Paul Dessau Edition COMPOSER Paul Dessau (1894 - 1979) FORMAT 12 CD Wallet Clamshell CAT. 9440 NUMBER EAN CODE 5029365944021 RECORDING Various performers ARTIST About this release Paul Dessau (1894--1979) was among the most principled and hard‐working composers whose career flourished under uneasy circumstances in postwar East Germany after the country's partition. His exceptionally diverse output is reflected in the heterogeneous contents of this compendium, the value of which is unrivalled as an introduction to a vital figure in the culture of his time and place. His political sympathies may be deduced from his frequent collaborations with the radical playwright Bertholt Brecht, and by the dedication of his Orchestral Music No.3 to Lenin. But he also wrote film music for early movies of Walt Disney, a dyed-in-the-wool anti-Communist, and his art both embodies and transcends his surroundings. Once past two discs of punchy orchestral music and a CD of piano music which includes his musical interpretation of Picasso's seminal Guernica painting, the set concentrates on the dramatic music which lies at the heart of Dessau's oeuvre, all-in local performances which were made by performers who knew the composer and his music well enough to lend their recordings the authoritative stamp of authenticity. There are quirky continuations of the German Lied tradition as well as more strident and even agitprop settings of texts from Brecht's Mother Courage. Four of Dessau's seven operas are included: Puntila, Leonce and Lena, Die Verurteilung des Lukullus and Einstein, all of them politically motivated and influenced by cabaret culture while exploring Dessau's own spiky brand of tonality. Other information: - A tribute to one of the most iconic composers of post war East Germany, Paul Dessau, a most welcome edition of historic importance! - Dessau's style may be described as "Avant Garde for the People". His own creative ideas often clashed with the aestetics of the communistic regime, but his "love / hate" relationship with the communist cause resulted in an oeuvre in which the political message is embedded in a vibrant, innovative, confronting and appealing musical language, based on neo‐tonality and expressionistic influences. - Dessau wrote an enormous amount of music, and this set presents his most important and representative works: orchestral music, piano music, and a wealth of dramatic works: songs and operas. - Authoritative performances by East German forces, musicians living and working in the same situation as Dessau, friends, understanding each other without speaking: Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Staatskapelle Dresden, Staatskapelle Berlin, conductors Otmar Suitner, Herbert Kegel and ...Paul Dessau himself. - Booklet contains an extensive introduction by scholar Malcolm MacDonald to Dessau's life and work. - Sung texts available by clicking 'DOWNLOAD BOOKLET' on this page. Tracklist: CD1 Symphony No.2 (1934, rev. 1962) 1 I. Andante -- Allegro moderato 3'54 2 II. Andante 5'37 3 III. Tanz (Bulgarischer Rhythmus). Hommage à Bartók 2'18 4 IV. A la marcia, moderato 4'15 Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin Rolf Kleinert conductor Symphonic Adaptation of the Quintet in E flat K614 by W.A. Mozart (1964--5) 5 I. Allegro molto 7'28 6 II. Andante 5'52 7 III. Menuetto: Allegretto 3'54 8 IV. Allegro 5'37 Staatskapelle Berlin Otmar Suitner conductor Orchestral Music No.3 'Lenin' (with final chorus 'Epitaph for Lenin') (1969) after Bertolt Brecht - for orchestra, mixed chorus and unison children's chorus 9 I. [Without tempo indication] 7'40 10 II. Andante 4'59 11 III. Finale mit Schlußchor 6'32 Walter Olbertz, piano Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin Christian Weber, chorus master Kinderchor des Deutschlandsenders Manfred Roost, chorus master Total time 58'26 CD2 In memoriam Bertolt Brecht (1957) 1 I. Lamento 3'21 2 II. Marcia "War shall be damned!" 