Arnold Schönberg Peace on Earth

Friede auf Erden op. 13 is regarded as Arnold Schoenberg’s last tonal composition and is one of the few choral works of the Second Viennese School. On the same day that he completed his op. 13, Schoenberg made the first sketches for his 2nd String Quartet, a key work in atonal music. Although Schoenberg later orchestrated Friede auf Erden, he intended the piece to be performed unaccompanied.

Due to insufficient rehearsals, the planned premiere in 1908 was canceled at short notice. Franz Schreker took on the next attempt in 1911 and requested a string orchestra accompaniment from Schoenberg to support the choir, particularly with the intonation. Nowadays, Friede auf Erden is usually performed a cappella by powerful chamber choirs. With carus music, the demanding voice leading in the context of the multi-layered sound can be practiced excellently - so that nothing stands in the way of rehearsals and a successful performance.

The Carus Choir Coach offers choir singers the unique opportunity to study and learn their own, individual choral parts within the context of the sound of the entire choir and orchestra. For every vocal range a download containing each choir part is available. The Carus Choir Coach is based on recorded interpretations by renowned artists who have performed the work from carefully prepared Carus Urtext editions. Each choir part is presented in three different versions:

• Original recording
• Coach: each part is accompanied by the piano, with the original recording sounding in the background
• Coach in slow mode: the tempo of the coach slows down to 70% of the original version – through this reduction passages can be learned more effectively.

Performers: Kammerchor Stuttgart – Frieder Bernius