# Ernst Krenek (1900-1991)



## SuperTonic

From Wikipedia:

Krenek was born in Vienna as the son of a Czech soldier in the Austro-Hungarian army. Throughout his life, however, he insisted that his name be written Krenek rather than his father's Křenek, and that it should be pronounced as a German word. He studied there and in Berlin with Franz Schreker before working in a number of German opera houses as conductor. During World War I, Krenek was drafted into the Austrian army, but he was stationed in Vienna, allowing him to go on with his musical studies. In 1922 he met Alma Mahler, wife of the late Gustav Mahler, and her daughter, Anna, whom he married in March 1924. That marriage ended in divorce before its first anniversary.

[...]

His journalism was banned and his music was targeted in Germany by the Nazi Party beginning in 1933. On March 6, one day after elections in which the Nazis gained control of the Reichstag, Krenek's incidental music to Goethe's Triumph der Empfindsamkeit was withdrawn in Mannheim, and eventually pressure was brought to bear on the Vienna State Opera, which cancelled the commissioned premiere of Karl V. The jazz imitations of Jonny spielt auf were included in the 1938 Degenerate art exhibition in Munich. Nonetheless, despite protests by conservatives and the fledgling Nazi party, that work was a great success in Krenek's lifetime, playing all over Europe and becoming so popular that even a brand of cigarettes, still on the market today in Austria, was named "Jonny".[3]

In 1938 Krenek moved to the United States of America, where he taught music at various universities, the first being vassar College. He later taught at other institutions including Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 1942-1947. There he met and married his third wife, his student and composer Gladys Nordenstrom. He became an American citizen in 1945. He later moved to Toronto, Canada where he taught at The Royal Conservatory of Music during the 1950s. His students included Milton Barnes, Lorne Betts, Samuel Dolin, Robert Erickson, Halim El-Dabh, Richard Maxfield, Will Ogdon, and George Perle. He died in Palm Springs, California. In 1998 Gladys Nordenstrom founded the Ernst Krenek Institute and in 2004 the private foundation Krems die Ernst Krenek in Vienna, Austria

Ernst Krenek

This is a composer who I've been meaning to explore, and I finally got around to it last night. He is mostly know as a serialist, but he composed in many different styles throughout his career. 
What inspired me to create a thread for him was this remarkable work:





It's been described as a synthesis of Renaissance counterpoint and atonality, which, I know, sounds odd, but the result is amazing IMO.

Other pieces that I liked were his 3rd piano sonata and Spiritus Intelligentiae Sanctus for soprano tenor and tape.

Does anyone else with experience with this composer have any recommendations?


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## tdc

I don't have any other recs, because I hadn't heard of him before. But enjoyed the clip you posted, thanks for the recommendation. In the vocal lines I hear some slight similarities to works like - Gubaidulina's Canticle of the Sun, and Penderecki's St. Luke Passion, two other works I very much enjoy.


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## HarpsichordConcerto

I have a CD. Very atonal, if that's the right way to put it. I think I prefer Schoenberg's pieces.


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## KJohnson

Very original composer. I don't care much for serial works but I can take this. This choral piece was indeed charming. Really enjoyed it.


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## Sid James

I've read quite a bit about Krenek, especially his scandalous opera "Johnny strikes up the band," but I haven't actually heard any of his music yet. I might actually get something by him, but he's on the backburner, I'm getting more into composers who matured after 1945, eg. Stockhausen, Berio, Boulez, Xenakis, Nancarrow, Cage, etc...


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## Head_case

His string quartets on the current two volumes of CD by the Petersen Quartet are superb. I can't wait until they complete the cycle.


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## Vaneyes

Thank you for this thread, SuperTonic. I simply must add to his CDs of Piano Sonata No. 3, and SQs 5 & 8.


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## starthrower

I've only listened to his 1st symphony, written when he was around 20 years old. It's very impressive! I'll be listening to more of Krenek.


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## elgar's ghost

I'd certainly recommend the opera Jonny spielt auf to anyone who might enjoy, say, '20s Hindemith or Stravinsky shot through with a dash of Kurt Weill.

His debut symphony as mentioned above was indeed a bold statement for someone barely out of his teens - it's composed along similar lines to Sibelius's 7th insofar as all of the movements merge into each other but perhaps inexperience prevented it from being being quite as convincingly argued as Sibelius's masterpiece. However, it's certainly of interest and as the work pre-dates the Sibelius by a number of years he deserves credit for that.


