Six Little Piano Pieces Op. 19: Sehr langsame Viertel
Six Little Piano Pieces Op. 19: Rasch, aber leicht
Six Little Piano Pieces Op. 19: Etwas rasch
Six Little Piano Pieces Op. 19: 6 Little piano pieces, op.19: Sehr langsam
Five Piano Pieces Op. 23: Langsam
Five Piano Pieces Op. 23: Sehr rasch
Five Piano Pieces Op. 23: Langsam
Five Piano Pieces Op. 23: Schwungvoll
Five Piano Pieces Op. 23: Walzer
Suite For Piano Op. 25: Praludium: Rasch
Suite For Piano Op. 25: Gavotte: Etwas langsam, nicht hastig (attacca:)
Suite For Piano Op. 25: Musette: Rascher
Suite For Piano Op. 25: Gavotte (da capo)
Suite For Piano Op. 25: Intermezzo
Suite For Piano Op. 25: Minuett: Moderato - Trio
Suite For Piano Op. 25: Gigue: Rasch
Piano Piece Op. 33a: Massig
Piano Piece Op. 33b: Massig langsam
The first great pianist to record all of Schoenberg's piano music was Glenn Gould, and if you grew up with Gould's interpretations, then you're in for a shock. In the first place, Pollini actually plays what Schoenberg wro... more »te--Gould freely altered the text in ways that would have driven the composer insane. And then there's the humming--yes, believe it or not, Gould did manage to sing along as he played. Pollini's quieter, less vocal approach conveys much more of what Schoenberg actually wrote, with no sacrifice of expressiveness. And although most of the pieces on this disc are quite short, they are nonetheless important. It was in his piano works that Schoenberg worked out his theories of free atonality and 12-tone composition. So for anyone interested in these critical musical developments, this disc is essential listening. --David Hurwitz« less
The first great pianist to record all of Schoenberg's piano music was Glenn Gould, and if you grew up with Gould's interpretations, then you're in for a shock. In the first place, Pollini actually plays what Schoenberg wrote--Gould freely altered the text in ways that would have driven the composer insane. And then there's the humming--yes, believe it or not, Gould did manage to sing along as he played. Pollini's quieter, less vocal approach conveys much more of what Schoenberg actually wrote, with no sacrifice of expressiveness. And although most of the pieces on this disc are quite short, they are nonetheless important. It was in his piano works that Schoenberg worked out his theories of free atonality and 12-tone composition. So for anyone interested in these critical musical developments, this disc is essential listening. --David Hurwitz
"Schoenberg's music can be difficult for the first time listener - that I admit. If you give it some time, though, it begins to make much more sense, and the passion and expression written into the score begin to come out. It may not happen the first or second time you listen to this record, but if you put forth an effort, it will happen. Pollini plays these pieces with 100% conviction - absolutely essential for this music to come across. I would call his music making immaculate. As for that other review of this disc and the comments on Schoenberg, that listener did not do his homework on Schoenberg or the system which he created. Schoenberg did not set out to destroy tonality, he merely took the next logical step and devised a system (which even he does not strictly follow) that is derived from natural acoustical principles (overtone series). No self-respecting musicologist or even afficionado can deny that. If your not sure, do your own reasearch and find out. As part of your reasearch, buy this album - if you approach it with an open mind, it will not displease."
A terrible beauty is born.
Daniel R. Greenfield | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | 02/06/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What an incredibly powerful work of art this album is. A previous reviewer referred to the music as being extremely sensual and decadent; it is that and more. I would call it both erotic and demonic. It is also unbelievably intimidating at first! But such is to be expected in an intimate encounter with raw and complex genius. Pollini truly believes in the beauty and terror of this music; it is an immaculate and inspired performance, full and bursting with fiery energy and sudden, unpredictable humanity."
Schoenberg's Short Masterpieces
09/03/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am astonished by the review that gave this only 1 star. Schoenberg, even though he never played the piano, wrote masterfully for the instrument. These pieces advance piano literature by light-years, and one should not be prejudiced against them because none of them are written in his early post-Wagnerian manner. My advice: listen to each piece for 5 times consecutively. Then you will behold the poignant expressionism that many of the pieces convey. Great Works of Music. A Must for anyone interested in 20th Century Music."
Fugitive beauty
R. Hutchinson | a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds | 01/25/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Pollini is fantastic with Schoenberg's piano pieces. This chronological presentation allows you to hear the progression from the atonal works to the later 12-tone compositions. Adorno held the atonal works to be the highest pinnacle of expression, and it's easy to see why he was so impressed. I find it amazing to compare Schoenberg and the painter Kandinsky. They were friends, and participated in a joint revolution across types of art, Schoenberg pushing dissonant chromaticism into outright atonality as Kandinsky did the same with painting, pushing Impressionism's blurring of the object to total abstraction. Then, in the 1920s, Schoenberg developed his 12-tone system as Kandinsky developed a parallel system of abstract forms at Bauhaus in Weimar and Dessau. I strongly prefer Kandinsky's Bauhaus work to his earlier period, while with Schoenberg, I enjoy both, but prefer the first breakthroughs to the atonal. His "Suite for Piano" and other 12-tone works incorporate a pure, Baroque structure, and mark a phase of consolidation. The earlier works, especially, seem to document the dissolution of the ego, and Pollini conveys them as fleeting, fugitive beauty."
Astonishing still
scarecrow | Chicago, Illinois United States | 08/06/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this still remains the most convincing interpretation of this music,although quite recently Mitsuko Uchida brings similar interpretive values as Pollini. Schoenberg had the guts like Freud within those times in deep dark Vienna to explore the uglier dimensions of the human spirit. Who denies that there is not a dark unexplored,disturbing area to all of us? It's fairly obvious. Schoenberg's piano music is very direct and functional, Bach-like contrapuntal designs. There is holdovers of post romanticism of accompanimental figures, Well who can step with both feet into the unknown better one foot at a time. Opus 11 remains the most powerfully compact excursion into this forbidden expressive world, with the flagellations of sound of timbre in this first piece, where you silently depress tones and violently play others,harmonics are the result. Schoenberg also had some elegant sense of voicing chords, other times they are quite ugly with base provincial voicings of atonal triads in thirds intervals, again very direct and bland yet exciting, and dark. What Pollini brings to this music as no other, is he's not afraid of making the music ugly, and he doesn't try to fix it's deep dark graphic dimensions. He also has a wonderful lyrical sense of direction, telescoping where the music is going."