Krenek [Kenek], Ernst

(b Vienna, 23 Aug 1900; d Palm Springs, CA, 22 Dec 1991).

Austrian composer and writer, also active in Germany and the
USA. One of the most prolific composers of the 20th century, he
wrote in a wide variety of contemporary idioms.
Krenek began piano lessons at the age of six and was soon writing
short piano pieces. In 1916 he began composition study with
Schreker, whose emphasis on counterpoint prepared Krenek for
Kurths Lineare Kontrapunkte, a text that caused the young
composer to conclude that music was not just a vague
symbolization of emotion instinctively conjured up into pleasant
sounding matter, but a precisely planned reflection of an
autonomous system of streams of energy materialized in carefully
controlled tonal patterns. Conscripted into the Austrian Army
during World War I, Krenek was posted to Vienna where he was
able to continue his studies. In 1920 he followed Schreker to Berlin,
where he attended the salon of Busoni, met Hermann Scherchen
and befriended Eduard Erdmann and Artur Schnabel. Works from
this period reflect Schrekers influence in their use of counterpoint
and extended tonality.
The three years from 1921 to 1924 were musically productive for
Krenek. With the performance of the First String Quartet at the
1921 Deutsches Tonknstlerfest (Nuremberg), his mature
compositional voice emerged. The stark dissonances and vigorous
Bartkian rhythms of the quartet inspired more than 50 reviews,
gaining Krenek a reputation that produced a contract with Universal
Edition. He completed 18 works during these three years, among
them the operas Die Zwingburg (1922), Orpheus und Eurydike
(1923) and Der Sprung ber den Schatten (1923). Most
compositions received their premires within a year of completion.
At the beginning of 1922 Krenek met Anna Mahler, the daughter of
Gustav Mahler. Their relationship, providing him with an entre into
the Mahler circle, resulted in Franz Werfels reworking of the
libretto of Die Zwingburg and Alma Mahlers introduction to Alban
Berg. Anna also asked Krenek to complete Mahlers Tenth
Symphony; he edited the first and third movements of the work, but
felt the remainder to be too undeveloped to justify completion
artistically. The couple's marriage in 1924 lasted less than a year.
In late 1922 Krenek was invited to join the board of the newly
created ISCM. During the next three years many of his works were
performed at ISCM concerts. He later served as president of the
Austrian chapter of the society. After the enormous uproar created
by the premire of his Second Symphony in 1923 (Deutsches
Tonknstlerfest, Kassel), Krenek received a grant from Werner
Reinhart that enabled him to live in Switzerland for a short time.
Reinhart also introduced Krenek to Stravinsky and Rilke. Ordinarily
opposed to musical settings of his texts, Rilke dedicated his cycle

O Lacrymosa to Krenek in the hope that it would be set to music,

a project that was completed in 1926. In 1925 Krenek joined Paul
Bekker at the Staatstheater Kassel. As assistant director Krenek
composed incidental music, wrote notes for programme books and
occasionally conducted.
In early 1925 Krenek travelled to Paris, where he met Les Six.
Deciding that his music should become more accessible, he began
sketching ideas for an opera. The completion of Jonny spielt auf
(1925) marked a return to tonality and the beginning of what
Krenek called his neo-Romantic period, influenced in part by his
study of Schubert. The operas premire in early 1927 soon had
Krenek riding a wave of success (see fig.2). Three one-act operas
were also completed: Der Diktator (1926), loosely based on the life
of Mussolini; Das geheime Knigreich (1926), a fairy tale; and
Schwergewicht, oder Die Ehre der Nation (1928), a satire on sports
hero-worship. After a second trip to Paris, during which he met
Antheil, he settled in Vienna. He married Berta Hass [Hermann], a
prominent actress, in 1928. Leben des Orest (19289), a grand
opera, and Reisebuch aus den sterreichischen Alpen (1929), a
cycle of 20 songs extolling the Austrian countryside, also date from
this period.
On his return to Vienna, Krenek became good friends with Berg
and Webern. Although he studied their scores, he did not discuss
their music with them. He did engage in discussions with Adorno,
however, with whom he had become friends in 1924. After both
were appointed to the board of Anbruch in 1928, a debate between
them over artistic responsibility appeared in print. Adorno argued
that artists had a sociological responsibility to the conditions of the
time, while Krenek maintained that artists were responsible only to
a personal standard of merit. When Krenek received a commission
from the Vienna Staatsoper in 1929, however, he decided to write a
work based on the life of Emperor Charles V, reflecting the
disintegration of society, extolling Austrian nationalism and
employing the new 12-note compositional technique. A meeting
with Karl Kraus in 1930 motivated two sets of songs on Krauss
texts (1931) that experiment with 12-note writing. Karl V, the first
12-note opera, was completed in 1933. Although political events
cancelled its Viennese production, it was performed in Prague in
1938.
After regularly contributing to the arts page of the Frankfurter
Zeitung from 1930 to 1933, Krenek could no longer write for the
German press. The growing Nazi movement branded him a radical
artist and banned his music and writings. In 1932 Krenek, Berg,
Rudolph Ploderer and Willi Reich founded 23 (Dreiundzwandzig), a
satirical magazine they continued to publish until 1937. In 1936
Krenek was also asked to prepare an edition of Monteverdis
Lincoronazione di Poppea for the Salzburg Opera Guilds
American tour. He travelled with the company in 1937, presenting
lecture recitals and recording his impressions and experiences for

