmonium; celesta

Voices: soprano solo; baritone solo

Strings: harp

References

^ Antony Beaumont: Introduction to published score, UE32730.

Text of the symphony
Text of the symphony with translations
Program notes to American Symphony Orchestra concert

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Alexander von Zemlinsky

List of compositions

Operas

Es war einmal (1900)
Der Traumgörge (1906/1980)
Kleider machen Leute (1910)
Eine florentinische Tragödie (1917)
Der Zwerg (1922)
Der Kreidekreis (1933)
Der König Kandaules (1935/1996)

Vocal

Psalm 83 (1900)
Lyric Symphony (1923)
Symphonische Gesänge (1929)

Orchestral

Symphony No. 2 (1897)
Die Seejungfrau (1903)

Chamber

Clarinet Trio (1896)

Category

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