Der Zemlinsky-Ton

In his last written communication to Alexander Zemlinsky, on the occasion of a radio broadcast of the latter's Sinfonietta in 1935, Alban Berg speaks with warmth and enthusiasm of the "genuine Zemlinsky tone": "It is this tone that I love so much." The present volume traces the peculiarities of this tone, examining its origins and the circumstances of its creation. It deliberately focuses not on Berg’s extensive operatic output, but on his orchestral and chamber music works, in particular the “Lyric Symphony” and the string quartets.

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