Hanns Eisler - Irmgard Arnold singt Eisler

On his return to Europe from the USA in 1948 Eisler had a large stock of vocal compositions "in his bagage", written in exile but as yet virtually unperformed.

Finding suitable artists to interpret this large group of works was exceptionally difficult. Not until 1956 did Eisler find a singr in the person of Irmgard Arnold who had everything he needed for his music - in his own words: "lightness, intelligence, friendliness, strictness, grace and hardness, fun an seriousness." The soprano Irmgard Arnold was born into a Munich family of musicians in 1919 and after engagements in Augsburg and Halle came in 1949/50 to the Komische Oper ensemble in Berlin. She gave her first Eisler concert at the second All-German Music Festival, held in Coburg at the endo of August and beginning of September 1956.

The vocal works on this recording were presented over the course of many years at her lieder recitals - accompanied by Andre Asriel, who had been top of Eisler´s composition class at the Academy of Arts in East Berlin in 1950/51. The works on the album are presented in chronological order, not as they were originally heard in the concert hall or presented on gramophone records. Irmgard Arnold´s concerts did much to reveal the "unknown" Eisler. Her way of singing Eisler can still be useful for deeper understanding of the difficulties caused to the inquring artist by this side of Eisler - and for the enthusiasm and enjoyment that intensive work can yield.

Hanns Eisler - Irmgard Arnold singt Eisler
(192 kbps, front cover included)