Search - Arnold Schoenberg, Heinz Holliger, Chamber Orchestra of Europe :: Schoenberg: Chamber Symphonies No. 1 & No. 2; Verklärte Nacht

WHO'S AFRAID OF SCHOENBERG?

DAVID BRYSON | Glossop Derbyshire England | 08/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Do you normally believe commentators who talk as if Schoenberg comes as naturally to them as Schubert? If the commentator is, say, Sir Simon Rattle then obviously I do but otherwise I suspend judgment or worse. I have built up a small collection of Schoenberg over the last few years, and I have yet to achieve an easy relationship with the piano and violin concertos or the variations for orchestra. But no lover of Schoenberg's own idol Brahms should have much problem with Verklaerte Nacht or the Pelleas et Melisande music, and it is an easy step from there to the chamber symphonies. I recalled the remark by Rudolf Serkin (in case that reassures you) that Schoenberg had the best musical mind he ever met (the second best being Donald Francis Tovey, in case that also reassures you). The music on this record is music with a strong intellect behind it, something you can say of any of the major classics. It is also -- trust me -- very attractive and listenable music. The first chamber symphony starts with some 'so there!' squawking harmonies. This is obviously not Brahms, but you are not far into the piece before his influence on the sound is becoming apparent. The second of them has a much higher opus-# so I braced myself for anything, but in the event it is similar in idiom to the first. I am now playing the pieces as background and for pleasure. The recorded sound is very good, the impact on the ear is very pleasant, the price is very low. Give it a try."

Beginner's Schoenberg

bravhorn22 | Fairfax, VA United States | 06/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I took a chance on this one - a budget recording of 20th century music does not always turn out well. This CD has some great playing and is a good interpretation of a sometimes misunderstood composer.I was introduced to Schoenberg in college as the creator of "serial" or "twelve-tone" music; music that is not written in a certain key and sounds random at times, but is in fact very methodical.The pieces on this CD are from a period when Schoenberg was experimenting with serialism and sometimes sounds "all over the place", but also has some very romantic moments. I discovered these at a National Symphony Orchestra concert where they were performed as part of a pieced-together score for the early silent film "Metropolis". It may not be a good CD for dinner parties or background music, but can be a good one to just sit down and listen to, contemplating the many moods it evokes.Price- budget (great)
Playing/Sound- very good
Selection- very goodLiner notes- informative, not overly technical (very good)"

The best Schoenberg bargain on the market?

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 12/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This budget reissue of Schoenberg from the great oboist-turned-conductor Heinz Holliger is quite wonderful, not just because we get 80 min. of music and three masterpieces. That's certainly a good thing, but the really treasurable aspect are the eprformances. Holliger gets impassioned playing from the youthful Chamber Orch. of Europe, and he has insights and new ideas at eery turn. Even tried-and-true Verklarte Nacht comes across with unusual fervor and original phrasing (only an old Stokowski recording is more on fire). The First Chamber Sym. is sparkling and ebullient, without a trace of dryness or analytical calculation (are you listening, M. Boulez?).



The only difficult modernist work, the Second Chamber Sym., is played with the same enthusiasm, as if it were as simple as the other two pieces. That's a great help -- turning Schoenberg into music rather than an intellectual puzzle is half the battle. In sum, a delightful disc, one that every listener can enjoy, not just the initiated."