the Wiener Zeitung. It was on this trip that he first visited Los
Angeles and became enamoured with the American West.
Shortly after his return to Europe the Nazis annexed Austria and
Krenek emigrated to America, where he became a naturalized
citizen. He taught at the Malkin Conservatory, Boston (19389), the
University of Michigan summer school (1939), where his students
included George Perle and Robert Erickson, and Vassar College
(193942). Lamentatio Jeremiae prophetae (19412), written after
a careful study of Ockeghem editions in the Vassar library,
anticipated the serial techniques of Boulez and Stockhausen. In
1942 Krenek accepted a position at Hamline University, St Paul,
Minnesota, where he taught until 1947. His close friendship with
Mitropoulos and Krasner led to the foundation of the Minneapolis
chapter of ISCM. Compositions from the Hamline years include
Cantata for Wartime (1943), the Seventh String Quartet (19434),
Santa Fe Timetable (1945), the chamber opera What Price
Confidence? (1945), Symphonic Elegy (1946), dedicated to the
memory of Webern, and the Fourth Symphony (1947).
In 1947, at the encouragement of Antheil, Krenek moved to Los
Angeles, where he hoped to support himself through composition.
When he found this to be impossible, he taught at small schools for
a number of years. In 1949 he was appointed to a position at the
Chicago Musical College (1949), but left Chicago in December due
to the cold weather. Determined to live in the Los Angeles area, he
divorced his wife and married the composer Gladys Nordenstrom
in 1950. He returned to Europe to teach at the Darmstadt summer
courses in 1950 and 1951; after an absence of two years (19523),
however, he found his influence waning in the ascent of Boulez and
Stockhausen. Many of his most important works were
commissioned during this period, among them the chamber operas
Dark Waters (1950) and The Bell Tower (19556), the fifth and
sixth piano sonatas (1950, 1951), Eleven Transparencies (1954),
for soprano and orchestra, and Pallas Athene weint (19525), a
parable on the downfall of democracy dedicated to Adlai
Stevenson.
In 1955 Krenek was invited by Eimert to work in his electronic
music studio. This experience proved pivotal to Kreneks
compositional style, resulting in Spiritus intelligentiae, sanctus
(19556), a work for two voices and tape. The electronic medium
motivated Krenek to develop a serial idiom; he became interested
in the dialectic of predetermination and chance, as well as in the
significance of time. As the Christian Gauss lecturer at Princeton
University in the spring of 1957, Krenek learnt of the medieval
poetic form Sestina, which seemed compatible with his serial
ideas. In his composition Sestina (1957) he combined note row
rotations with the medieval form. Many works composed in the
following decade continued to employ serial techniques. In 1958 a
renewed friendship with Stravinsky after years of estrangement,
owing to a satirical remark made by Krenek about 12-note music at

