One hundred years after its world premiere—and more than 90 years since ASO founder Leopold Stokowski premiered the work in the U.S. with the Philadelphia Orchestra—the ASO presents Arnold Schoenberg’s massive Gurre-Lieder. Wagnerian in conception, the cantata represents what is arguably the apotheosis of late Romanticism, with lush, colorful orchestration, endless melodies, and highly chromatic harmonic language. The sheer size of the work—the orchestra alone requires more than 150 musicians—and the logistical challenges it poses renders Gurre-Lieder the undeserved status of a rarity. Making this performance possible is emblematic of the ASO’s mission to provide New York audiences with rarely performed repertoire.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The ASO’s Vanguard Series is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.