Orf Radio-Symph Wien/Meister - Alexander von Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau

Even seventy-five years after his death Alexander von Zemlinsky continues to be overshadowed by his pupil, colleague, friend, and brother-in-law Arnold Sch�nberg, all because he presumably was not so much a member of the avant-garde. Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid) is an enigmatic and absolutely fabulous work based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. First rediscovered in the mid-1970s, it has become one of Zemlinsky�s most popular works. This genuine product of the musical art nouveau � fantastic and highly unified, suggestive and lavishly pictorial, and instrumented with an extraordinary feel for colors � abounds in vivid themes and motifs that make a profound and lasting impression on each and every listener. In addition, we are presenting two little samples from Zemlinsky�s second (fairy tale) opera, Es war einmal (Once Upon a Time), one of the young composer�s first great successes at the Vienna Court Opera.