Discordant Melody: Alexander Zemlinsky, His Songs, and the Second Viennese School

Esteemed by many of his most distinguished contemporaries, including Arnold Schoenberg, Alexander Zemlinsky (1871-1942) was a protege of Brahms and Mahler. With centenary celebrations of Zemlinsky's birth, scholars began a careful examination of his works and realized they had discovered a forgotten master.

Zemlinsky's wonderful melodic gift was manifested in operas, choral works, chamber music, and symphonic pieces, but was realized most fully in his more than 100 songs. Gorrell explores these songs and uses them as a lens through which to examine this important, highly influential musical figure of the 19th and 20th centuries.