Paul Dessau composed more than 450 works from all the genres, but scarcely a single one of them continues to meet with recognition and representation in today's concert world. The go-getters of the Ensemble Avantgarde put an end to this unfortunate state of affairs with an impressive overview of the chamber oeuvre of this composer whose vicissitudinous career vividly reflects the dramatic upheavals and achievements of the twentieth century. The young Dessau celebrated great successes with his Concertino in the unusual instrumentation for solo violin with flute, clarinet, and horn already in 1925 and even won a composition prize for it. Dessau himself actually wanted to become a violinist, and Gewandhaus concertmaster Andreas Seidel masters with bravura what at times is a wildly virtuosic solo part. The young composer's very own combination of the linear style of a Hindemith and the expressive and complex harmony of the early SchÃ¶nberg is the hallmark of his individual musical language. Dessau first discovered his Jewish roots during his forced exile in the 1930s. It was during this time that he also began to regard himself as a "political composer." The Jewish Dances and Guernica after Picasso's famous painting both resulted from this development, and in the Suite for Saxophone and Piano his excited emotional state after his uprooting has also left behind clear traces in what is quite literally a breathless compositional texture. When Dessau returned to Germany's supposed better half in the East after World War II, he repeatedly got caught in the bind between political conformity and artistic freedom. He increasingly turned to the performance of music with children; the "Variations" and "GrasmÃ¼ckenstÃ¼cke fÃ¼r MÃ¼cke Gras" are particularly fine examples of just how attractive good music with educational goals can be.

Tracklist:

Concertino fÃ¼r Solo-Violine mit FlÃ¶te, Klarinette und Horn~Allegretto giocoso - Presto
Concertino fÃ¼r Solo-Violine mit FlÃ¶te, Klarinette und Horn~Largo
Concertino fÃ¼r Solo-Violine mit FlÃ¶te, Klarinette und Horn~Finale
Guernica
KlavierstÃ¼ck Ã¼ber B-A-C-H
Intermezzo breve
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Titaneg
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Salenu
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Dajenu
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Chag Purim
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Chamissa asar bischwat
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Mi y'malel
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Simcha
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Hamawdil
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Succoth Dance
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~L'cho dodi
Elf JÃ¼dische TÃ¤nze~Rennah
Suite fÃ¼r Altsaxophon und Klavier~Petite Ouverture
Suite fÃ¼r Altsaxophon und Klavier~Air
Suite fÃ¼r Altsaxophon und Klavier~Serenade
Jewish Dance
Fantasietta Nr. 2
Variationen Ã¼ber ein amerikanisches Volkslied
Fantasietta Nr. 3
GrasmÃ¼ckenstÃ¼cke fÃ¼r MÃ¼cke Gras~I
GrasmÃ¼ckenstÃ¼cke fÃ¼r MÃ¼cke Gras~II
GrasmÃ¼ckenstÃ¼cke fÃ¼r MÃ¼cke Gras~III
Drei ViolinstÃ¼cke mit Klavier~Recitativo
Drei ViolinstÃ¼cke mit Klavier~Andantino
Drei ViolinstÃ¼cke mit Klavier~Vivo

UPC: 760623215822
Label: Mdg
Release Date: 3.6.20
Format: CD

Dessau / Ensemble Avantgarde - Chamber Music (CD)