Alban Berg

Altenberg Lieder

Alban Berg's Five Orchestral Songs after Postcards by Peter Altenberg (German: Fünf Orchesterlieder nach Ansichtskarten von Peter Altenberg), Op. 4, were composed in 1911 and 1912 for medium voice,

Structure#

The songs are: # (“Soul, how much more beautiful are you”) # (“Did you see the forest after the rainstorm?”) # (“Beyond the boundaries of the universe”) # (“Nothing has come”) # (“Here is peace”)

Instrumentation#

The work is scored for medium voice (mezzo-soprano) and a large orchestra consisting of: Woodwinds :3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo) :3 oboes (3rd doubling English horn) :3 clarinets in B (3rd doubling clarinet in E) :1 bass clarinet in B :3 bassoons (3rd doubling contrabassoon) ;Brass :4 horns in F :3 trumpets in F :4 trombones (1st doubling alto trombone) :1 tuba (doubling contrabass tuba) Percussion :timpani :glockenspiel :xylophone :triangle :cymbals :tam-tam :side drum :bass drum Keyboards :celesta :piano :harmonium Strings :harp :violins I, II :violas :celli :double basses

Composer: Alban Berg