Echoes from Austria

Shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, Ernst Krenek had to flee Europe and spent the rest of his life in the USA. He took with him many melodies from Austria: A wonderful thing about music is that we have it stored in our head and can access it whenever we want. What melodies do you have in your head?

Concealed in this little piece for piano is a folk song from Austria, but one can hardly recognize it. Like a shout that one sings out, and that comes back only partially as an echo. Have you ever tried that? Perhaps it also works with the wall of a house? Here, Ernst Krenek remembered the song “Und a Waldbub bin I” (“And I am a boy from the forest”) – from a world he had lost.