BERG / SCHOENBERG / WEBERN

 

Arnold Schoenberg

Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 - Luisa Castellani, voice / Andrea Lucchesini, piano

Erwartung, Op. 17 (live recording) - Alessandra Marc, soprano

Six Orchestral Songs, Op. 8 - Alessandra Marc, soprano

Begleitmusik Zu Einer Lichtspielszene, Op. 34

A Survivor From Warsaw, Op. 46 - John Tomlinson, narrator

Chmber Symphony No.1, Op. 9 - for 15 solo instruments

Gurrelieder - Thomas Moser, Deborah Voight, Jennifer Larmore, Bernd Weikl, Kenneth Riegel

(live from the Semper Opera, Dresden)

 

Anton Webern

Im Sommerwind (Idyll after a poem by Bruno Wille)

Passacaglia Op. 1

Six Orchestral Pieces Op. 6 (arr. For reduced orchestra 1928)

Five Orchestral Pieces Op. 10

Symphony Op. 21

Concerto Op. 24

Variations Op. 30

 

Alban Berg

Violin Concerto “To The Memory of an Angel” - Reiko Watanabe, violin

Chamber Concerto for Piano, Violin & 13 Wind Instruments - Reiko Watanabe, violin / Andrea Lucchesini, piano

Three Pieces From The Lyric Suite - Alessandra Marc, soprano

Three Fragments from the Opera “Wozzeck” - Alessandra Marc, soprano

Symphonic Pieces from The Opera “Lulu” - Alessandra Marc, soprano

Seven Early Songs - Orchestral version 1928 - Juliane Banse, soprano

Altenberg - Lieder, Op. 4 - Alessandra Marc, soprano

Der Wien - Doborah Voigt, soprano

Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6

 

Staatskapelle Dresden / Giuseppe Sinopoli

 

This set shows the so-called bogey-men of the Second Viennese School, from their hyper Romantic height, through Expressionism and onto the more entertaining aspects of Serialism, as entertainers of a great order. The Nineteenth-Century heritage of Schubert, Brahms and Wagner are never far from Schoenberg, Berg and Webern in these 8 CDs, which concentrate on the earlier, more approachable (and often finest) products of three distinct composers, rather than any school. The performers reflect the composers' Romantic leanings here; Sinopoli bringing in artists at the height of their early careers: Deborah Voigt, Alessandra Marc and Juliane Banse. The ever-approachable Berg is seen at his kindest and Webern, a figure who looked as far back as he did forward is as finely tuned in Im Sommerwind as in the Op. 21 Symphony – a simply and fascinating journey. Schoenberg is in full splendour, too. Sounding more like Mahler's heir than a prophet of total change.

 

“In his highly compelling live recording, Sinopoli conducts a most sensuous reading of Gurrelieder, bringing out all it’s romantic voluptuousness… anyone who has ever thought of Schoenberg as cold should certainly hear this, magnetic from first to last…” Penguin Guide

 

“It would be hard to imagine more romantic readings of Berg’s principal orchestral works than those under Giuseppe Sinopoli. The atonal arguments of Berg have never been presented more sinuously, cocooning the ear, helped by sumptuous playing and recording.” Penguin Guide

 

Warner Classics 8cds 2564694140