Alban Berg (1885-1935)

[bhodges]

From writer Tim Ashley on Twitter, and can't wait to watch.

https://twitter.com/TimAshAsh/status/1581979738679017476?s=20&t=VaKYHtitA3L4WPgNuzCKFg

"Wieland Wagner died #OnThisDay in 1966. Too few of his productions were filmed, but we do have this revival of his staging of Berg's Lulu from Stuttgart in 1969, conducted by Ferdinand Leitner, with Anja Silja utterly mesmerising in the title role"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCP1UG3_Cng&t=5s

-Bruce

[Atriod]

I had heard the rumor that Karajan self funded his recordings of Schoenberg, Berg, Webern in an LP box (now on 3 CDs or 2 SACDs) because DG wouldn't. I can confirm it from the horse's mouth, picture taken from "Conversations With von Karajan."

Among my most favorite Karajan recordings.

[Lisztianwagner]

I had heard the rumor that Karajan self funded his recordings of Schoenberg, Berg, Webern in an LP box (now on 3 CDs or 2 SACDs) because DG wouldn't. I can confirm it from the horse's mouth, picture taken from "Conversations With von Karajan."

Among my most favorite Karajan recordings.

Thank goodness he did, because Karajan's recordings of the Second Viennese School are among my favourites too, they're absolutely mesmerizing, thrilling and deeply expressive; Karajan wonderfully captured the essence of those compositions in my opinion.

[brewski]

Thank goodness he did, because Karajan's recordings of the Second Viennese School are among my favourites too, they're absolutely mesmerizing, thrilling and deeply expressive; Karajan wonderfully captured the essence of those compositions in my opinion.

Another vote for those recordings. The caliber of the playing is outstanding, and likely persuaded some people who originally thought they didn't like any of those composers.

This afternoon I watched a live concert version of Wozzeck from the Verbier Festival, broadcast on medici.tv, and it was fantastic. Bo Skovhus apparently stepped in at the last minute to replace Matthias Goerne. I like both singers, and Goerne would have likely been marvelous, but Skovhus—who has also done the role many times—can still sing it beautifully, adding a bit of world-weariness to the existing despair. The rest of the cast were excellent, including Camilla Nyland as Marie. Lahav Shani conducted the young Verbier Festival Orchestra beautifully—as one announcer noted, likely none of them (ages 18-28) had ever played the score before.

To seal the deal were expressionist video images created by K-WER-K (video art) and Aline Foriel-Destezet (concept), on a panoramic backdrop above the musicians onstage.

Medici.tv usually archives these for a few months after the streams. For anyone who loves Berg (and perhaps for some who don't), highly recommended.

-Bruce