Schoenberg's Sheen

[mjwal]

He died of heart failure. He had been suffering badly from asthma for some time. His biographer Stuckenschmidt quotes a letter S. wrote about his treatment shortly before his death: "For some months now I have not dared to sleep in a bed, only in a chair. They gave me various treatments, for diabetes, pneumonia, kidneys, hernia and dropsy. I suffer from lack of energy and dizziness, and my eyes, which used to be extraordinarily good, make it difficult to read." Presumably the doctors were not sure of "the cause" of his deteriorating condition - his heart had already  stopped once (from this "NDE" the great string trio was born) - and tried various things out. His heart beat one last time quite strongly, and then he was dead, according to a telegram from Gertrud to his sister Ottilie Blumauer-Schönberg in Berlin, in which she said that for some time now he had been very tired and longed for death. Apparently his last utterance was "harmony".

[Mirror Image]

Thanks mjwal for the information.

[Parsifal]

After reading these last posts, I feel like hearing Herzgewächse now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz98sU_rPK8

[Lethevich]

Let's talk quartets! Alongside his four numbered works, there is a youth quartet in D minor major, a lesser piece with a certain Schubertian/Brahmsian flavour, and also two stand-alone presto and scherzo movements. These are scarcely recorded, but the Leipzig quartet's disc with the D minor coupled with No.1 is very sensitively played and places in perfect context. The work should be recorded more often, as it's an essential part of Schoenberg's stylistic continuum.

The LaSalle Quartet cycle feels a bit outdated next to the Leipzig Quartet, and I don't find myself listening to it often. What is the Arditti Quartet's recording like? They are mentioned a lot but have been OOP for a ridiculously long time considering the stature of the group and works. The Schoenberg Quartet on Chandos, available only in a mid-priced box of his chamber music has been on my radar, but I must confess I don't covet that set primarilly for the quartets. Has anybody heard the New Vienna Quartet recording on Philips? I initially learned the cycle through the Kolisch Quartet recordings, but they sound too old for me to enjoy, I'm afraid.

Outside of the cycles, the Prazák Quartet Praga disc of No.3 and the two movements, as well as a Webern arrangement of the first chamber symphony for piano quintet is great for the repertoire choice alone, but the third is a very good recording - I can't claim that I find my adored Leipzig Quartet recording of the piece any better. The Naxos disc of No.3 and 4 by the Fred Sherry String Quartet (who?) looks tempting but I am wary from reports of it sounding rather dry.

I post this here because I don't think it will get much attention in the recordings section...

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Let's talk quartets!

What is the Arditti Quartet's recording like? They are mentioned a lot but have been OOP for a ridiculously long time considering the stature of the group and works.

I have the Arditti set but have nothing to compare it to, repertoire-wise. But that won't stop me from heaping praise on the set! One thing is certain right off the bat: the level of commitment is total. And with such a talented foursome the end result is stellar.

Why it languishes out of print is a total mystery....

[snyprrr]

I have the Arditti set but have nothing to compare it to, repertoire-wise. But that won't stop me from heaping praise on the set! One thing is certain right off the bat: the level of commitment is total. And with such a talented foursome the end result is stellar.

Why it languishes out of print is a total mystery....

Let's talk quartets! Alongside his four numbered works, there is a youth quartet in D minor, a lesser piece with a certain Schubertian/Brahmsian flavour, and also two stand-alone presto and scherzo movements. These are scarcely recorded, but the Leipzig quartet's disc with the D minor coupled with No.1 is very sensitively played and places in perfect context. The work should be recorded more often, as it's an essential part of Schoenberg's stylistic continuum.

The LaSalle Quartet cycle feels a bit outdated next to the Leipzig Quartet, and I don't find myself listening to it often. What is the Arditti Quartet's recording like? They are mentioned a lot but have been OOP for a ridiculously long time considering the stature of the group and works. The Schoenberg Quartet on Chandos, available only in a mid-priced box of his chamber music has been on my radar, but I must confess I don't covet that set primarilly for the quartets. Has anybody heard the New Vienna Quartet recording on Philips?