the 1925 Congress for Aesthetics, created many opportunities for

the discussion of 12-note and serial procedures. He returned to
Princeton in 1959 to lecture at the Seminars in Advanced Musical
Studies.
In 1960 Krenek received several honours including the Silver
Medal of Austria, the Gold Medal of Vienna, and memberships in
the Berlin Academy of Arts, the Austrian State Academy of Music,
Vienna, and the National Institute of Arts and Letters, New York. He
moved to Palm Springs in 1966, where he served as an adviser in
the formation of the music department at the University of
California, San Diego (UCSD). During this time, collections of his
essays and opera librettos were published. He also composed
eight significant orchestral works, five major works for soprano and
ensemble, two electronic works (along with several others including
electronic music) and two television operas concerning chance and
order (Ausgerechnet und verspielt, 1961; Der Zauberspiegel,
19636). He received commissions from the Hamburg State Opera
for Der goldene Bock (19623), a work including elements of
surrealism and the absurd, and Sardakai, oder Das kommt davon
(19679), which makes use of ironic elements from the Cos fan
tutte story. His interest in serialism and time were often reflected in
the titles of his instrumental music, such as Quaestio temporis
(1959), From Three Make Seven (196061) and Instant
Remembered (19678). Some of these works use timbres
structurally, while others leave a number of parameters open to
performer manipulation, or offer performers various ways to
combine composed elements.
In 1970 Krenek was appointed to the post of Regents Lecturer at
UCSD. He was awarded the Cross of Austria and a Berlin Festival
commission (Feiertags-Kantate) in 1975. During the last years of
his life his compositional style became more relaxed, though he
continued to use elements of 12-note and serial systems. Both his
writings and his compositions, such as Sptlese (1972) for FischerDieskau, became more introspective and biographical. The last
works include the humorous television opera Flaschenpost vom
Paradies (19723), vocal compositions such as They Knew What
they Wanted (1977) and The Dissembler (1978), and three major
orchestral compositions, most notably the autobiographical Arc of
Life (1981). He summarized his compositional career in the Eighth
String Quartet (198081), a work that quotes from his other
quartets. The oratorio Opus sine nomine (198088) was his final
large work. In 1982 he was appointed an honorary citizen of
Vienna. He spent his remaining summers at the Arnold
Schoenberg House in Mdling. In 1986 the first annual Krenek
Prize for composition was established in Vienna.
WORKS
WRITINGS
GARRETT BOWLES

Krenek, Ernst
WORKS
operas
librettos by the composer unless otherwise stated

Die Zwingburg (scenic cant., 1, F. Werfel, after F. Demuth), op.14, 1922, Berlin,
Staatsoper, 20 Oct 1924
Orpheus und Eurydike (3, O. Kokoschka), op.21, 1923, Kassel, Staats, 27 Nov
1926
Der Sprung ber den Schatten (comic op, 3), op.17, 1923, Frankfurt, Opernhaus, 9
June 1924
Bluff (musical comedy, C. von Levetzov, after G. Gribble), op.36, 19245, withdrawn
Jonny spielt auf (2), op.45, 1925, Leipzig, Stadt, 10 Feb 1927
Der Diktator (tragic op, 1), op.49, 1926, Wiesbaden, Staats, 6 May 1928
Das geheime Knigreich (fairy tale op, 1), op.50, 1926, Wiesbaden, Staats, 6 May
1928
Schwergewicht, oder Die Ehre der Nation (burlesque operetta, 1), op.55, 1927,
Wiesbaden, Staats, 6 May 1928
Leben des Orest (grand op, 5), op.60, 19289, Leipzig, Neues, 19 Jan 1930
Kehraus um St Stephan (2), op.66, 1930, Vienna, Ronacher, 6 Dec 1990
Karl V (2), op.73, 19323, Prague, Neues Deutsches, 22 June 1938
Cefalo e Procri (It. op, 1, R. Kfferle, Ger. trans. Krenek), op.77, 19334, Venice,
Goldoni, 15 Sept 1934
Die Krnung der Poppea (G.F. Busenello, Ger. trans. Krenek), op.80a, 1936,
Vienna, Volksoper, 25 Sept 1937, orch of C. Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea
Tarquin (chbr op, 2, Eng. text by E. Lavery, Ger. text by M.-C. Schulte-Strahaus and
P. Funk), op.90, 1940, Poughkeepsie, NY, Vassar College, 13 May 1941
What Price Confidence? [Vertrauenssache] (chbr op, 9 scenes), op.111, 1945,
Saarbrcken, Stadt, 23 May 1962
Dark Waters [Dunkle Wasser] (1, after H. Melville: The Confidence Man), op.125,
1950, Los Angeles, U. of Southern California, 2 May 1951
Pallas Athene weint (3), op.144, 19525, Hamburg, Staatsoper, 17 Oct 1955
The Bell Tower [Der Glockenturm] (1, after Melville), op.153, 19556, Urbana, IL, U.
of Illinois, 17 March 1957
Ausgerechnet und verspielt (TV op, 1), op.179, 1961, sterreichisches Fernsehen,
25 July 1962
Der goldene Bock [Chrysomallos] (4), op.179, 19623, Hamburg, Staatsoper, 16
June 1964
Der Zauberspiegel (TV op, 14 scenes), op.192, 19636, Bayerischer Fernsehen, 6
Sept 1967
Sardokai, oder Das kommt davon (Wenn Sardakai auf Reisen geht) (11 scenes),
op.206, 19679, Hamburg, Staatsoper, 27 June 1970
Flaschenpost von Paradies, oder Der englische Ausflug (TV op), op.217, 19723,
sterreichisches Fernsehen, 8 March 1974
other stage
Ballets: Mammon (B. Balsz, Ger. trans. H. Krller), op.37, 1925; Der vertauschte
Cupido, op.38, 1925 [after J.-P. Rameau]; Eight Column Line, op.85, 1939; Jest of
Cards, op.162a, 1962 [arr. from Marginal Sounds, op.162]; Alpbach Qnt (choreog.

