Schoenberg's Sheen

[Mirror Image]

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.

Oh, I really like the Piano Concerto and wish it was performed and recorded more than it is right now. Five Pieces for Orchestra is also a fine work. I prefer it to Variations for Orchestra whereas I know many people who prefer Variations to Five Pieces. Anyway, I like Schoenberg, but Berg is my favorite from the Second Viennese School.

[Mirror Image]

Interesting!

I've always had a fondness for the Serenade, Op.24. Die glückliche Hand, the Kammersymphonien

I like all of these works. Die gluckliche Hand, in particular, has some remarkable sonorities.

[Leon]

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.

I could easily have included the Serenade and the Chamber Symphony in my list - but then, the list could have gone on and on since Schoenberg is a composer whom I especially enjoy. 

I like Schoenberg, but Berg is my favorite from the Second Viennese School.

Yes, I also like Berg a lot.

[not edward]

My biggest issue with the Craft set is that I find some of the middle-period works too tense and hard-driven in Craft's readings; the Variations, Septet-Suite and Serenade all lack the moments of repose that--at least for me, are what make the works. Having said that, there's some really great stuff in these discs: outstanding 3rd and 4th quartets; a delightful String Quartet Concerto; a fine Wind Quintet (a case where the faster tempi do bear fruit, I think); plus the already-mentioned Violin Concerto where I think Schulte, though less spectacular on the surface, may actually dig deeper than Hahn. (The Hahn reading was the one that finally convinced me of the merits of the work, but it's Schulte that I've been returning to of late.)

[Lisztianwagner]

I was introduced to Schönberg's music listening to A Survivor from Warsaw and Pierrot Lunaire and he quickly became one of my favourite 20th Century composers. His music, so thrilling, intense and rich of a strong, dramatic expression, has always impressed me a lot; it has deep introspection, a so gorgeous, brilliant chromaticism taken to extremes and great beauty, absolutely impressive.
My favourite works are Verklärte Nacht, A Survivor from Warsaw, Pierrot Luinare, Pelleas und Melisande, the Chamber symphonies, Variations for Orchestra, the Violin Concerto and the Piano Concerto.

[Cato]

I was introduced to Schönberg's music listening to A Survivor from Warsaw and Pierrot Lunaire and he quickly became one of my favourite 20th Century composers. His music, so thrilling, intense and rich of a strong, dramatic expression, has always impressed me a lot; it has deep introspection, a so gorgeous, brilliant chromaticism taken to extremes and great beauty, absolutely impressive.
My favourite works are Verklärte Nacht, A Survivor from Warsaw, Pierrot Luinare, Pelleas und Melisande, the Chamber symphonies, Variations for Orchestra, the Violin Concerto and the Piano Concerto.

Have nearly 6 months gone by without anything written here about Schoenberg?

If you like those, then let me recommend two of his greatest (incomplete, but...) works:  Jakobsleiter and Moses und Aron.

The spiritual-musical experience is not one of incompleteness: both end on single notes, and although Schoenberg intended to continue the works, his musical unconscious decided otherwise.

[Lisztianwagner]

Have nearly 6 months gone by without anything written here about Schoenberg?

If you like those, then let me recommend two of his greatest (incomplete, but...) works:  Jakobsleiterand Moses und Aron.

The spiritual-musical experience is not one of incompleteness: both end on single notes, and althoughSchoenberg intended to continue the works, his musical unconscious decided otherwise.

Thank you for the feedback, Cato

[Karl Henning]

Aye, as is often the case with one of Cato's posts, I find myself eager to revisit the music under advisement!

[Cato]

Have nearly 6 months gone by without anything written here about Schoenberg?

If you like those, then let me recommend two of his greatest (incomplete, but...) works:  Jakobsleiter and Moses und Aron.

The spiritual-musical experience is not one of incompleteness: both end on single notes, and although Schoenberg intended to continue the works, his musical unconscious decided otherwise.

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Let me recommend this older recording of the cantata Jacob's Ladder which work is now represented only by used CD's, at least on Amazon.   