Outside of the cycles, the Prazák Quartet Praga disc of No.3 and the two movements, as well as a Webern arrangement of the first chamber symphony for piano quintet is great for the repertoire choice alone, but the third is a very good recording - I can't claim that I find my adored Leipzig Quartet recording of the piece any better. The Naxos disc of No.3 and 4 by the Fred Sherry String Quartet (who?) looks tempting but I am wary from reports of it sounding rather dry.

I post this here because I don't think it will get much attention in the recordings section...

Arditti > Leipzig

The Ardittis just own this stuff (listen on YT). You hear what sounds like everything from them, and realize the Leipzigers are just 'Very Very Good'. If the Sherry cd is marred , that really leaves no competition. I do have the Berner on Koch in No.1/Op.7, and they beat out the Leipzigers on that one.

Recordings on 3 & 4 are so rare, that ANY blemish on that Naxos disc should be cause for rioting! What scarcity there is on Amazon (Wihan,...??,...??,...) is probably not worth the trouble. I sure haaave been waiting on some feedback for that Sherry cd,... what gives Karl? ,... why hasn't someone 'sacrificed' themselves (as my mother would say) and taken one for the team here? Must I? I'm holding out for a good copy of the Arditti, most preferrably in the old Montaigne box, drool drool. I actually had a copy offEbay I think, last year, but it had a very slight skip in No.4,... yea, no, couldn't do that, and returned it ,... so, if you think there CAN be more than the Arditti, I sure don't know what it is, because they play No.4 with such perfect 'Expressionism' and vehemence of attack that it WILL make you like this music.

Going for $80 pretty much anywhere.


btw- Lethe,... I found that early SQ very very Dvorakian,...mm,... I guess I was disappointed,... I think I could swear I've heard that one melody elsewhere...


The fact that neither the Peterson, Hagen,... nor the Emerson, nor any other major group seems to find these pieces worthy of their time, is interesting. I think it's political.

[Lethevich]

I also found the student quartet's first movement theme to have a very airy, rustic Dvořákian quality, but didn't have the confidence to stand by my impression when I stood back and thought "Schoenberg, Dvořák... what?". Nice observation

I also agree about how strange the lack of recordings are. It's nothing to do with any problems with the pieces themselves, which are bulletproof in every respect. I found the Arditti cycle shared somewhere by a kind soul, so will give it a listen sometime. I can pm you a link if you like - although iirc your connection sucks/sucked at one point?

[petrarch]

Going for $80 pretty much anywhere.

I believe you can get the FLACs with relative ease. But I am with you; getting the Montaigne CD with the original cover is a desire I share (unfortunately that one was not part of my purchases when I stocked up on Montaigne CDs in the mid-90s).

[Mirror Image]

Happy Birthday, Arnold!!!

[karlhenning]

But that's funny! I've long known that he died on the 13^th (of July), but if I ever knew that he was born on the 13^th, I had forgotten.

[Leon]

Let's talk quartets! Alongside his four numbered works, there is a youth quartet in D minor major, a lesser piece with a certain Schubertian/Brahmsian flavour, and also two stand-alone presto and scherzo movements. These are scarcely recorded, but the Leipzig quartet's disc with the D minor coupled with No.1 is very sensitively played and places in perfect context. The work should be recorded more often, as it's an essential part of Schoenberg's stylistic continuum.

The LaSalle Quartet cycle feels a bit outdated next to the Leipzig Quartet, and I don't find myself listening to it often. What is the Arditti Quartet's recording like? They are mentioned a lot but have been OOP for a ridiculously long time considering the stature of the group and works. The Schoenberg Quartet on Chandos, available only in a mid-priced box of his chamber music has been on my radar, but I must confess I don't covet that set primarilly for the quartets. Has anybody heard the New Vienna Quartet recording on Philips? I initially learned the cycle through the Kolisch Quartet recordings, but they sound too old for me to enjoy, I'm afraid.

