Travel Book from the Austrian Alps, op. 62, No. 1 Motive

This work describes a twenty-day-long journey through Austria. Ernst Krenek wanted to become better acquainted with the country and set out on this trip with his parents. The composer wrote not only the music, but also the text. At the beginning, one can visualize how the storyteller departs from the large city and drives out into the countryside. Can you hear the motion of the car? How would you express the journey in music?

Then there are songs that tell about a ride up the mountain in an aerial cableway, about an approaching storm, and about the many tourists who take photos and write postcards like crazy. Today, Krenek would very likely criticize the constant use of the smartphone.