Zemlinsky's "The Mermaid" vs. the Mahler aesthetic

[barryguerrero]

I was listening to a very nice Naxos recording of Zemlinsky's "Seejungfrau" (Mermaid). However, I can certainly see why Mahler is, today, the more popular of these two composers. He clearly rebelled against that highly chromatic, 'post Wagner', harmonic style. The closest you hear Mahler come to that is, of course, his early cantata "Das Klagende Lied". Mahler somewhat incorporates a more chromatic harmonic style in his late works too.

The problem with staying in a highly chromatic (half-step) harmony is that key relationships become almost irrelevant. That, and the fact that you can't sustain a diatonic melody very long because the harmony is always shifting about underneath; thus precipitating the need for 'accidentals' added to melodic notes (sharps or flats that are outside of the key signature). Of course, some composers are better at this sort of thing than others.

For whatever the reasons, I find Zemlinksy, Wolf, Pfitzner and - later on - Max Reger, all a bit tedious (like reading my writing). Scriabin and Josef Suk find ways to be a bit more 'original' and interesting, in my mind. Still, all of these guys have been overshadowed by Mahler's more 'universal' style, incorporating everything that's ever been done, including a touch of chromaticism. I do like many of Scriabin's solo piano works.

Schoenberg, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. After his first three, highly chromatic and very 'heated' post Romantic works ("Transfigured Night", "Gurre-lieder" and "Pelleas & Melisande"), Schoenberg slimmed down and eventually left tonality altogether. For me, his greatest accomplishment is the highly concentrated, ultra-expressionistic chamber work with 'sprechstimme', "Pierrot Lunaire".

[Roland Flessner]

Historical perspectives and comparisons aside, interesting as they are, to my ears "Die Seejungfrau" is gorgeous and deserves to be heard more often. The CSO played it a few years ago (under Andrey Boreyko, I think); an excellent performance, but I was surprised at the audience's lukewarm reaction.

[GL]

Historical perspectives and comparisons aside, interesting as they are, to my ears "Die Seejungfrau" is gorgeous and deserves to be heard more often. The CSO played it a few years ago (under Andrey Boreyko, I think); an excellent performance, but I was surprised at the audience's lukewarm reaction.

After too many years of unjust neglect, Zemlinsky's music is at last, thought slowly, fighting for the place in the repertoire it deserves. Die Seejungfrau is indeed a very nice Symphonic Poem, and, if you do not know it, I'd suggest to try John Storgards's recording for Ondine (Amazon ASIN: B00SVF1FBO) which presents the original version in gorgeus sound. In fact, after the premiere, Zemlinsky cut a very important section of the second movement, a bad choice, judging from the recording.

For the cut version, I'd suggest the one conducted by Thomas Dausgaard (Amazon ASIN: B000007MY3); it is coupled with the best recording available of the Sinfonietta, which is a masterpiece (Stogars's is coupled with the Sinfonietta too, but it is a chamber transcription).

(Both versions of the Seejungfrau are now available in one study score by Universal Edition in the critical edition of Anthony Beaumont; first and last movement are the same; the second is printed in both version, one after another).

And let's not forget about Zemlinsky's Operas and Quartets. In particular, the Quartets are benefitting from a series of modern, excellent recordings that spotlight all their beauties. I like all four of them, but if I were compelled to choose a favourite, I would choose the Third.

[barryguerrero]

I'll see if either of these two versions are available to listen to on Spotify. I owe the Mermaid that much.