Credits:

Ulf Bastlein

Description:

Erich Zeisler, a composer born in Vienna, displayed musical talent from an early age; he entered the Vienna Conservatory at age 14 and reportedly wrote his first art song at age 15. Although he began a brilliant career in Vienna, his Jewish heritage forced him to flee to New York following the Nazi invasion, where, with the support of Hans Eisler, he began composing film scores in Hollywood. Although he composed music for several films, Zeisler was unable to fully realize his potential due to creative differences with producers; he eventually found his artistic direction by composing works with strong religious themes, such as the Hebrew Requiem. All of his art songs included on this album were composed before his exile in 1939, and each is characterized by melodies featuring late-Romantic-style chromatic harmonies, in which even dissonant notes occasionally resonate with beauty. As for the arr