Hanns Eisler - Choral Songs - Children´s Songs - Popular Songs (Chorlieder - Kinderlieder - Volkslieder)

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of the composer Hanns Eisler (September, 6), there was a wonderful "Long Hanns Eisler night" eleven years ago at the Akademie der Künste (Berlin) with artist like Sonja Kehler, Wenzel, Hanns Eisler Chor and Bremer Eisler Ensemble. One of the highlights of the evening was the appearance of Gisela May. The wonderful actress and singer had an interesting on-stage conversation with the Eisler expert Jürgen Scherbera about her collaboration with Hanns Eisler. And she gave us an interpretation of "Die haltbare Graugans".

One of the most original and prolific composers of the twentieth century, Hanns Eisler proved that expressing humanistic and political concerns does not necessarily lead to musical banalities, but can achieve his stated aesthetic ideal of "freshness, intelligence, strength and elegance" (as opposed to "bombast, sentimentality and mysticism"). Eisler´s variety of genres and writing styles surpasses anything to be found among other leading 20th-century composers. Songs of widely differing kinds and levels were the principal fruit of Eisler´s talent and ability: marching songs, ballads, lullabies, art songs, canons, anthems, chansons, choral songs and cycles.

This album is a collection of choral songs, children´s songs and popular songs, including the "Little Woodbury song book". It contains key works illustrating Eisler´s characteristic, largely song-oriented musical thinking.

Tracklist01 - 20: Woodburry-Liederbüchlein
21 - 23:  Kanons
24: Gegen den Krieg, Op. 51
25 - 29: Fünf Lieder für Kindergärten
30 - 32: Drei Kinderlieder für Gesang und Bratsche
33 - 41: Suite für Septett No. 1, Op. 92a
42 - 47: Neue deutsche Volkslieder
48: Nationalhymne der DDR

Hanns Eisler - Chorlieder - Kinderlieder - Volkslieder
(192 kbps, front cover included)