7'14 3 III. Epitaph 3'08 Bach Variations (1962--63) Composed to mark the 400th anniversary of the Schwerin Staatskapelle 4 Introduction 2'38 5 Theme (C.P.E. Bach: Peasant's Dance) 1'12 6 Variation I 1'06 7 Variation II 1'22 8 Variation III (incorporating a theme by J.S. Bach) 0'52 9 Variation IV 2'24 10 Variation V 1'36 11 Variation VI (extremely delicate and tranquil) 1'32 12 Variation VII (based on material by F. Goldmann) 1'35 13 Variation VIII 1'18 14 Variation IX (based on material by R. Wagner-Régenyi) 1'40 15 Variation X 1'22 16 Variation XI (incorporating a theme of a trio sonata by J.S. Bach) 0'57 Gewandhausorchester Leipzig Paul Dessau conductor 17 Orchestral Music No.2 "Sea of Tempests" (1967) 14'39 Composed to mark the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig Herbert Kegel conductor 18 Orchestral Music No.4 (1973) 16'36 Staatskapelle Berlin Günther Herbig, conductor Total time 65'06 CD3 Piano Sonata in F (1914--15, rev. 1948) 1 I. Appassionatamente 7'06 2 II. Andante con moto 5'59 3 III. Finale 5'24 4 Guernica (1938) after Picasso 5'35 5 Fantasietta No.1 in C sharp (1971--2) 4'15 Nine Studies (1932) 6 No.1 Molto marcato 0'52 7 No.2 Feroce 0'40 8 No.3 Allegro brioso 0'49 9 No.4 Rezitativ 2'58 10 No.5 Gleichmäßige Achtel 1'05 11 No.6 Die Achtel ruhig bewegt 1'50 12 No.7 Allegretto vivace 0'44 13 No.8 Marsch 1'35 14 No.9 Largo marcato -- Allegro deciso 4'31 Sonatine (1975) for small orchestra and obbligato piano 15 I. Without Tempo Indication 3'32 16 II. Without Tempo Indication 4'00 17 III. Without Tempo Indication 4'30 Siegfried Stöckigt, piano Dresdner Philharmonie (15--17) Herbert Kegel, conductor (15--17) Total time 55'56 CD4 1 Begrüßung for voice, flute and string quartet (1952, rev. 1974) (RT/SH) 5'21 2--4 Excerpts from 27 Lieder (1963--67) (PS/WO) 6'02 5 Hebräisches Hirtenlied (1931/32) (RT) 3'58 Leipziger Kammermusikvereinigung Max Pommer, conductor From 4 Lieder des Glücksgotts (1944--47) (RT/TH) 6 Söhnlein, kauf dir einen Strick (1944/45) 2'29 7 Kleines Lied (1965) (RT/JC) 1'26 From 5 Lieder (1955) (RT/JC) 8 Wir Vögel singen nicht egal 0'50 9--11 Excerpts from 27 Lieder (SG/WO) 5'01 12--14 Excerpts from Der gute Mensch von Sezuan (1947--8) (SK) 7'27 Instrumentalgruppe Helge Jung, conductor 15--17 Excerpts from 27 Lieder (SV/WO) 5'18 From 2 Lieder (1950) (RT/JC) 18 Wo bist du jetzt 0'56 From 5 Lieder (RT/JC) 19 Ein Herz laviert nicht 1'37 From 3 Sonnets (1971--73) (RT) 20 Sonnet No.8 3'33 Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler Max Pommer, conductor 21--23 Excerpts from 27 Lieder (AB/WO) 4'03 24 Tierverse (1967--73) (SK) 5'19 Instrumentalgruppe Helge Jung, arrangement & conductor From 27 Lieder (SG/VB/WO) 25 Konzert 3'58 From Der kaukasische Kreidekreis (1953--4) (RT) 26 Lied des Azdak 2'18 Leipziger Kammermusikvereinigung Max Pommer, conductor 27 Kriegslied (3rd version, 1950) (RT/JC) 2'46 From 3 Lieder (1974) (RT) 28 Doktrin 1'43 From 27 Lieder (AB/PS/WO) 29 Rundgesang 1'06 Sonja