# Erwin Schulhoff



## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

​
*Erwin Schulhoff* (8 June 1894 - 18 August 1942) was a prolific and multi-faceted creative figure whose work embraced a full panoply of styles and influences. Like Kafka and Mahler, a German Jew in a Czech cultural milieu, the composer took full advantage of his "outsider looking in" status to forge a compelling musical personality. One of the earliest and most successful exponents of art music drawing on jazz, Schulhoff refracts multiple approaches of his time, from Dada to Expressionism, and from a distanced self-mockery to the stolid seriousness of Socialist Realism."

Schulhoff's genius was perhaps most prevalent in his chamber music, chielfy two very fine string quartets and a _Hot-Sonate_ for alto saxophone and piano.


----------



## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

The surge of interest in Schulhoff's music is gratifying, but he was fairly productive and experimented with different styles, not always successfully. A few recommendations above those that you kindly provided might be helpful


----------



## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Triplets said:


> A few recommendations above those that you kindly provided might be helpful


Violin Sonata #1 (comes from his early Schoenbergian period):




 (movements 1 & 2)




 (movements 3 & 4)

Violin Sonata #2:




 (movements 1 & 2)




 (movements 3 & 4)

An intriguing Sonata for solo violin:





Piano Sonata #3:





Concerto for String Quartet and Wind Orchestra:





Double Concerto for Flute, Piano, and Orchestra:
I. _Allegro moderato_: 



II. _Andante_: 



III. Rondo: _Allegro con spirito_: 




An effective setting of the _Communist Manifesto_:





Schulhoff's jazz miniatures are as good as any other composer's.









Finally, we arrive at the symphonies. These are a mixed bag - I don't think any of them are especially great, but, from what I've heard, the Fifth is supposed to be the composer's best effort. Me? I think it drags on much too long and is mostly formulaic.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

What about the flute sonata? Probably my favorite piece by Schulhoff!


----------