Y. Georgi), op.180a, wind qnt, perc, 1962

Incid music: Das Gotteskind, op.42 (radio), 1925; Die Rache des verhhnten
Liebhabers, op.41 (E. Toller), 1925; Vom lieben Augustin, op.40 (Dietzenschmidt),
1925; A Midsummer Nights Dream, op.46 (W. Shakespeare), 1926; Der Triumph
der Empfindsamkeit, op.43 (J.W. von Goethe), 1926; Marlborough s'en va-t-en
guerre, op.52 (M. Achard), 1927; Knig Oedipus, op.188 (Sophocles), 1964
orchestral
Syms.: no.1, op.7, 1921; no.2, op.12, 1922; no.3, op.16, 1922; Sym., op.34, wind,
perc, 19245; Kleine Sinfonie, op.58, 1928; no.4, op.113, 1947; no.5, op.119, 1949;
Sym. Pallas Athene, op.137, 1954
With solo inst(s): Conc. grosso no.1, op.10, 6 insts, str, 1921 [withdrawn]; Pf Conc.
no.1, F , op.18, 1923; Concertino, op.27, fl, vn, hpd/pf, str, 1924; Conc. grosso
no.2, op.25, 1924; Vn Conc. no.1, op.29, 1924; Pf. Conc. no.2, op.81, 1937; Little
Conc., op.88, pf, org, chbr orch, 193940; Pf Conc. no.3, op.107, 1946; Conc.,
op.124, vn, pf, chbr orch, 1950; Pf Conc. no.4, op.123, 1950; Conc., op.126, hp,
chbr orch, 1951; 2 Pf Conc., op.127, 1951; Vc Conc. no.1, op.133, 1953; Vn Conc.
no.2, op.140, 19534; Suite, op.147a, fl, str, 1954; Capriccio, op.145, vc, small
orch, 1955; Suite, op.148a, cl, str, 1955; Kitharaulos, op.213, ob, hp, small orch,
1971; Conc., op.230, org, str, 1979; Org Conc., op.235, 1982; Vc Conc. no.2,
op.236, 1982
Other: Symphonische Musik no.1, op.11, ww, str, 1922; Symphonische Musik no.2,
op.23, chbr orch, 1923 [withdrawn]; 7 Orchesterstcke, op.31, 1924; 3 Lustige
Mrsche, op.44, wind, 1926; Intrada, op.51a, wind, 1927; Potpourri, op.54, 1927;
Theme and 13 Variations, op.69, 1931; Adagio and Fugue, op.78a, str, 1936;
Campo Marzio, op.80, ov., 1937; Sym. Piece, op.86, str, 1939; I Wonder as I
Wander, op.94, 1942 [variations on North Carolina folksong]; Tricks and Trifles,
op.101, 1945 [arr. of Hurricane Variations]; Sym. elegy, op.105, str, 1946; Brazilian
Sinfonietta, op.131, str, 1952; Scenes from the West, op.134, school orch, 19523;
7 Easy Pieces, op, 146, str, 1955; Kette, Kreis und Spiegel, op.160, 19567;
Hexaedron, op.167, chbr orch, 1958; Quaestio temporis, op.170, small orch, 1959;
From Three Make Seven, op.177, 196061; Nach wie von der Reihe nach, op.182,
2 spkrs, orch, 1962; 6 Profiles, op.203, 19658; Exercises of a Late Hour, op.200,
small orch, tape, 1967; Horizon Circled, op.196, 1967; Instant Remembered, S,
spkr, orch, tape, 19678; Perspectives, op.199, 1967; Fivefold Enfoldment, op.205,
1969; Statisch und ekstatisch, op.214, 19712; Auf- und Ablehnung, op.220, 1974;
Von vorn herein, op.219, small orch, pf, cel, 1974; Dream Sequence, op.224, wind,
1975; Im Tal der Zeit, op.232, 1979; Arc of Life, op.234, chbr orch, 1981
choral
Mixed vv: 3 Choruses (M. Claudius), op.22, unacc. chorus, 1923; Die Jahreszeiten
(F. Hlderlin), op.35, 1925; 4 Choruses (J.W. von Goethe), op.47, unacc. chorus,
1926; Kleine Kantate, op.51, 1927, lost; 3 Choruses (G. Keller), op.61, 1929; 4
Austrian Folksongs, op.77a, 1934; Symeon der Stylit (orat), 19357, rev. 1987;
Lamentatio Jeremiae prophetae, op.93, 19412; Santa Fe Timetable, op.102, 1945;
O Would I Were, canon, op.109, 1946; 4 Choruses, op.138, mixed vv, org, 1953;
Motette zur Opferung, op.141, 3vv, 1954; Ich singe wieder wenn es tagt (W. von der
Vogelweide), op.151, mixed vv, str, 19556; Proprium missae in domenica III in
quadragesima, op.143, 3vv, 1955; Psalmenverse zur Kommunion, op.149, 24vv,
1955; Guten Morgen, Amerika (C. Sandburg), op.159, 1956; Missa duodecim
tonorum, op.165, mixed vv, org, 19578; 6 Motets (F. Kafka), op.169, 4vv, 1959; 3

