Ernst Krenek
By: Mark Vanderzanden
The Life and Times of Krenek
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Born on August 23, 1900 in Vienna, Austria
Piano lessons at age 6, began composing
1916: Started studying composition with
Franz Schreker (emphasis on counterpoint)
1920’s: period of musical expressionism
1921-1924: musically productive (18 works)
1921: First String Quartet – compositional
abilities first emerge; dissonances; contract
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1923: enormous uproar caused by the
premiere of his Second Symphony
1925: visited Paris and wrote an opera
called Jonny spielt auf, which initiated what
he called his neo-Romantic period (success)
1926-1928: 3 one-act operas written
1928: settled in Vienna and married Hass
1929: New 12-note compositional technique
emerged in a piece written on commission
from the Vienna Staatsoper
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1933: finished Karl V, the first 12-note
opera; never performed in Vienna due to
political events; Catholicism vs. Nazism
1938: Krenek emigrated to America when
the Nazi’s annexed Austria
1938-1950: taught at several universities
throughout the nation (including Hamline)
1950-1956: Back in Europe; many major
works were commissioned during this period
1955-1956: Spiritus intelligentiae, sanctus
1960: received multiple honors recognizing
his musical accomplishments
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1966: moved to Palm Springs, CA (UCSD)
Here he composed more major works
including: orchestral works, soprano and
ensemble, electronic works, and 2 TV operas
More relaxed compositional style during last
years of life, but 12-tone and serial systems
were still used
Opus sine nomine (1980-1988) was his final
large work
Died on December 22, 1991 in Palm Springs
In Paradisum
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An antiphon sung at Catholic funeral
services, typically as the body is being
carried out of the church to the cemetery
Sometimes used in the Palm Sunday
procession
Text
May the angels lead you into paradise;
May the martyrs welcome you upon your arrival,
and lead you into the holy city of Jerusalem
May a choir of angels welcome you,
and, with poor Lazarus of old,
may you have eternal rest.
Analyzing the piece poietically
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Motet composed in 1946
Technically was a free creation of the
composer; given to St. Kate’s as a gift
after a memorial mass was held there
commemorating his father’s death
Krenek requested it be sung by the choir
so it was first created by the voices of the
choir and an accompanying piano
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Franz Schreker had an influence on Krenek’s
early work (counterpoint)
Krenek then developed his own 12-tone
system (1929) that was used much more
often
World War II took the life of his father,
whose memorial mass was the reason why
the piece was composed
Analyzing the piece at a neutral level
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Highest pitches of the piece are located on
the name Lazarus – (symbolic
correspondence)
Volume stays constant until the end of the
piece when it starts to get quieter (symbolic)
Biggest variation of the duration comes at
the end of the piece, especially on the word
“requiem” as the piece comes to a close
As far as timbre, only female voices are used
in this particular recording of the piece
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The musical texture of this piece is polyphonic
The complexity and rich sound of polyphony
signifies the importance of the text and the
burial mass in general
Musical form is variation since the pitch,
volume, and duration all vary at some point in
the piece. This form supports the text set and
the ritual setting since the dynamics
emphasize the underlying ideas and themes of
the piece.
Unique harmonic structure and many
dissonances throughout the piece (not heard
on this recording)
Analyzing the piece esthesically
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In Paradisum was one of Krenek’s minor
works – a short motet
This piece didn’t advance the musical art of
the composer; rather it only used some of
the techniques he had already adapted –
particularly the use of dissonances
This piece is sung both at funeral masses
and in concert settings.
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Generally, the world esteems Krenek as a
composer and a writer
From my visit to St. Kate’s and interview with
Dr. Patricia Connors (music chair), I got the
impression that they hold this piece in such
high regards since it was written specifically
for the college
However, during the 1930’s Krenek’s work
often contained social implications that
caused him to become increasingly unpopular
After Karl V, Krenek avoided controversy by
leaving politics out of his work
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I think the meaning of the text is
significant and emphasizes the main
themes of the piece
The music was composed in such a way
that it highlights the text and also helps to
emphasize these themes
Finally, the two together make for a
meaningful and significant piece for use in
the ritual setting of funeral masses.