Zemlinsky: The Mermaid (2009)

performed by New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, James Judd (conductor)
composed by Alexander von Zemlinsky

When this disc was released in 2009, the music of Alexander Zemlinsky was no longer the recorded rarity it had once been. After more than 20 years of what could be called the "Zemlinsky revival," there were recordings available of most of the fin-de-siècle Austrian composer's major works, and this disc adds further performances of two of his most popular works to the catalog: Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid) from 1903 and the Sinfonietta from 1934. Performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under the direction of James ... Read More

When this disc was released in 2009, the music of Alexander Zemlinsky was no longer the recorded rarity it had once been. After more than 20 years of what could be called the "Zemlinsky revival," there were recordings available of most of the fin-de-siècle Austrian composer's major works, and this disc adds further performances of two of his most popular works to the catalog: Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid) from 1903 and the Sinfonietta from 1934. Performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under the direction of James Judd, both works receive well-played and thoughtful accounts here. In their performances, Die Seejungfrau's soaring themes have plenty of late Romantic muscle, and its sensual harmonies have plenty of heart. The Sinfonietta's more angular themes, leaner harmonies, and sharper colors work together to form a winning combination of expressivity and objectivity. If these were the only recordings of the works one were to hear, the listener might be satisfied that Zemlinsky's music... Read Less