Madrigals, 3 Motets, op.174, childrens vv, 1960; Canon for Stravinskys 80th
Birthday (Krenek), op.181, 2vv, 1962; O Holy Ghost (J. Donne), op.186a, 1964;
Glauben und wissen, op.186a, mixed vv, orch, 1966; Deutsche Messe, op.204,
mixed vv, insts, 1968; 3 Lessons (Krenek), op.210, 1971; Settings of Poems by
William Blake, op.226, 1976; Opus sine nomine (orat), op.238, 198088; For
Myself, at Eightyfive, canon, op.238a, 4vv, ?1985
Female vv: 2 Choruses on Jacobean Poems (W.H. Drummond, W. Raleigh), op.87,
1939; Proprium missae in festo SS Innocentium martyrum, op.89, 1940; Cant. for
Wartime (H. Melville), op.95, female vv, orch, 1943; Aegrotarit Ezechias, motet,
op.103, 1944; 5 Prayers (Donne), op.97, 1944; In paradisum, motet, op.106, 1946;
Remember Now, motet, op.115a, female vv, pf, 1947
Male vv: Jagd im Winter (F. Grillparzer), op.74, male vv, hn, timp, 1933
With solo vv: 4 kleine Mnnerchre (Hlderlin), op.32, A, male vv, 1924; Kantate
von der Vergnglichkeit des Irdischen (P. Fleming, A. Gryphius, other 17th-century
Ger., trans. Krenek), op.72, S, mixed vv, pf, 1932; Proprium missae Trinitatis,
op.195, S, mixed vv, insts, 19667; Messe Gib uns den Frieden, op.208, solo vv,
mixed vv, insts, 1970; Feiertags-Kantate (Krenek), op.221, Mez, Bar, spkr, chorus,
orch, 19745
solo vocal
With orch: Wechsellied zum Tanz (J.W. von Goethe), op.43a, S, orch, 1926; 4
Lieder (C. Gnther, G.R. Weckherlin, P. Fleming), op.53, Mez, wind, 1927; Monolog
der Stella (concert aria, Goethe), op.57a, S, orch, 1928; Durch die Nacht (song
cycle, K. Kraus), op.67a, S, orch, 193031; Die Nachtigall (concert aria, Kraus),
op.68a, coloratura S, orch, 1931; Medea (dramatic monologue, R. Jeffers, after
Euripides), op.129, Mez, orch, 1951; 11 Transparencies, op.142, S, orch, 1954; The
Dissembler (monologue, Krenek), op.229, Bar, chbr orch, 1978
With inst(s): Whrend der Trennung (P. Fleming), op.76, Mez, Bar, pf, 1933; The
Holy Ghosts Ark (J. Donne), op.91a, Mez, 4 insts, 1941; La corona (Donne: 7
Sonnets), op.91, Mez, Bar, org, perc, 1941; Sestina (Krenek), op.161, S, 8 insts,
1957; 2 Zeitlieder (R. Pandula), op.215, Mez, str qt, 1972
Songs (1v, pf): 8 Lieder (G.H. Goering, F. Werfel, O. Krzyzanowski, F.G. Klopstock),
op.9, 19212; 5 Lieder (G. Gezelle, Werfel), op.15, 1922; 5 Lieder (Krzyzanowski,
Klopstock), op.19, 1923; 13 Lieder (Goering, H. Reinhart), op.30, 1924; O
Lacrymosa (R.M. Rilke), op.48, 1926; 4 Lieder (17th-century Ger.), op.53, 1927,
orchd 1927; 3 Lieder (Goethe), op.56, 1928; Reisebuch aus den sterreichischen
Alpen (Krenek), op.62, 1929; Fiedellieder (T. Storm, T. Mommsen), op.64, 1930;
Gesnge des spten Jahres (Krenek), op.71, 1931; Das Schweigen (Gemminge),
op.75, 1933; 5 Lieder (F. Kafka), op.82, 19378; The Ballad of the Railroads
(Krenek), op.98, 1944; 4 Songs (G.M. Hopkins), op.112, 19467; 2 Sacred Songs,
op.132, 1952; The Flea (Donne), op.175, 1960; Wechselrahmen (E. Barth), op.189,
1965; 3 Songs (L. von Sauter), op.216, 1972; Sptlese (Krenek), op.218, 1972; Two
Silent Watchers (M. Rudulph), op.222, 1975; Albumblatt (Krenek), op.228, 1977
With tape: Spiritus intelligentiae, sanctus, op.152, 2 solo vv, tape, 19556; Quintina
(Krenek), op.191, S, 6 insts, tape, 1965; They Knew What they Wanted (Krenek),
op.227, nar, ob, pf, perc, tape, 1977
Unacc: tude, op.104, coloratura S, A, 1945
chamber
3 or more insts: Serenade, op.4, cl, str trio, 1919; 4 str qts: no.1, op.6, 1921, no.2,
op.8, 1921, no.3, op.20, 1923, no.4, op.24, 19234; Trio-Fantasie, op.63, pf trio,

