Sechs Lieder der Märchenprinzessin op. 31

The composition of the Princess Songs marked the beginning of a particularly productive phase for Karol Szymanowski. Based on a series of poems by his sister Zofia, Szymanowski composed this colorful and glittering music in 1915; its exotic, lyrical and fantastical world is expressed in the coloratura soprano’s many passages, featuring trills and rapid runs. The princess herself remains mysteriously undefined. Love is her only recurrent theme. By withdrawing into internal fantasy during a time of war, Szymanowski found an opportunity to retreat into a dream world, and composing songs remained an important part of his lifelong work; in 1933 he arranged three of the six Princess Songs for voice and orchestra. (Sakari Oramo orchestrated the other three and conducted their first performance in 2012). (Translation on UE website by Grant Chorley.)