Composer

:

Arnold Schoenberg

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

1925

Average_duration

:

9:19

Movement_count

:

4

Movement ....

Arnold Schoenberg's 'Pieces (4) for chorus & ensemble, Op. 27' is a significant work in the composer's oeuvre, marking a turning point in his compositional style. The work was composed between 1909 and 1913, and premiered in Vienna in 1913. The four movements of the work are titled "Litanei," "Entrückung," "Vergänglichkeit," and "Das obligate Rezitativ." The first movement, "Litanei," is a setting of a poem by Stefan George, and features a solo soprano voice accompanied by the ensemble. The second movement, "Entrückung," is a setting of a poem by the composer himself, and features a solo tenor voice accompanied by the ensemble. The third movement, "Vergänglichkeit," is a setting of a poem by Friedrich Nietzsche, and features the full chorus and ensemble. The final movement, "Das obligate Rezitativ," is a setting of a poem by Albert Giraud, and features a solo bass voice accompanied by the ensemble. The characteristics of the work are typical of Schoenberg's early atonal style, with a focus on dissonance and chromaticism. The use of sprechstimme, a vocal technique that falls between singing and speaking, is also prominent in the work. The ensemble includes a variety of instruments, including flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, harp, piano, and strings. Overall, 'Pieces (4) for chorus & ensemble, Op. 27' is a complex and challenging work, both for performers and listeners. It represents a significant milestone in Schoenberg's development as a composer, and is an important contribution to the repertoire of 20th-century music.

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