JAVS Spring 2010

tions to come. Krenek’s life-long devotion to his art, his profound and deep understanding of music, and his ability to communicate in a clear and elevated way, in a mul titude of genres, has solidified his place as one of the great composers of the twentieth century, and now, a major contributor to the reper toire for the viola. Today the works of Ernst Krenek are experiencing a revival by the international music community: the establishment of the Ernst Krenek Institute Private Foundation in Krems, Austria, in 2004 by the composer’s widow Gladys Krenek; the Krenek Prize of the City of Vienna, a biennial award that is open to composers and musicologists who have ties with the city of Vienna; and the recent republication and distribu tion of out-of-print and unpub lished works by Universal Edition, Vienna, including the three works discussed here, are all contributing to new scholarship as well as inspiring a new generation of per formers on an international scale. 1 Ernst Krenek, Music Here and Now , trans. Barthold Fles (New York: W. W. Norton, 1939), 143. 2 Ernst Krenek, Parvula Corona Musicalis , op. 122 (Vienna: Universal Edition, 1993), X. 3 Paul T. Frankl, Form and Re-form: A Practical Handbook of Modern Interiors (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1930), 27. Notes

instrument make it one of the great undiscovered works for solo viola. Krenek’s ability to flourish creatively while under the confines of a “system” is the essence of his genius. What might limit some to the point of creative exhaustion, the result of which would be a mundane, academic creation, had the opposite effect on Krenek’s muse. His works are always con cise, never artificial, and consis tently engaging. The Austrian Art Deco furniture designer Paul Frankl once wrote: “style, then, we may define as the external expres sion of the inner spirit of any given time.” 3 Unsparing construction and refinement of materials make Krenek’s works, and the Sonata for Viola in particular, an enduring and defining example of twentieth century modernism and a true har binger of style. It is no wonder that much of this music, neglected and relegated to bare mention only in academia, is resurfacing today. Epilogue In his essay Conversation Past Midnight Krenek comments, “Genius brings forth something that reflects eternal truth, the sort of truth to which we cannot attain by ourselves, which comes only to saints in moments of revelations. An artist’s work belongs of course wholly in this world, but all the same it can catch a glimpse of the other world, of the eternal. And in doing so it partakes of immortali ty.” 4 It is this author’s hope that the austere works of Ernst Krenek will continue to inspire audiences and performing musicians for genera

4 Ernst Krenek, Exploring Music , trans. Margaret Shenfield and Geoffrey Skelton (New York: October House, 1966), 241.

Resources

CDs:

Weber, Jürgen. Excursions . Musicaphon, 55718. © 2008. (Includes works by Ernst Krenek (Viola Sonata, op. 92, no. 3), Krzysztof Penderecki, Gideon Klein, Vincent Persichetti, Ernest Bloch, Jan Zdenek Bartos, Samuel Adler, and Benjamin Britten.) Music. Cambria, 8803. © 2000. (Includes Music for String Quartet and Percussion , by William Kraft; Sonata for Solo Viola, op. 92, no. 3, by Ernst Krenek; Settings for Twelve Chinese Symbols , by Joan Huang; and Evening Voluntaries , by William Kraft.) William Kraft, Ernst Krenek, Joan Huang . Southwest Chamber

Websites:

Ernst Krenek Institut: http://www.krenek.com/

Ernst Krenek Society: http://www.ernstkrenek.com/

Universal Edition, Vienna: http://www.universaledition.com

Books, Scores, and Articles

Bowles, Garrett H. Ernst Krenek: A Bio-Bibliography . New York:

J OURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETY 42