Composer

:

Hanns Eisler

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

1941

Average_duration

:

1:34

Hanns Eisler's 'Woodbury-Liederbüchlein, No. 16, An den Schlaf' is a song cycle composed in 1942. The premiere of the piece took place in 1943 in New York City. The cycle consists of a single movement and is characterized by its use of atonality and dissonance. The text of the song is a poem by Friedrich Hölderlin, which speaks to the idea of sleep as a release from the struggles of life. Eisler's setting of the text is haunting and introspective, with a sense of melancholy that pervades the entire piece. The opening of the song is marked by a series of dissonant chords, which set the tone for the entire cycle. The vocal line is angular and jagged, with frequent leaps and unexpected intervals. The piano accompaniment is sparse and atmospheric, with long stretches of silence punctuated by sudden bursts of sound. As the song progresses, the vocal line becomes more lyrical, with long, sustained notes that contrast with the earlier jaggedness. The piano accompaniment becomes more active, with rapid arpeggios and cascading runs that create a sense of urgency. The climax of the song is marked by a sudden shift in tonality, with a series of chords that are more consonant than the earlier dissonant ones. This momentary sense of resolution is quickly undercut, however, as the dissonance returns and the song ends on a note of uncertainty. Overall, 'Woodbury-Liederbüchlein, No. 16, An den Schlaf' is a powerful and evocative piece of music that showcases Eisler's skill as a composer. Its use of atonality and dissonance creates a sense of unease and tension that perfectly captures the mood of the text.

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