Schoenberg's Sheen

Started by karlhenning, April 12, 2007, 07:35:28 AM

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greg

Quote from: wikipediaThe summer of 1908, during which his wife Mathilde left him for several months for a young Austrian painter, Richard Gerstl (who committed suicide after her return to her husband and children), marked a distinct change in Schoenberg's work. It was during the absence of his wife that he composed "You lean against a silver-willow" (German: Du lehnest wider eine Silberweide), the thirteenth song in the cycle Das Buch der Hängenden Gärten, op. 15, based on the collection of the same name by the German mystical poet Stefan George; this was the first composition without any reference at all to a key (Stuckenschmidt 1977, 96). Also in this year he completed one of his most revolutionary compositions, the String Quartet No. 2, whose first two movements, though chromatic in color, use traditional key signatures, yet whose final two movements, also settings of Stefan George, weaken the links with traditional tonality daringly (though both movements end on tonic chords, and the work is not yet fully non-tonal) and, breaking with previous string-quartet practice, incorporate a soprano vocal line.
Ok, I've read this before in one of my books, too..... did he write op.15 before op.10?  ??? And did he write the 13th song first?
And what about the "no key reference" thing? None of those songs is in a key signature, although they are kinda tonal. Anyone know?

bhodges

Alex Ross has a post today that made me chuckle, again making a case for "Worldwide Atonality Day," with a suggested date of September 27.  This time he cites the centennial of Schoenberg's "Du lehnest wider eine Silberweide" (from Buch der hängenden Gärten), written on September 27, 1908.

I'll be happy to supply champagne.  ;D

--Bruce

greg

A century of Atonality!  0:)

Let us all mass murderers and serial killers unite, join hands, and sing "You lean against a white willow".

karlhenning

Quote from: bhodges on September 16, 2008, 10:23:51 AM
Alex Ross has a post today that made me chuckle, again making a case for "Worldwide Atonality Day," with a suggested date of September 27.  This time he cites the centennial of Schoenberg's "Du lehnest wider eine Silberweide" (from Buch der hängenden Gärten), written on September 27, 1908.

I'll be happy to supply champagne.  ;D

--Bruce

Let's make it happen!

Cato

Ten years ago, in Ann Arbor, the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado played Schoenberg's Pelleas und Melisande with practically every note perfect, the polyphony as clear as chamber music, and the emotionalism as "edgy" as one could want in the work.

I always hoped they would release a CD of the work.  I am still waiting!   0:)

My favorite CD of this work remains Matthias Bamert's with the Scottish National Orchestra on Chandos.  Amazon shows that the latest recording is by the Saint Louis Symphony: any comments on that one?
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

karlhenning

Hmm . . . time to break out the Craft recording, to which I still have not listened yet . . . .

Dancing Divertimentian

Quote from: Cato on April 06, 2009, 04:31:45 PM
Amazon shows that the latest recording is by the Saint Louis Symphony: any comments on that one?

Can't help as far as the St. Louis Symphony recording but this disc has always done the trick for me:


Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

Cato

Quote from: donwyn on April 06, 2009, 05:51:54 PM
Can't help as far as the St. Louis Symphony recording but this disc has always done the trick for me:




Thanks for the recommendation: and I love how Christian Thielemann gets top billing over both Schoenberg and Wagner

Conductor cults belong on trains!   $:)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Kullervo

I recently acquired this 2-fer with Boulez's Pelleas but haven't listened yet. Will be sure to post once I do.


greg

You know, they have Boulez doing the op.5 on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAkAEWQB0WI


(I'm about to listen to it after I finish with the op.34....)

Dancing Divertimentian

Quote from: Cato on April 06, 2009, 06:30:32 PM
Thanks for the recommendation: and I love how Christian Thielemann gets top billing over both Schoenberg and Wagner

Conductor cults belong on trains!   $:)

Well, be kind to this disc - it's the genuine article. 0:)
Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

karlhenning

Quote
Hmm . . . time to break out the Craft recording, to which I still have not listened yet . . . .

I Like It!

ChamberNut

Quote from: donwyn on April 06, 2009, 05:51:54 PM


Hmm, I want to start exploring Schoenberg....and I want Wagner's Siegfried Idyll in my collection.....and I really like Christian Thielemann.

This sounds like the perfect disc for me!

8)

karlhenning

I do think that's a good fit, Ray!

Kullervo

Quote from: ChamberNut on April 07, 2009, 05:21:12 AM
Hmm, I want to start exploring Schoenberg....and I want Wagner's Siegfried Idyll in my collection.....and I really like Christian Thielemann.

This sounds like the perfect disc for me!

8)

Might I suggest this disc as a supplement?


karlhenning

And a most tasty suggestion it is, Corey!  Give it a spin, Ray!

ChamberNut

Quote from: Corey on April 07, 2009, 09:09:40 AM
Might I suggest this disc as a supplement?



Excellent, thanks Corey!

Incidently, I just listened to the Verklarte Nacht for string sextet via Naxos on-line library (Naxos Classical Archives).  It was a performance by the Hollywood SQ with Alvin Dinkin, viola II and Kurt Reher, cello II.  It was beautiful!  :)

ChamberNut

Quote from: ChamberNut on April 07, 2009, 09:53:24 AM
Incidently, I just listened to the Verklarte Nacht for string sextet via Naxos on-line library (Naxos Classical Archives).  It was a performance by the Hollywood SQ with Alvin Dinkin, viola II and Kurt Reher, cello II.  It was beautiful!  :)

Speaking of this wonderful piece, I envison that this is often paired up with Strauss' Metamorphosen.  At least, it looks like it would make a nice pairing.

karlhenning


not edward

Quote from: ChamberNut on April 07, 2009, 09:53:24 AM
Excellent, thanks Corey!

Incidently, I just listened to the Verklarte Nacht for string sextet via Naxos on-line library (Naxos Classical Archives).  It was a performance by the Hollywood SQ with Alvin Dinkin, viola II and Kurt Reher, cello II.  It was beautiful!  :)
That is, to my mind, an absolutely amazing performance. The Testament issue of it and Schubert's D956 (also with the Hollywood SQ) would be unquestionably one of my desert island discs.
"I don't at all mind actively disliking a piece of contemporary music, but in order to feel happy about it I must consciously understand why I dislike it. Otherwise it remains in my mind as unfinished business."
-- Aaron Copland, The Pleasures of Music