Outside of the cycles, the Prazák Quartet Praga disc of No.3 and the two movements, as well as a Webern arrangement of the first chamber symphony for piano quintet is great for the repertoire choice alone, but the third is a very good recording - I can't claim that I find my adored Leipzig Quartet recording of the piece any better. The Naxos disc of No.3 and 4 by the Fred Sherry String Quartet (who?) looks tempting but I am wary from reports of it sounding rather dry.

I post this here because I don't think it will get much attention in the recordings section...

I have the LaSalle and New Vienna but find myself listening to the Aron Quartett a lot:

[asin]B00014AQA4[/asin]

And I still like my first collection of these works in an old Vox box by the Kohon & Ramor Quartets

[Mirror Image]

But that's funny! I've long known that he died on the 13^th (of July), but if I ever knew that he was born on the 13^th, I had forgotten.

Yes, the number "13" played a big roll in Schoenberg's life.

[Sergeant Rock]

And I still like my first collection of these works in an old Vox box by the Kohon & Ramor Quartets

I have that too    Mine was free. The base library gave away books and records that were seldom or never borrowed to make room for newer acquisitions. The LPs were in pristine condition (I doubt they'd ever been played). I just snapped this picture:




Sarge

[Leon]

I have that too    Mine was free. The base library gave away books and records that were seldom or never borrowed to make room for newer acquisitions. The LPs were in pristine condition (I doubt they'd ever been played). I just snapped this picture:




Sarge

Ha! - you're the first person to say they had that set when I've mentioned it; I was beginning to believe that I had the only one ever pressed.  I think for a while it was the only complete set.  And thanks for the image - when I Googled it, nothing came up except for small ones.

[Karl Henning]

Just good clean fun: Schoenberg's orchestration of the BWV 552.

http://www.youtube.com/v/4h_PnVCyIxY

http://www.youtube.com/v/MDWVrHtDr_o

[Leon]

Arkiv Music is having a sale on Naxos and I just ordered Vol. 1 of Robert Craft's complete traversal of Schoenberg.



Looking forward to getting the rest of the boxes as they come out.

Nice price too.

[Karl Henning]

Very nice!  I already have the lion's share of those on the source Koch discs . . . great to see that the recordings continue to be available via Naxos.

[Mirror Image]

Arkiv Music is having a sale on Naxos and I just ordered Vol. 1 of Robert Craft's complete traversal of Schoenberg.



Looking forward to getting the rest of the boxes as they come out.

Nice price too.

I bought both sets a year or so ago and they are very good indeed. But in all honesty, I think Karajan's Pelleas und Melissande easily outdoes Craft's. I also think Craft's Gurre-lieder was good, but it didn't particularly make me forget Chailly or Sinopoli. The Violin Concerto in the set is well performed, but it doesn't top Hilary Hahn's remarkable performance. The sets are of good value and contain some rarities and will help fill in some holes in a Schoenberg collection.

What's your favorite Schoenberg work?

[Leon]

What's your favorite Schoenberg work?

I am not sure that I have a "favorite", or at least it would be too hard to narrow down to one.  His music is such that I find almost his entire oeuvre fascinating. 

That said, the Piano Concerto, Op. 42, Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16, the Third String Quartet, Op. 30 and the Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11 are works I  keep coming back to. 

I am less a fan of his early, pre-dodecophonic, works.

[Karl Henning]

I am not sure that I have a "favorite", or at least it would be too hard to narrow down to one.  His music is such that I find almost his entire oeuvre fascinating. 

That said, the Piano Concerto, Op. 42, Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16, the Third String Quartet, Op. 30 and the Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11 are works I  keep coming back to. 

I am less a fan of his early, pre-dodecophonic, works.

Interesting!

I've always had a fondness for the Serenade, Op.24.  Love Pierrot, if the singer isn't too . . . distracting.  Die glückliche Hand, Herzgewächse, the Kammersymphonien . . . all the quartets, and (lately) the Wind Quintet . . . so much of it I find toothsome.