Few forms in classical music are as underrated as the song cycle. It is easy to be betrayed by the seemingly-modest set-up – piano and solo voice – requiring well-calculated finesse from a composer to seize its minimalist power and bring it into full bloom. UNHOLY SONNETS AND OTHER SONG CYCLES, a collection of songs by German-born American Samuel Adler, succeeds greatly in this effort.
Today, Samuel is our featured artist in “The Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers. Read on to learn how his family escaped Germany at the start of World War II, and how his German heritage contributed to his classical influences…
Tell us about yourself. What were your first musical experiences?
I am a refugee born in Germany and came to the United States as a 10 year old boy in 1939 escaping with my parents and sister from Nazi persecution. My parents were both singers and weaned on German Lieder and French Chansons which they imparted on both my sister and myself. In other words we grew up constantly exposed to the beautiful songs of Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms etc. as well as Duparc Debussy, Faure and others. This love of solo songs has continued all my life and I have written songs since the time I was 8 years old.
What led you to a life as a composer?
Writing songs for me is a very personal way of expressing myself musically and I have written more that 120 songs either with piano accompaniment or accompanied by various instruments or instrumental groups. My 6th String Quartet is for mezzo-soprano and Quartet based on texts of Walt Whitman, while my 5th Symphony is for voice and orchestra based on a variety of texts.
What do you hope listeners will experience when hearing your work?
What I would like my audience to experience during the performances of my vocal music is the sense of beauty of the poetry enhanced by the music which may give the listener a new perspective of the meaning of the words. The accompaniment is always also to contribute to this endeavor. This album of songs written during the earlier years of my composing still holds a very precious feeling for me and it is hoped that they will fulfill my purpose with my listeners.
Samuel Adler was born March 4, 1928 in Mannheim, Germany and came to the United States in 1939. He was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in May 2001, and then inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in October 2008. In 2018 he was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz (first class), the highest civilian award given by the German government. He is the composer of over 400 published works, including five operas, six symphonies, 17 concerti, eight string quartets, five oratorios, and many other orchestral, band, chamber and choral works, and songs, which have been performed all over the world.