1929; 3 str qts: no.5, op.65, 1930, no.6, op.78, 1936, no.7, op.96, 19434; Trio,
op.108, vn, cl, pf, 1946; 5 Short Pieces, op.116; Str Qt, 1948; Str Trio, op.118,
19489; Parvula corona musicalis ad honorem Johannes Sebastiani Bach, op.122,
str trio, 1950; Wind Qnt, op.130, 1952; Marginal Sounds, op.162, vn, pf, perc, 1957;
Pentagram, op.163, wind qnt, 1957; Fltenstck neunphasig, op.171, fl, 6 pf, 1959;
Hausmusik, op.172, various insts, 1959; Fibonacci mobile, op.187, str qt, pf 4
hands, 1964; Str Qt no.8, op.233, 198081; Streichtrio in 12 Stationen, op.235, str
trio, 1985; Akrostichon, op.237a, 6 vc, 1987
12 insts: Sonata, f , op.3, vn, pf, 191920; Kleine Suite, op.28, cl, pf, 1924;
Sonata, op.33, vn, 19245; Suite, op.84, vc, 1939; Sonata, op.92/3, va, 1942;
Sonatina, op.92/2a, fl, va, 1942 [arr. op.92/2b, fl, cl, 1942]; Sonata, op.99, vn, pf,
19445; Sonata, op.115, vn, 1948; Sonata, op.117, va, pf, 1948; Phantasiestck,
op.135, vc, pf, 1953; Suite, op.147, fl, pf, 1954; Sonata, op.150, hp, 1955; Suite,
op.164, gui, 1957; Studien, op.184, vc, 1963; 4 Pieces, op.193, ob, pf, 1966; 5
Pieces, op.198, trbn, pf, 1967; Op.231, vn, org, 1979; Dyophonie, op.241, 2 vc,
1988; Op.239, hn, org, 1988; Suite, op.242, mand, gui, 1989
El-ac: San Fernando Sequence, op.185, tape, 1963; Quintona, op.190, tape, 1965;
Doppelt beflgeltes Band, op.207, 2 pf, tape, 196970; Duo, op.209, fl, db, tape,
1970; Orga-nastro, op.212, org, tape, 1971
keyboard
Pf: Double Fugue, op.1a, 1918; Sonata no.1, E , op.2, 1919; 5 Sonatinas, op.5,
1920; Tanzstudie, op.1b, 1920; Kleine Suite, op.13a, 1922; Toccata and Chaconne,
op.13, 1922; 2 Suites, op.26, 1924; 5 Stcke, op.39, 1925; Sonata no.2, op.59,
1928; 4 Bagatelles, op.70, 4 hands, 1931; 12 Variations in 3 Movts, op.79, 1937; 12
Short Pieces, op.83, 1938; Sonata no.3, op.92/4, 1943; Hurricane Variations,
op.100, 1944; 8 Pieces, op.110, 1946; Sonata no.4, op.114, 1948; George
Washington Variations, op.120, 1950; Sonata no.5, op.121, 1950; Sonata no.6,
op.128, 1951; 20 Miniatures, op.139, 19534; Echoes from Austria, op.166, 1958
[arr. Austrian folksongs]; 6 Vermessene, op.168, 1958; Basler Massarbeit, op.173, 2
pf, 1960; Piece, op.197, 1967; Sonata no.7, op.240, 1988
Other: Sonata, op.92/1, org, 1941; Organologia, op.180.5, org, 1962; Toccata,
op.183, accdn, 1962; 10 Choral vorspiele, op.211, org, 1971; Four Winds, op.223,
org, 1979; Acco-muuic, op.225, accdn, 1976

