Post-Romantic Songs for Mezzo-soprano and Chamber Ensemble

The most beautiful works for voice and large orchestra by Schönberg, Zemlinsky, Berg and Mahler within the four walls of your living room: it’s possible thanks to arrangements for voice and chamber ensembles, most of which arose through the catalyst of Schoenberg’s Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen (society for private music concerts, founded in 1918).

This recording offers a wonderful sampling of such works, all brought to life through the remarkable musicianship of Maria Riccarda Wesseling, mezzo-soprano from the Canton of the Grisons and the principal winner of the Eliette von Karajan Cultural Foundation Prize in 2002, and Pierre-Alain Monot’s Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain (contemporary music ensemble), well-known for its eclectic programs.

This collection of songs offers a portrait of a world in metamorphosis, exulting in complex and rich sonorities that capture the clash between the last illusions of romanticism and the tolling in of revolutions to come.