The Second Viennese School --- Who Do You Prefer?

[Mirror Image]

We never left.

Okay, well let's get back to Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, which is why I created this poll.

Anyway...

Looks like right now Schoenberg is leading the pack by only one point, which isn't surprising given how Berg's music can certainly reel a listener into such a marvelous sonic web. I'm not too surprised by the Webern solitary vote right now given that his music, for me, isn't the most immediately attractive of the three composers.

[Karl Henning]

You have a certain notoriety for - let's not say flimsy, let's say - rather transient pronouncements. Give it some time and you may feel differently in the future. Skalkottas' music is certainly of extraordinary quality.

It is, indeed.

[Karl Henning]

I think so, as well. You need to read posts more carefully.
Interestingly, Skalkottas' three piano concerti were written before Schoenberg attempted his own, which makes their felicities even more extraordinary. Sometimes I like listening to all four in sequence. And for those interested, there's a very good new recording of Skalkottas' Piano Concerto No.3 (for piano and winds), played by Daan Vandewalle and Blattwerk, issued by the Paladino label.

Very nice!

[Mirror Image]

Team Arnie is holding strong. Hopefully, the support will become overwhelming.

[André]

Team Arnie is holding strong. Hopefully, the support will become overwhelming.

You sound like someone we know whose avatar is Team Bernie...

[Karl Henning]

Feel the Schön!

[Mirror Image]

You sound like someone we know whose avatar is Team Bernie...

Oh dear! Now, THAT is what I was afraid of --- you know, that kind of fanaticism.

[Mirror Image]

Feel the Schön!

[vers la flamme]

I appears that I am the sole vote for Webern.  Come on, folks - where are all the Webern fans?

Right there with you, my friend. Webern is by far my favorite of the three, and one of my top 10 composers of all time. From my very first exposure to his music, I knew I had discovered something special, and to this day every time I hear one of his vast, yet infinitesimal, microcosmic works, I hear something new. I love Schoenberg, and I love Berg, but Webern is the one who speaks to me. Sadly, we are still the only two votes. I find it surprising that no one else has had a similar reaction to his music, but then again, I've always been a weirdo. 

[San Antone]

Right there with you, my friend. Webern is by far my favorite of the three, and one of my top 10 composers of all time. From my very first exposure to his music, I knew I had discovered something special, and to this day every time I hear one of his vast, yet infinitesimal, microcosmic works, I hear something new. I love Schoenberg, and I love Berg, but Webern is the one who speaks to me. Sadly, we are still the only two works. I find it surprising that no one else has had a similar reaction to his music, but then again, I've always been a weirdo. 

[Mirror Image]

Right there with you, my friend. Webern is by far my favorite of the three, and one of my top 10 composers of all time. From my very first exposure to his music, I knew I had discovered something special, and to this day every time I hear one of his vast, yet infinitesimal, microcosmic works, I hear something new. I love Schoenberg, and I love Berg, but Webern is the one who speaks to me. Sadly, we are still the only two works. I find it surprising that no one else has had a similar reaction to his music, but then again, I've always been a weirdo. 

You're no weirder than I am and I don't find it strange that you connect more with Webern than Schoenberg or Webern. We all have composers that draw us in and others that don't do as much for us. I love Schoenberg and Berg, but Webern has always been a hard sale for me. I don't really connect a lot with the aesthetic, but there are works of his that I admire and think highly of, but Schoenberg and Berg get more rotation in my listening.

[Uhor]

Webern brought something to music no one had ever exposed before.

[Lisztianwagner]

I voted for Schönberg, he has become one of my absolute favourite composers since I started widening my knowledge (as at that time it wasn't particularly large) of his oeuvre months ago, it was an amazing discovery; for me his music seems to be really able to evoke, truly and fully, what is hidden into the inner being, bringing that out to light, with such a striking, overwhelming expressiveness that completely mesmerizes; I don't find Schönberg's music only powerfully emotional, but also profoundly introspective and thoughtful. I love Berg and I also appreciate Webern, but their compositions can't speak to me in the same magnetic, compelling way as Schönberg's do.

[Cato]

Interestingly, Skalkottas' three piano concerti were written before Schoenberg attempted his own, which makes their felicities even more extraordinary. Sometimes I like listening to all four in sequence. And for those interested, there's a very good new recording of Skalkottas' Piano Concerto No.3 (for piano and winds), played by Daan Vandewalle and Blattwerk, issued by the Paladino label.

Skalkottas could be a Fourth Choice!   

My ship has struck the Schoenberg!   

Even before Schoenberg crystalizes the "composition with 12 notes" method, he had produced some most extraordinary works in "free atonality", e.g. Jakobsleiter, Five Pieces for Orchestra, Pierrot Lunaire, Erwartung, etc.

[(poco) Sforzando]

I admire and respect them all, but for a favorite I would go with Berg for his intense romanticism combined with 20th century technique. Webern a close second for his delicate miniatures. Schoenberg I often admire more than I enjoy, but I most appreciate his freely atonal works rather than the 12-tone style, where I think he lost some degree of the rhythmic and melodic flexibility that distinguished such masterpieces as Erwartung, the Five Orchestral Pieces, and Pierrot.

And for performances - guys, pick up the newly released Robert Craft box on Sony, which has some of the best Schoenberg recordings ever made.

[vers la flamme]

Still Webern for me!

[vers la flamme]

I admire and respect them all, but for a favorite I would go with Berg for his intense romanticism combined with 20th century technique. Webern a close second for his delicate miniatures. Schoenberg I often admire more than I enjoy, but I most appreciate his freely atonal works rather than the 12-tone style, where I think he lost some degree of the rhythmic and melodic flexibility that distinguished such masterpieces as Erwartung, the Five Orchestral Pieces, and Pierrot.

And for performances - guys, pick up the newly released Robert Craft box on Sony, which has some of the best Schoenberg recordings ever made.

I hope they release a cheap "white box" of his Schoenberg recordings as they've done for his Webern.

[Lisztianwagner]

I hope they release a cheap "white box" of his Schoenberg recordings as they've done for his Webern.

I hope so, it would be certainly stunning!