"Pierrot lunaire" for 'Sprechstimme' and chamber ensemble from 1912 by Arnold Schoenberg is one of the key works of the 20th century that would have a great influence on composers such as Stravinsky, Werbern and Boulez. The text, inspired by the melancholic outsider of the same name from the commedia dell'arte, was the German translation of poems by the Belgian poet Albert Giraud. The result was a
… wonderful mixture of expressionism and cabaret, full of brooding preoccupations with sexual passion, violence, blasphemies and of course the "todeskranker Mond". "Pierrot lunaire" was commissioned by the actress Albertine Zehme, who was dressed as Pierrot for the first performance. From "Pierrot lunaire" This week a performance will be offered by Christine Schafer and members of the Ensemble InterContemporain conducted by Pierre Boulez (his third recording of this work). "_the work's existence in a strange world half-way be-tween cabaret and concert-hall is admirably caught," the Gramophone said in October. This CD also contains "Hergewachse op.20", which was composed a year earlier than "Pierrot lunaire" and the much later composed "Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte op.41". (HJ) _ which was composed a year earlier than "Pierrot lunaire" and the much later composed "Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte op.41". (HJ) _ which was composed a year earlier than "Pierrot lunaire" and the much later composed "Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte op.41". (HJ) _more
