HK Gruber

Frankenstein!! (1978) ...

Viennese composer HK Gruber ...Frankenstein!! is a 'a pan-demonium for chansonnier and orchestra', based on a collection of poems ...

Frankenstein!! on stage (Italian version) ... 

It's rooted in the cabaret tradition, but it remains sui generis. While its effect is entirely unlike that of Pierrot Lunaire, its use of a collection of loosely related poetry combined with the composer/performer's own peculiar Sprechstimme does point to Schoenberg's masterpiece as a distant ancestor. Based on some very eccentric children's rhymes by H.C. Artmann (that, frankly, would mystify or terrify most small children) the music outdoes the poetry in its goofiness, an attribute that's found far too rarely in contemporary art music. Subtitled "A pandemonium for chansonnier and orchestra," Frankenstein!!'s text and music are also tinged with menace, and the interplay between the naïve and the sinister demands that the piece be taken seriously... allmusic.com ...

Chris Lamb from NY Philharmonic ...