Ernst Krenek is one of the most puzzling persons in musical history, at least from the last century. He was born in  Austria, 1900 and bound to be part of the big clash of the World Wars. the most striking about his musical career, apart from being married to Anna Mahler (yes the daughter) and did not last a year,  is his evr changing style. He adapted to all styles  that came along during his long life.  And therefore never adapted an own style, as reckognisanble as contemporaries. I quote from Wikipedia:

 

• His early work is in a late-Romantic idiom, showing the influence of his teacher Franz Schreker.

• Around 1920 he turned to atonality

• A visit to Paris, during which he became familiar with the work of Igor Stravinsky (Pulcinella was especially

influential) and Les Six, led him to adopt a neo-classical style around 1924

• Shortly afterward, he turned to neoromanticism and incorporated jazz influences into his opera Jonny spielt auf (Jonny Strikes Up, 1926)

• Krenek abandoned the neoromantic style in the late 1920s to embrace Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone

Technique. In the Lamentatio Jeremiae prophetae (1941–42) Krenek combined twelve-tone writing

with techniques of modal counterpoint of the Renaissance.[10]

• In 1955 he was invited to work in the electronic music studio at WDR in Cologne, and this experience motivated him to develop a total serial idiom

 

One of his great acievements though is a musical style that is very lifely, and attractive. Even when apllying twelfe-tone Technique.  The first Symphony which I will demonstrate is written in 1922 (in the same year also the 2d an 3rd Sympony, as Op. 7. It must be described as  atonal work, but for me it is just great music. So we better leave out such a distinction and just listen to this music.

I have made short extracts from each movement, , 9 in total but 4 of tem lasting less then 2 minutes, with the distinctive themes.  I

 

IT:  I am always looking for the moment where IT happens.  For me IT is the 2nd fragment in the 6th movement.  Dpo you agree?

 

The recording: Takao Ukigaya conducting Radio-Philharmonie des NDR

You can find the complete symphonie also in Youtube. Actually there is quite an considerable number of Kreneks works to be enjoyed there!