Search - Arnold Schoenberg, Helen Vanni, Glenn Gould :: The Music of Arnold Schoenberg, Vol. 4

Schönberg: Songs and Dances...

Sébastien Melmoth | Hôtel d'Alsace, PARIS | 08/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

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Highlights of this two disc set include the art-nouveau songs (Opp. 1-2), the expressionistic Piano Pieces (Op. 11), and the neo-baroque Suite for Piano (Op. 25).



The striking thing about Schönberg's songs is their immediate mnemonic quality. That is to say, the tunes are really catchy and easy to remember. This too may be said of the lieder of Schubert, Wolf, and possibly Mahler; but who remembers any lieder of Brahms or Strauss--not to mention Reger or Pfitzner? Perhaps this is where Schönberg's essentially Viennese characteristic is apparent.



The piano writing in Schönberg's songs is quite poised and idiomatic in the contemporaneous vein of late-Brahms, Debussy, and Skryabin, but with Schönberg's distinctive verve. Chromatic harmony is extended in the post-Wagnerian manner, but the melodies remain tonal (at least until Opp. 14-15 of 1908).



As one may imagine with Glenn Gould, the piano work in these songs is given the dominant voice. GG chose vocalists who were adequate to the art, but compliant with his wishes for the realization. The recordings of Opp. 1-2 were made in 1964-65, and when compared with the Kontrapunkt issue of 1989, the timings are pretty well "in the ballpark." Schoenberg: Complete Lieder

(The Bryn-Julson/Oppens issue of 1991 seems a little brisk.)

Cabaret Songs / Book of Hanging Gardens



The piano writing of Op. 1 (1898) is very heavy and Brahmsian but with much rhythmic and contrapuntal interest. Written specifically for a man's low voice, betimes the late-Romanticism veers dangerously close to bathos; yet, the songs remain immensely satisfying.



Two Songs for baritone and piano:

1) "Thanks" ~:06

2) "Parting" ~:09



The piano work of Op. 2 (1899) is much lighter, perhaps in keeping with the exquisite verse of Richard Dehmel. (These songs are gender-neutral and theoretically could be sung by a voice of any tessitura; and while usually sung by a soprano, Fischer-Dieskau renders an unbelievably fine reading.)

Schönberg & Berg: Lieder

Indeed, No. 1 ("Erwartung") is an extremely beautiful and erotic song which has justly become nearly famous for its lilt and tunefulness. No. 4 ("Waldsonne") bears a marked semblance to several other of Schönberg's contemporaneous lieder which became Works Without Opus Number (WoO): "Mädchenlied"; "Nicht doch!"; "Waldesnacht"; "Mädchenfruhling"--(some of these to lyrics by Dehmel as well).



Four Songs for singing-voice and piano:

1) "Anticipation" ~:04

2) "Offer Me Your Golden Comb" ~:04

3) "Exaltation" ~:01

4) "Forest Sun" ~:03



Immediately after completion of his truly great song-cycle Das Buch der Hängenden Garten (Op.15 [1908])--which yet barely retains key-centers, Schönberg moved on to his totally-chromatic, utterly free-pantonal Drei Klavierstücke (Op. 11) of 1909. Quoting Malcolm MacDonald,

"The experience gained in the accompaniments of [Op. 15] had liberated Schönberg from any inhibitions: the new harmonic vocabulary dictated an entirely new kind of pianism."

In "the keyboard layout and emotional content of Op. 11 we still discern the influence of late Brahms. The deep basses, massive chords, syncopations and cross-rythms--these are all Brahmsian features, but employed within a totally-chromatic context their effect is quite different. Brahms' detailed motivic working is extended by Schönberg to virtually every figure."

Schoenberg (Master Musicians Series)

Gould was especially enthusiastic about No. 1, and his reading is a virtual realization of MacDonald's description.



Likewise, GG was equally enthusiastic about the serial-Bachian neo-baroque Suite for Piano Op. 25 (1923). Schönberg's first completely dodecaphonic work, the Suite of stylized dances is a wonderland through-the-looking glass homage to Old Sebastian, comprised of:

I. Prelude

II. Gavotte & Musette

III. Intermezzo

IV. Minuet & Trio

V. Gigue

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French Suites Nos 1-4

Brahms: Lieder [Box Set]

Strauss: Lieder

Wolf: Italienisches Liederbuch

Schubert: Lieder

Schoenberg: Complete Songs for Voice and Piano, Vol. 2

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