Frankenstein!! is a modern classic: a witty, yet appropriately twisted portrait of the late 20th Century, which has received hundreds of performances and broadcasts worldwide and described by the composer as a ‘pan-demonium’. Nonetheless, the orchestral version of it receives its premiere recording with this release. Narrated and conducted by HK Gruber, this version is hugely entertaining and devilishly clever! is a triumph of slightly warped imagination, and is as brilliant as it is unexpected. Gruber is one of the most well-known and well-loved figures in the Austrian contemporary music scene. Composing in his own highly individual style, he has produced works which remain refreshingly unique, stemming from a cabaret style of the Weimar Republic, and often combined with irreverent black humour.

 

The Times described Gruber’s performance as ‘both grisly and bizarre, and altogether an extraordinary conception…The score is often hilarious, but Gruber’s own delivery, a tour de force of vocal gymnastics, reinforces the underlying seriousness”.

 

This satirical song-cycle sets mock nursery rhymes about monsters and superheroes and rats and John Wayne! Rarely has a classical piece been able to make the listener laugh so much, with orchestration ranging from the exquisite to the downright ridiculous.

 

Coupled with Frankenstein!! are two other orchestral works Dancing in the Dark – a combination between the great Viennese tradition and Fred Astaire, ‘a dizzying cavalcade of musical contrasts’ (The Guardian) and Perpetuum mobile – Charivari in which Gruber’s rich and playful orchestration pays homage to the late-Romantic excesses of Mahler and Strauss.

 

This disc presents the multi-faceted talent of Gruber and will make an ideal introduction to the works of this incredibly talented contemporary composer. If you have a wicked sense of humour, this disc is for you!

 

"Virtually uncategorizable work, a zanily bedazzling collage of different influences and styles, ranging all the way from bar-room cabaret to operatic declamation … great fun." Classic CD

 

Premiere recording of the orchestral version of the macabre work, Frankenstein!! First time recorded in English. Ideal music for children.