Anton Webern: Complete Works, Opp. 1-31 [Import]

Anton Webern (Artist), Pierre Boulez (Artist), Heather Harper (Artist), Charles Rosen (Artist), Isaac Stern (Artist), Halina Lukomska (Artist), Colin Bradbury (Artist), John [guitar] Williams (Artist), Daniel Majeske (Artist), Robert Marcellus (Artist), Abraham Weinstein (Artist), Barry McDaniel (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 8, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Import
• Label: Sbme Import
• ASIN: B000002707
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,414 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Boulez's Webern -- brilliant modern miniatures, November 26, 2001

By 

R. Hutchinson "autonomeus" (a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Anton Webern: Complete Works, Opp. 1-31 (Audio CD)

All 31 works that Webern gave official Opus numbers on 3 discs, conducted by Boulez (not Kolbe!), with the Juilliard Quartet and the London Symphony Orchestra, and a superb booklet with commentary and lyrics -- so why only 4 stars? My objection is the strictly chronological presentation, and the fact that I am not won over by Webern's vocal works -- I would vastly prefer grouping the music by form. Everything is brilliantly performed, and Charles Rosen, who accompanies sopranos on piano on several pieces, plays with sparkling luminosity. But the reason I sought out this collection is because I wanted to hear Boulez's versions of Webern's masterpieces, the "Symphony (Op. 21)" and "Variations for Orchestra (Op. 30)," as well as the string trios and quartets. Here these instrumental works are mixed among the lieders, Webern's many vocal works, and I find this frustrating. I prefer hearing the instrumental pieces grouped together, as on the Dohnanyi or Sinopoli discs of orchestral works (see my reviews of both), or the Schoenberg or Emerson Quartet's discs of the string trios and quartets (see my reviews of both). Unfortunately there is not a Boulez disc comparable to the Dohnanyi (on London) or Sinopoli (on Teldec). So it's either this Sony box or the several more recently recorded discs on DG, unless of course you are a total Webern fanatic and want the Ultra-Complete box with all the numbered AND un-numbered pieces...

It's really hard to fault this excellent Webern collection. Obviously if you have a more catholic appreciation of Webern's music than I (including the vocal works), my criticism is irrelevant. If you are a completist on a budget, this is a clear choice over the more expensive box. But if you are looking for an introduction to Webern's music, the best of which is some of the best of the 20th century in my opinion, I suggest that you begin with 1) Dohnanyi and the Cleveland Orchestra, and 2) the Schoenberg Quartet.

[There is a mistake on the site. Pierre Boulez is the conductor, not Helmuth Kolbe. Careful inspection of the box reveals that Kolbe was the engineer...]

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars if not 6! The Definitive Webern collection., May 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Anton Webern: Complete Works, Opp. 1-31 (Audio CD)

Enter the world of Anton Webern... if you dare! If you are interested in the music of the New Viennese School, this collection is a must! Every primary work of the master of small forms himself, Anton Webern, is superbly performed and recorded in this collection under the exacting hand of Pierre Boulez, a quintessential modern Webern authority. When I first purchased this collection (on vinyl) in the mid 80's, I couldn't stop listening to it for a moment. Webern's Opus 1 'Passacaglia' is absolutely stupendous in its strident expression of violent passion and volatile climaxes. The early song collections, particularly Op. 3 and 4, are stunning gems of lapidary precision and balance. Webern speaks volumes in a few latticed phrases that other composers struggled all their lives to convey unconvincingly in gigantic opera and symphonies. From beginning to end this collection testifies to Webern's singular talent and ability as a craftsman of exceptionally refined musical forms. Without a doubt, Webern is a vocal composer par excellence. In a word, Webern is an aesthetic unto himself, unmatched and unmatchable by any composer before or since, in spite of all his admirers and imitators. Webern's music is the highpoint of human achievement in the world of art, and this collection proves loyal to its subject with impressive care. Definitely not for superficial music tastes.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aged well, August 29, 2001

By 

John Bolender (Ankara Turkey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Anton Webern: Complete Works, Opp. 1-31 (Audio CD)

It is hard to believe that the originals of these recordings are about 30 years old or so. The sound is very clear and precise without having a dry recorded-in-the-living-room sound. In fact, the Six Orchestral Pieces sounds clearer and sharper than some more recent recordings that I've heard. I do wish though that the accompanying booklet would comment more on the emotions and poetic themes in Webern's music. It is not all just about permutations of series. In fact, dwelling on these mathematical aspects of the music helps to perpetuate a stereotype about Webern's music having no emotional component at all. Anyone who listens sympathetically, however, most realize that the emotions in the music are intense indeed -- even overpowering to the sensitive and open-minded listener.