The multi-channel Kent Nagano recording is also good, but very expensive now!

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[Concord]

Pierrot Lunaire will be performed - twice! - next week in Philadelphia. I shall be there.

[Karl Henning]

Pierroe Lunaire will be performed - twice! - next week in Philadelphia. I shall be there.

Nice! A terrific piece to hear live.

[Cato]

Pierrot Lunaire is a microcosmic nuclear explosion with a macropsychic effect.   0:)

[TheGSMoeller]

Pierroe Lunaire will be performed - twice! - next week in Philadelphia. I shall be there.

I'm envious, my favorite Schoenberg piece. (I typed that in Sprechstimme)

[PaulR]

I'm envious, my favorite Schoenberg piece. (I typed that in Sprechstimme)

It would've been more effective if some of the letters in that post were approximate, somehow.

I only saw Pierrot live once at school.  I did not appreciate the atonality of Schoenberg then as I do now.  Meaning, I need to go to see it live again.

[Concord]

Pierrot Lunaire is a microcosmic nuclear explosion with a macropsychic effect.   0:)

I wish I had spoken to you before I wrote the preview.   

[Mirror Image]

[asin]B000002817[/asin]

Let me recommend this older recording of the cantata Jacob's Ladder which work is now represented only by used CD's, at least on Amazon.   

That's a fantastic recording. Love Die Jakobsleiter. Boulez's performance is impeccable. Sad to see this recording is out-of-print. I bought mine for $4.

[Mirror Image]

Has anyone seen  ..?



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000OCZ7Z2/?tag=goodmusicguideco
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003X859HK/?tag=goodmusicguideco

or ..

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I haven't seen any of these, James, but I still haven't listened to Moses und Aron all the way through. Each time I listened to it, it seemed like I got distracted.

These are the two recordings I own of it:





My understanding is the Boulez Concertgebouw is a pretty hot commodity now as it's out-of-print.

[Mirror Image]

My biggest issue with the Craft set is that I find some of the middle-period works too tense and hard-driven in Craft's readings; the Variations, Septet-Suite and Serenade all lack the moments of repose that--at least for me, are what make the works. Having said that, there's some really great stuff in these discs: outstanding 3rd and 4th quartets; a delightful String Quartet Concerto; a fine Wind Quintet (a case where the faster tempi do bear fruit, I think); plus the already-mentioned Violin Concerto where I think Schulte, though less spectacular on the surface, may actually dig deeper than Hahn. (The Hahn reading was the one that finally convinced me of the merits of the work, but it's Schulte that I've been returning to of late.)

Interesting opinions, Edward. I think I'm inclined to agree with you. I thought Boulez's Serenade was much more to my liking. I'm starting to really feel that Schulte is finer than Hahn in terms of emotional weight, but Hahn seems to get recognized more and, thus, has the higher profile. But, in the end, it's the merits of the performance itself that we evaluate and I think Schulte's performance is one that will probably retain the 'underdog' status. Still, I'm grateful for both performances and think Schulte and Hahn both had great accompaniment from Craft and Salonen.

[Wendell_E]

Has anyone seen  ..?



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000OCZ7Z2/?tag=goodmusicguideco
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003X859HK/?tag=goodmusicguideco

or ..

[asin]B001DDBDDQ[/asin]

I've got the first two.  I particularly like the second, from the Ruhrtriennale 2009, for its fascinating production, but they're both very good.

[snyprrr]

Interesting opinions, Edward. I think I'm inclined to agree with you. I thought Boulez's Serenade was much more to my liking. I'm starting to really feel that Schulte is finer than Hahn in terms of emotional weight, but Hahn seems to get recognized more and, thus, has the higher profile. But, in the end, it's the merits of the performance itself that we evaluate and I think Schulte's performance is one that will probably retain the 'underdog' status. Still, I'm grateful for both performances and think Schulte and Hahn both had great accompaniment from Craft and Salonen.

Don't forget those Atherton recordings !