Perhaps one of the stranger, if not strangest, pieces of 20th century 'art song' repertoire I've come across as of yet, Theodore Adorno's four-song "cycle" entitled "Vier Lieder fur eine mittlere Stimme und Klavier" is both equal parts aggressively individualistic and yet there is the latent sense of organization despite its strewn exterior. Consensus in the dissensus?
Composed in 1928, and dedicated to Alban Berg with the inscription "Alban Berg, the Master in loving homage," this about ten-minute cycle is almost punishing both singer and pianist for their willingness to perform this excruciatingly self-flaggelating piece of "music." But perhaps that's Adorno's psychological status, always self-lacerating for perceived ills without once coming to terms with the reality that the flaw lies within. Regardless, it seems that Berg and Adorno had met four years prior to this song cycle (Chadwick, 2008). Around this time, Adorno was trying to stay committed to music all the while facing difficulty in his scholarly study as well, Molnar and Molnar (2014) noting that his work on Schubert at the time was all but ignored. Thus, the fanatic language and "violent" contours personify this?
Without any more delay, as I'm writing at 12:30 in the morning, please enjoy Adorno's Op. 3.
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