The modern Schubertian trip through the Alps: Florian Boesch sings Krenek in Madrid.

The traditional Lied cycle at the Teatro de la Zarzuela comes to end with the third and last concert by the German baritone Florian Boesch and the pianist Malcolm Martineau, to perform the song cycle  Reisebuch aus den österreichischen Alpen op.42  (Travel book through Austrian Alps), by Ernst Krenek.

Krenek lived in one of the most flourishing historical periods in German culture, and in his eclectic long career he cultivated a wide range of styles: post-romantic, neo-romantic, dodecaphonic, serial and aleatoric music, among others. In addition, he had influences from jazz, like in his famous opera Jonny spielt auf. After the Nazis' seize of power, his music became outlawed and even was included in the notorious label of "Entartete musik". This constant boycott led him to exile to the United States in 1938.

Composed in 1929, this song cycle, has a strong inspiration from Schubert's lieder, considering itself as "heir" of masterpieces like Winterreise or Die Schöne Müllerin, and also seems to have some glimmer of cabaret music. It is framed into Krenek's neo-romantic period, tonal music, but like Schönberg twenty years before, this tonality tend to break, paving the way to dodecaphonism and atonality. On the other hand, there are also some hints of sprechgesang. Written by the author, the text is a trip through the nature of Austrian Alps, which Krenek loved, but addressing modern topics, like a criticism of mass tourism, train, telephones and modern artifacts unavailable in Schubert's era, to whom he dedicates the eight song, Unser wein. In Politik, he talks about the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, asking for unity, and as a dark omen, calling to stop the "bloody clown" to prevent a disaster, which sadly was to come just four years later of the composition of this work. The last songs are of a blinding beauty: Heimkehr narrates the rapid return to home by train, and the final song Epilog describes the solitary arrival to an empty home, in which there is just a debate left: How much will we live? When will we die?

Boesch is a major figure in lied. Even though vocal exhibition is not the same as Winterreise despite the inspiration, this baritone has a great expressivity and knows and conveys the meaning, the story and the spirit of each song. Voice could seem a bit lighter than other colleagues' ones, but a great diction, phrasing, and even acting the text. In Gewitter he exhibited his vocal range, from authoritative low notes to a powerful final high one at the end of this song.

Martineau gave a splendid, vivid accompaniment, exploring the range of tonalities and melodies of the score, all of them evocating and descriptive. In Heimkehr, the music can reproduce, almost in cinematographic style, the anxiety and promptness of the trip by train.

Krenek's text is very modern, because he adresses topics which are still current nowadays, and describing life and travel experience in the Alps. The hall wasn't fully occupied, maybe due to the prejudice of an unknown author to most of the audience, but this gave the show a touch of closeness, intimism, leading the remaining spectators to enjoy this fascinating work in all its haunting beauty.

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