Die kroatische Komponistin Dora Pejačević (1885-1923) komponierte 1915 die Gelegen heits-komposition Verwandlung für Singstimme, Violine und Orgel oder Klavier auf die Dichtung von Karl Kraus. Das Werk sollte bei der Hochzeit ihrer gemeinsamen Freundin Sidonie Nádherný von Borutin aufgeführt werden. Karl Kraus wollte es 1916 im Rahmen eines seiner literarischen Abenden aufführen und zeigte die Partitur Arnold Schönberg, der die Komposition lobte. Drei Strophen der vertonten Dichtung waren die Vorlage für eine umfangreiche lyrische Szene mit instrumentalem Interludium zwischen der zweiten und dritten Strophe. Spätromantische Harmonik mit intensivem Tonartenwechsel ist Ausgangspunkt betonter Expressivität. Die Begegnung mit der Dichtung von Karl Kraus war offensichtlich Anregung zu einer unkonventionellen Vertonung, und auf diesem Weg hat die Komponistin etwas später das Liebeslied auf Verse von Rilke und die Drei Gesänge auf Gedichte von Nietzsche komponiert. Within the oeuvre of the Croatian composer Dora Pejačević (1885-1923) a special place is held by the composition Verwandlung owing both to its musical significance and the context of its creation. This vocal work for alto, violin and organ or piano was composed on verses by the Austrian writer and journalist Karl Kraus (1874-1936) in spring of 1915, and it was intended for the marriage of their mutual friend Sidonia Nádherný von Borutin, which actually did not occur. Kraus planned to perform the composition in 1916 in Vienna, but owing to lateness of the score and problems with interpreters its performance was not realized. In the correspondence between Kraus and Nádherný it was noted that Kraus showed the composition to Arnold Schönberg who – in spite of his skepticism regarding a woman as composer – praised the work and plead for its performance. Schönberg especially pointed at the interludium before the entrance of the text »Heute ist Frühling«. The composition Verwandlung is an extensive lyrical scene encompassing 65 measures. The verses consist of three stanzas with four lines of unequal length and without a rhyme. While the musical setting of the first and second stanza is approximately of the same length, the third one is considerably longer (25 measures). Thus the speed of the musical flow is reduced and the third stanza is especially pointed out. The expression is realized by the late-Romantic harmony characterized by unstable tonality. Quick changes of tonal centres start with the second stanza and the long expected tonic at the beginning of measure 41 coincides with the beginning of the third stanza and the text “Heute ist Frühling”. It is probably that very place which was praised by Schönberg. But he might have perceived another interesting detail as well, found in the third stanza: the sudden and unexpected chromatic modulation in measure 50. The encounter with Kraus’s poetry was evidently stimulating for Dora Pejačević’s decline from traditional patterns and periodical form towards a more free flow of musical phrases and expressive harmony. In the context of Croatian music the composition Verwandlung by Dora Pejačević is one of the characteristic works of the Moderne. Somewhat later it was followed by her settings to music of Rainer Maria Rilke’s Liebeslied and Drei Gesänge, a vocal cycle on verses by Friedrich Nietzsche. U djelu hrvatske skladateljice Dore Pejačević (1885.-1923.) posebno mjesto pripada djelu Verwandlung kako zbog glazbenog značenja tako i zbog konteksta njegova postanka. Ova vokalna skladba za alt, violinu i orgulje ili glasovir nastala je na stihove austrijskog književnika i publicista Karla Krausa (1874.-1936.) u proljeće 1915. za vjenčanje njihove zajedničke prijateljice Sidonije Nádherný von Borutin, koje nije održano. Kraus je namjeravao skladbu izvesti 1916. u Beču, no zbog kašnjenja partiture i problema s interpretima izvedba nije ostvarena. U korespondenciji Kraus – Nádherný ostalo je zabilježeno da je Karl Kraus pokazao skladbu Arnoldu Schönbergu, koji je, unatoč svojoj skepsi prema ženi kao skladateljici, pohvalio djelo i založio se za izvedbu. Posebno je istaknuo interludij prije nastupa teksta »Heute ist Frühling«. Skladba Verwandlung opsežna je lirska scena od 65 taktova. Pjesnički predložak sastoji se od tri kitice s po četiri stiha nejednake duljine i bez rime. Dok je uglazbljenje prve i druge strofe približno jednake duljine, treća je znatno opsežnija (25 taktova). Time je usporena brzina protoka glazbe i posebno istaknuta treća kitica. Kasnoromantička harmonija labilnog tonaliteta nositelj je ekspresije. Brze promjene tonalnih središta počinju sa drugom kiticom i dugo iščekivana tonika na početku 41. takta poklapa se s početkom treće kitice i tekstom »Heute ist Frühling«. Vjerojatno je to ono mjesto koje je Schönberg pohvalio. No možda je uočio i drugu zanimljivu pojedinost, koju nalazimo u trećoj kitici: naglu i neočekivanu kromatsku modulaciju u 50. taktu. Susret s pjesništvom Karla Krausa očito je bio poticajan za skladateljičino napuštanje tradicionalnih obrazaca i periodičke forme u smjeru slobodnijeg tijeka glazbenih fraza i ekspresivne harmonije. U kontekstu hrvatske glazbe skladba Verwandlung Dore Pejačević jedno je od karakterističnih djela moderne. Na nju se nešto kasnije nadovezuju skladateljičina uglazbljenja Liebeslied na pjesmu Rainera Marie Rilkea i Drei Gesänge, vokalni ciklus na stihove Friedricha Nietzschea.