TEMPO OF RECOLLECTION - Hosfeld Artist Management

TEMPO OF RECOLLECTION
Music of Erwin Schulhoff
“Langsam wandle ich dahin” from Funf Gesange mit Klavier
A bourgeois woman, something of a diva, rises to sing a short song by Schulhoff from his
“Funf Gesange” (Five Songs). The music is beautiful and haunting, but also angular,
clearly grounded in a challenging 12-tone setting, similar to music
by Arnold Schoenberg or Alban Berg or others from the “2 nd Viennese
School”. This music shows that Schulhoff was keenly aware
of many of the musical trends in Europe, including the move away
from traditional tonality and was active both in performing other
composers’ works as well as writing his own. Though he was to
only be active with this sort of music for a short time, including
this work demonstrates one end of the range of music that Schulhoff
was interested in. During the performance of this work,
some patrons are entranced, while others are bored and slightly
irritated at this invasion on their dancehall from this sort of music.
As the song ends several people silently clap, the rest shout,
“kvatch!”, a German word indicating their displeasure.
Black Bottom from Esquisses de jazz
The patrons want dance music in the dance hall and so begin snapping their fingers to a
rapid beat, signaling Schulhoff to sit back at the piano and play his version of the “Black
Bottom”. The Black Bottom, like the Charleston is from Schulhoff’s
Esquisses de jazz (sketches of jazz) and once again presents an irresistible
opportunity for the denizens to dance. The Black Bottom is
slower and sexier than the Charleston and in contrast to the Funf Gesange,
the “high art-song”, more approximates the mood of the dance
hall. Also, this presents the first time that all the musicians play as
the string quartet musicians, scattered about the stage take out their
instruments and improvise along with Schulhoff at the piano. The
assumption is that these musicians, familiar with the dancehall atmosphere
and the dances that Schulhoff is playing, can hear just a
few notes on the piano and immediately join in and play along.
Sonata Erotica opus extra “nur fur Herren”
The bourgeois singer, now feeling a sense of what this dancehall is all about, and certainly
not to be outdone by anyone decides to try to reclaim the spotlight. She bangs on
the piano lid to grab everyone’s attention and then sings a long high note to which most
of the dancehall inhabitants simply roll their eyes at and continue their conversations.
But then her long high note transforms into an extremely suggestive sigh of passion.
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Music Descriptions Page 3