Alexander von Zemlinsky - Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid)

If ever there was a person who was entitled to name-drop in classical music, it was Alexander von Zemlinsky.  Born in Vienna in the later days of the Austro-Hungarian empire, he ended up fleeing the Nazis and settling in America.  But he seems to have known just about everyone who was anyone in classical music.

He studied composition under Anton Bruckner.  Brahms came to his concerts and was so impressed that he pulled strings with his publisher to get Zemlinsky's music printed.  He was in an orchestra with Arnold Schoenberg, who ended up his brother-in-law.  Gustav Mahler conducted the premier of one of his operas.  He wanted to marry Alma Schindler, who ended up marrying Mahler (amonng others) and who was immortalized by Tom Lehrer.

This piece is titled after Hans Christian Andersen's tale of the little mermaid.  It was thought that the music was lost soon after its 1905 debut, but it was discovered in 1984 and is one of Zemlinsky's most often performed works.