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This is an orchestration of the first in the set of Arnold Schoenberg’s cabaret songs called the Brettl-Lieder written in 1901 for the Berlin cabaret, the Überbrettl, where he worked as Music Director in 1901-2.
The lyrics for Galathea are by Frank Wedekind whose 2 plays, Pandora’s Box and Earth Spirit, form the basis for Alban Berg’s second opera, Lulu. Galathea, you might say, is a ‘proto-Lulu’ although no words are given to her in this song: the words all belong to her ever-hopeful suitor.
In keeping with the song’s music-hall provenance, the setting is a lush, theatrical experience employing a fairly large orchestra with triple woodwind, brass and percussion, as well as multi-divisi strings. These elements underpin and underline the barely-concealed lust which oozes from every word and every exotic ‘chromatically pumped-up’ harmony which Schoenberg’s uses with relish and wit.
Performances of these songs are still rare, although it is encouraging to see that a few singers are beginning to discover the Brettl-Lieder, Galathea particularly, which is bringing them to the attention of a wider audience.
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