Alban Berg
7 frühe Lieder
Short instrumentation: 2 2 3 3 - 4 1 2 0 - perc(1), hp, str
Duration: 17'
Text von: Paul Hohenberg, Nikolaus Lenau, Johannes Schlaf, Theodor Storm, Carl Hauptmann, Rainer Maria Rilke, Otto Erich Hartleben
Übersetzer: Eric Smith
Bearbeitet von: Heinz Stolba
Solos:
medium voice
Instrumentation details:
1st flute
2nd flute (+picc)
oboe
cor anglais
1st clarinet in A
2nd clarinet in A
bass clarinet in Bb
1st bassoon
2nd bassoon
contrabassoon
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
3rd horn in F
4th horn in F
trumpet in C
1st trombone
2nd trombone
percussion (1 player: glockenspiel, kettle drum, triangle, suspended cymbal, 1 pair of cymbals, tam-tam, side drum, bass drum)
harp
violin I
violin II
viola
violoncello
contrabass
Berg - 7 frühe Lieder for medium voice and orchestra
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Alban Berg
Berg: Sieben frühe LiederOrchestration: for medium voice and orchestra
Type: Dirigierpartitur
Language: Deutsch
Alban Berg
Berg: Sieben frühe LiederOrchestration: for medium voice and orchestra
Type: Klavierauszug
Language: Deutsch
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Work introduction
This edition of the Seven Early Songs for medium voice and orchestra owes its existence to the frequently expressed request to make this song cycle accessible to singers with a lower tessitura. Berg’s careful choices as regards the order of the songs, the sequence of keys and the instrumentation strongly suggested that they should be treated with the greatest possible circumspection. In view of the range of the vocal line, it seemed logical to transpose the entire cycle down by a minor third, thus maintaining the character of the key sequence. The instrumentation individually determined for each song naturally had to remain fundamentally unchanged. However, the range of the instruments and the orchestral colour made changes to the instrumentation necessary, which were however always made with an ear to the sound intended by Berg. In the case of the Seven Early Songs, a comparison of Berg’s piano songs and his own version with orchestral accompaniment reveals a number of significant differences in the treatment of the vocal line. This circumstance has been accounted for by publishing two versions of this edition for middle voice: A piano score for the orchestral songs and a separate edition for voice with piano accompaniment.
Heinz Stolba, September 2008