MSS in A-Wn, Wst, US-SPma, Wc, U. of California, San Diego

Principal publishers: Brenreiter, Schott, Universal

Krenek, Ernst
WRITINGS
Zur musikalichen Bearbeitung von Monteverdis Poppea, SMz,
lxxvi (1936), 54555
ber neue Musik: sechs Vorlesungen zur Einfhrung in die
theoretischen Grundlagen (Vienna, 1937/R; Eng. trans., rev.
1939/R as Music Here and Now)

New Developments in the Twelve-tone Technique, MR, iv (1943),

8197
Gustav Mahler, in B. Walter: Gustav Mahler (Eng. trans., New
York, 2/1941/R)
Selbstdarstellung (Zrich, 1948) [rev. and enlarged as Self
Analysis, New Mexico Quarterly, xxiii (1953), 557]
Musik im goldenen Westen, ed. F. Saathen (Vienna, 1949)
Zur Sprache gebracht (Munich, 1958; Eng. trans. 1966 as
Exploring Music) [essays]
Gedanken unterwegs, ed. F. Saathen (Munich,1959) [essays]
Extents and Limits of Serial Techniques, MQ, xlvi (1960), 21032
Prosa, Drama, Verse (Munich, 1965)
Briefwechsel: Theodor W. Adorno und Ernst Krenek (Frankfurt,
1974)
Horizons Circled: Reflections on my Music (Berkeley, 1974)
Das musikdramatische Werk (Vienna, 197490) [librettos]
Elektro- Ton und Sphrenklang (Linz, 1980)
Im Zweifelsfalle (Vienna, 1984) [essays]
Der Hoffnungslose Radikalismus der Mitte: Briefwechsel Ernst
KrenekFriedrich T. Gubler, 19281939 (Vienna, 1989)
Franz Schubert: Ein Portrt (Tutzing,1990)
Die amerikanischen Tagebcher, 19371942 (Vienna, 1992)
ed. S. Schulte: Im Atem der Zeit: Erinnerungen an die Moderne
(Hamburg, 1998)
Many articles in Anbruch, Frankfurter Zeitung, Hamline University
Bulletin, Measure [Chicago], Melos, Musica, Musical America,
MQ, PNM, Prisma [Stockholm], University of New Mexico
Quarterly; recorded interviews in US-NHoh