SKU: HL.49045824

Max Kowalski (18821956) was a full-time lawyer who never gave up on his passion for music: singing lessons during his law studies, conducting and counterpoint classes, among others, at Dr. Hochs Konservatorium in addition to his work at his own law office in Frankfurt. While studying, he already published his first works; 15 song cycles were published until 1933. In the years that followed, the Jewish-born Kowalski was restricted in working both as a lawyer and as a composer due to his persecution by the National Socialists. In 1938 he was arrested, deported to the concentration camp of Buchenwald and finally forcedto flee into exile in London. Contemporaries called Kowalski a lyricist among the composers. The choice of texts of his songs shows his great knowledge and love of German literature. For example, he set to music texts by Friedrich Holderlin or Rainer Maria Rilke, but also Indian or Japanese poems. Kowalski left numerous unpublished songs which are published by Schott Music in a two-volume edition: Volume 1 (ED 22586) contains his Jewish songs (1935-37), the Heinrich Heine cycle (1937) and all English-language songs (1941-46). Volume 2 (ED 22587) contains Kowalski's late works: the songs based on texts by Friedrich Holderlin (1950) and the Geisha Lieder according to Klabund (1951).

SKU: BA.BA07787

ISBN 9790006506996. 34 x 28.2 cm inches. Language: German. Text: Härtling, Peter.

For many, the title will awaken memories of the demonstrations against the clearance of the Flörsheim Forest to allow for a new runway at the Frankfurt Airport.

Both the poem, which extends beyond this local incident to remind us of the seriousness of our global situation, and the music join together to form an expressive, universally valid call for the conservation of our core values, our future together: “Die Erde jedoch wird sich wehren. Sie wird uns, am Ende, nichts mehr geben als den Staub, in dem wir aufgehn.” (The earth, however, will resist. She will, in the end, not give us any more than dust, into which we will submerge.) It is up to us, to prevent the situation from advancing so far: “Wir, die wir zu ihren Schülern wurden, sollten die Lehre der Bäume verbreiten.” (We, the students, should spread the teachings of the trees.”