Various Composers - Fin de siècle (SWR Vokalensemble)

Information

Arranger: Clytus Gottwald

1. Franz Schreker - Im Lenz
2. Franz Schreker - Umsonst
3. Franz Schreker - Und wie mag die Liebe
4. Hugo Wolf - Und willst du deinen Liebsten sterben sehen
5. Hugo Wolf - Das verlassene Mägdlein
6. Hugo Wolf - Auf ein altes Bild
7. Hugo Wolf - Der Gärtner
8. Richard Strauss - Die Nacht Op. 10 No. 3
9. Richard Strauss - Traum durch die Dämmerung Op. 29 No. 1
10. Richard Strauss - Allerseelen Op. 10 No. 8
11. Richard Strauss - Waldseligkeit Op. 49 No. 1
12. Gustav Mahler - Die zwei blauen Augen
13. Gustav Mahler - Urlicht
14. Gustav Mahler - Scheiden und Meiden
15. Gustav Mahler - Um Mitternacht
16. Gustav Mahler - Im Abendrot (Adagietto from Symphony No. 5)
17. Alma Mahler - Die stille Stadt
18. Alma Mahler - Laue Sommernacht
19. Alma Mahler - Bei dir ist es traut

SWR Vokalensemble

Marcus Creed, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: SWR Classic

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This album explores a unique chapter in musical history through Clytus Gottwald (1923-2023)’s artful transcriptions of fin-de-siècle songs for unaccompanied choir. Working with late-Romantic art songs by Hugo Wolf, Franz Schreker, Richard Strauss, and Alma and Gustav Mahler, Gottwald transfers solo vocal works into an expanded choral medium while strictly preserving their original harmonic and structural integrity. Spanning folk-inspired miniatures to lush late-Romantic soundscapes, these widely spaced vocal textures replace piano accompaniment with a unified choral fabric. The collection offers a fresh, illuminating perspective on a transitional era between tradition and modernity while addressing a historic gap in turn-of-the-century choral repertoire.

Celebrating 80 years of excellence, the SWR Vokalensemble is recognized among the world’s premier professional choirs, renowned for its extraordinary tonal clarity, stylistic versatility, and chamber-like precision. The ensemble has expanded the vocal repertoire by commissioning over 300 modern works while mastering demanding classical, Romantic, and modern choral literature. Under former Chief Conductor Marcus Creed (2004–2020) and current Artistic Director Yuval Weinberg (since 2020), the choir has earned prestigious accolades, including the Diapason d’or, Echo Klassik, and German Record Critics’ Award, most notably for its acclaimed 2022 release of György Ligeti’s complete choral works.

High Resolution 24-bit / 48 kHz