Kehler, voice Roswitha Trexler, soprano/voice Sylvia Geszty, soprano Annelies Burmeister, alto Peter Schreier, tenor Vladimir Bauer, baritone Siegfried Vogel, bass Siegfried Hermann, flute Thomas Heyn, guitar Walter Olbertz, piano Jutta Czapski, piano Total time 65'29 CD5 LIEDER II - INCIDENTAL MUSIC 1894--1979 1--4 Excerpts from Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder (1946) 11'31 5--6 Excerpts from 4 Liebeslieder (1951) 4'34 7--10 Excerpts from Tierverse (1967--73) 7'28 From Der gute Mensch von Sezuan (1947--8) 11 Lied vom achten Elefanten 2'26 12--13 Excerpts from Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti (1949) 5'22 14--16 Excerpts from Der kaukasische Kreidekreis (1953--4) 12'03 Hanns Eisler 1898--1962 17--19 Excerpts from Die Rundköpfe und die Spitzköpfe (1934--6) 6'31 20--23 Excerpts from the movie Kuhle Wampe (1931) 3'10 24--29 Excerpts from Schweyk im Zweiten Weltkrieg (1943--59) 13'25 Total time 66'44 Gisela May, vocals Walter Olbertz, piano (24--27) Siegfried Stöckigt, piano (24--27) Wolfram Krauß, piano (7--10) Werner Pauli, guitar (5 & 6) Gundula Sonsalla, guitar (9 &10) Joachim Günther, cello (9) Studioorchester (1--4, 11--23, 28 & 29) Henry Krtschil, conductor CD6 Puntila (1957--9) Libretto by Peter Palitzsch and Manfred Wekwerth after Bertolt Brecht's play Herr Puntila and his Servant Matti Recording version arranged by Ruth Berghaus and Paul Dessau (see booklet for cast list) 1 Scene 1: Mr. Puntila finds a human being 17'02 2 Scene 2: The forest 1'42 3 Scene 3: Mrs Klinckmann 3'30 4 Scene 4: Mr. Puntila becomes betrothed to the early risers 14'04 5 Scene 5: The servants' market 10'33 6 Scene 6: Scandal at Puntila 13'53 7 Scene 7: A conversation about crayfish 8'07 Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin Christian Weber, chorus master Staatskapelle Berlin Paul Dessau, conductor Total time 68'54 CD7 Puntila (1957--9) Libretto by Peter Palitzsch and Manfred Wekwerth after Bertolt Brecht's play Herr Puntila and his Servant Matti Recording version arranged by Ruth Berghaus and Paul Dessau (see booklet for cast list) 1 Scene 9: The covenant of Mr. Puntila's fiancées 11'11 2 Scene 10: Puntila betrothes his daughter to a human being 14'35 3 Scene 11: Interlude. Nocturno 0'44 4 Scene 12: Library at Puntila 15'46 5 Epilogue: Matti turns his back on Puntila 1'06 Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin Christian Weber, chorus master Staatskapelle Berlin Paul Dessau, conductor Total time 43'25 CD8 Leonce und Lena (1976--9) Opera based on the comedy of that name by Georg Buchner - Libretto by Thomas Körner (see booklet for cast list) 1 Introductory music 3'01 2 Epilogue 0'50 Prelude 3'34 3 E la fama? Vi! E la fame? Vat! Act 1 4 Scene 1: Heiraten? Weiß sie, was Sie sind? 2'28 5 Scene 2: Schöne Sache die Natur, wenn es keine Schnaken gäbe 6'42 6 Scene 3: Denken Sie nicht an Menschen 1'45 7 Scene 4: Diese Flasche ist keine Geliebte, keine Idee 4'52 8 Scene 5: Bezaubert der Tag 4'17 9 Scene 6: Auf dem Kirchhof will ich liegen 15'44 Act 2 10 Scene 1: Es ist ein Jammer; alles geht zu Grund 12'28 11 Scene 2: O wär' ich doch ein Narr! 2'24 Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin Christian Weber, chorus master Staatskapelle Berlin Otmar Suitner, conductor Total time 58'24 CD9 Die Verurteilung des Lukullus (1949--51) Opera in 12 scenes - Setting: Rome and the underworld, c.56BC - Libretto by Bertolt Brecht (see booklet for cast details) 1 I.