Die Seejungfrau, Sinfonische Gesange: Neumann / Pesko / Swf So

As a man of immense musical experience and as a conductor, Alexander Zemlinsky Austrian composer (1871-1942) made the practicality of his compositional work his constant interest. Both works on this compact disc Die Seejungfrau [The Little Mermaid], Sinfonische Gesnge op. 20 [Symphonic Songs] based on an anthology of Afro-American poetry which had just been published in Vienna in 1929, Africa singt, demonstrate the formal versatility at Zemlinsky's command. At any rate, both the early and later works of Zemlinsky bear witness to his watchful participation in the musical events of his time, ranging from his very personal sensitivity for literary subjects and texts to his extraordinary artistic honesty and humanity. Sinfonieorchester des Sdwestfunks / Zoltan Pesko: conductor / Ortrun Wenkel: alto / Vaclav Neumann: conductor.