Herzgewächse

Herzgewächse (German: "Foliage of the Heart"), Op. 20, is a composition by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg scored for coloratura soprano, celesta, harmonium, and harp. The text is taken from a poem of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck. The duration of the work is approximately three-and-a-half minutes, making it the shortest of Schoenberg's works with an opus number. The work is also notable for the extreme demands made on the singer which at one point has to ascend to a high F (pianissimo), nearly two-and-a-half octaves above middle C.

Composition

The work was completed on 9 December 1911 and premiered by Marianne Rau-Hoeglauer in Vienna on April 1928 under the direction of Anton Webern. Herzgewächse is one of Schoenberg's completely atonal works and one in which the music attempts to accurately reflect the meaning of the words. The voice runs parallel to the words of the poem, as it tries to follow the meaning implied: when the singer sings "sink to rest", she descends to a very low register; however, when she sings "imperceptibly ascending",^[1] she progressively rises to one of the highest pitches in the piece.

The harmonium plays the opening chords and plays throughout the piece: the celesta and harp, on the other hand, have numerous rests.^[2]

The work was originally written to be featured in Wassily Kandinsky's journal Der blaue Reiter (German: The Blue Rider), as an example of one of Schoenberg's early atonal works.^[3]

Notable Recordings

Robert Craft conducting members of the London Symphony Orchestra, with the voice of Eileen Hulse.^[4]^[5]

References

↑ Maurice Maeterlinck (2007). "Herzgewachse libretto" [Foliage of the Heart] (PDF). Naxos (in German). Hong Kong: Naxos Digital Services Ltd. p. 1. Retrieved July 16, 2011. [...] richtet sich empor [...]
↑ Robert Craft. "Booklet from the CD 8.557523 from the Naxos catalogue". Naxos. Hong Kong: Naxos Digital Services Ltd. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
↑ Alexander Carpenter. "Herzgewächse, song for soprano, celesta, harp & harmonium, Op. 20: Compostition Description". Allmusic. Santa Clara: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
↑ "Reviews for the CD 8.557523 from the Naxos catalogue". MusicWeb International, Gramophone, Limelight, David's Review Corner. Hong Kong: Naxos Digital Services Ltd. March–August 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
↑ Blair Sanderson (2007). "Review for the CD 8.557523 from the Naxos catalogue.". Santa Clara: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 23, 2011. 7 stars out of 10

External links

Herzgewächse, Op. 20: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

Arnold Schoenberg

Orchestral	Pelleas und Melisande, Op. 5 Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16 Variations for Orchestra, Op. 31 Chamber Symphony No. 2, Op. 38

Concertante	Violin Concerto, Op. 36 Piano Concerto, Op. 42 Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra (1933)

Chamber	String quartets (1897, Opp. 7, 10, 30, 37) Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 Wind Quintet, Op. 26

Instrumental	Drei Klavierstücke, Op. 11 Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19 Suite for Piano, Op.25 Zwei Klavierstücke, Op. 33

Opera	Erwartung, Op. 17 Die glückliche Hand, Op. 18 Moses und Aron (1930-32) Von heute auf morgen, Op. 32

Oratorio	Gurre-Lieder (1900-1911) Die Jakobsleiter (1917-22) Prelude to Genesis Suite, Op. 44 A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46

Vocal	Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, Op. 15 (1908/09) Herzgewächse, Op.20 Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 Four Orchestral Songs, Op. 22

Other pages	List of compositions Expressionist music Sprechstimme Students Neoclassicism 6-20 6-Z44

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