Credits:

Stemme/Licitra/Alvarez/Mehta/Wiener Staatsoper

Description:

A collection of choral works by the contemporary German composer Henze. Although Henze's popularity is concentrated on large-format works, his vocal works with words reflect his "true voice," and these works are known as a valuable collection that offers a glimpse into Henze's artistic and philosophical thought, as well as his religious views. Among his works, "Orpheus of the Barbed Wire," a modern adaptation of the Greek myth "Orpheus and Eurydice" by English playwright Edward Bond (1934-), is one of the most popular. Originally a working-class man, Bond began writing plays as a teenager, and his shocking and violent stage plays were controversial, but he shifted his style over the years, and in the 1980s he produced many works with war themes. In this work, too, the motif is that of lovers torn apart and oppressed by war, and the music by Henze, while atonal, is full of beauty that is at times enchanting. The early work "Five Madrigals" is a piece with a simple, classicist expression that also reflects Henze's war experiences. The "Songs from the Island" also uses traditional expression.All are difficult to perform, but the Southwest German Radio Choir and Ensemble Modern, conducted by Creed, convey all the charm of the pieces. Naxos Japan

Tracklisting:

1.Schattenfruchte fallen von den Wanden
2.Wenn du auferstehst
3.Einmal muss das Fest ja kommen
4.Wenn einer fortgeht
5.Es ist Feuer unter der Erde
6.What was hell like?
7.The point to be noted
8.You who survived
9.It was changed
10.Orpheus
11.Im Wald, da ruht
12.Und ist kein Feld
13.Als Kaiser Alexander
14.Wer sterben mub
15.Dein Bild im Angesicht