Arnold Schönberg's Gurre-Lieder

Arnold Schönberg was born 150 years ago, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra will celebrate that occasion with a unique performance of his Gurre-Lieder. This monumental and gripping cantata is a pinnacle of the Late Romantic Era, but it is rarely performed because of the massive number of musicians required. In 1921, the Concertgebouw Orchestra played the piece twice under the direction of Arnold Schönberg himself. More than a hundred years later, our conductor emeritus Riccardo Chailly will lead the orchestra in the wonderful Gurre-Lieder.

Riccardo Chailly

Schönberg’s Gurre-Lieder tops the wish lists of many conductors, not only because of the massive forces required for its performance, but also because of the work’s stunning musical details. Riccardo Chailly has for many years been a champion of the music of Arnold Schönberg. During Chailly’s tenure as chief conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, he regularly programmed Schönberg’s music, although he never had the opportunity to conduct the Gurre-Lieder in Amsterdam. But now, the moment has arrived: for the first time in over a hundred years, the Concertgebouw Orchestra will perform Schönberg’s monumental Gurre-Lieder. The medieval Danish Gurre Castle forms the setting for this tragic love affair between King Waldemar and his mistress Tove. The work’s many highlights include the Wood Dove’s Song and the orchestral representation of Waldemar’s undead vassals shaking their chains as they storm through the castle.