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## starthrower

Head_case said:


> His string quartets on the current two volumes of CD by the Petersen Quartet are superb. I can't wait until they complete the cycle.


Yes, these are very good! I've been listening to them at Naxos. The Choral work is a beautiful piece. In addition to the quartets, Capriccio has a 2 disc set of three of Krenek's operas. These are fine works as well.


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## Pugg

I've got this one, listen to it once or twice.
Enough said .


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## starthrower

Pugg said:


> I've got this one, listen to it once or twice.
> Enough said .


Hey, Renee Fleming can't be in everything!


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## Pugg

starthrower said:


> Hey, Renee Fleming can't be in everything!


Thank goodness, she has style and knows exactly what to do and certainly; _what not to do_.


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## isorhythm

^that is some great marketing

"You know who else didn't like it? HITLER"

I like Krenek's _Lamentations_ a lot. I don't know anything else. Gonna check out Jonny spielt auf.


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## elgar's ghost

Pugg said:


> Thank goodness, she has style and knows exactly what to do and certainly; _what not to do_.


Not exactly a big fan of zeitoper, then? :lol:


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## quack

His string quartets are some of my favourite little-known quartets, I have the set by the Sonare Quartet, I didn't know another quartet were recording them I will definitely have to get the Petersen. Geoffrey Douglas Madge recordings of his piano sonatas are also very interesting and I like Christine Schäfer's lieder disc. Not sure about his Symphonies, have to relisten to most of them but the Lamentatio disc already posted is great.


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## starthrower

isorhythm said:


> ^that is some great marketing
> 
> "You know who else didn't like it? HITLER"
> 
> I like Krenek's _Lamentations_ a lot. I don't know anything else. Gonna check out Jonny spielt auf.


I'm listening to it on YouTube. It's great!


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## Lenny

Thanks to this site, I just yesterday found about this very interesting composer. This is exactly what sites likes these are good for!

I've been listening to various pieces on Spotify, but I cannot say much about details yet. Overall impression is like super serious Hindemith.


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## Pugg

Lenny said:


> Thanks to this site, I just yesterday found about this very interesting composer. This is exactly what sites likes these are good for!
> 
> I've been listening to various pieces on Spotify, but I cannot say much about details yet. Overall impression is like super serious Hindemith.


You can always tell us in a later stage, we not going anywhere.


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## Lenny

Pugg said:


> You can always tell us in a later stage, we not going anywhere.


Well... maybe I will. For now, I tell you only one thing. I was listening to this electronic/choral piece called "Spiritus Intelligentiae Sanctus" (it's a 13-tone piece!!), my dog started to growl, and he never does that for music... That's a sure sign there is something special going on


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## Pugg

Lenny said:


> Well... maybe I will. For now, I tell you only one thing. I was listening to this electronic/choral piece called "Spiritus Intelligentiae Sanctus" (it's a 13-tone piece!!), my dog started to growl, and he never does that for music... That's a sure sign there is something special going on


Oh dear, as long as the dog is well trained it will be fine.


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## Portamento

I just finished listening to Krenek's 7th Piano Sonata, and my brain is screaming 'masterpiece' and 'genius' all at the same time. That too the work was written when he was 88 years old. During my next Amazon CD binge I will make sure to buy all the Krenek that my shelves need.


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## starthrower

Head_case said:


> His string quartets on the current two volumes of CD by the Petersen Quartet are superb. I can't wait until they complete the cycle.


Too bad they never did record the others. I listen to the Sonare Quartet on YouTube. I'd buy some of their CDs if they were available. These Krenek quartets are too good to languish in obscurity.


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## elgar's ghost

I had no idea that the Petersen Quartett didn't complete the cycle - I simply assumed that Amazon had mis-titled the item as usual and that it was difficult to locate.


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## millionrainbows

My favorite Krenek is when he was writing 12-tone (or closely related) music.


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## starthrower

elgars ghost said:


> I had no idea that the Petersen Quartett didn't complete the cycle - I simply assumed that Amazon had mis-titled the item as usual and that it was difficult to locate.


As far as I know there the two volumes on Capriccio covering just four of the quartets. JPC has several Krenek titles on sale at the moment including a three CD bundle for 8 euros. And those other titles on the Toccata label have amazing fidelity. The chamber orchestra disc is pretty cool.


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