Customer Reviews

Early and Unknown String Works

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Schoenberg's string chamber music (the four numbered quartets, the early D major quartet, and the late string trio) includes some of the twentieth century's most significant compositions--think of the impact of the second quartet, for example. Schoenberg's estate, mostly held in the Schoenberg Center in Vienna, contains a number of early works, fragments and torsos that, while often referred to in discussions of the composer's music, have mostly remained unperformed. This hi-rez recording brings all this music to life, from the stuttering early waltzes to Schoenberg's thematic ideas for a projected fifth quartet, the chronological ordering enabling the listener to overhear the composer in his workshop. An inspired project that only an independent company would undertake, graced by strong, confident performances and that tactile 96/24 sound (is there a hi-rez recording of one of the numbered quartets?). Severine Neff's judicious liner notes complete a fascinating album that throws new light on Schoenberg's musical evolution.

For all of the "bad boy of modern music" reputation that saddled Schoenberg, particularly in his native Vienna, the composer insisted throughout his life that his work was not a total break with the past, but rather an inevitable progression and extension of many of its ideas and techniques.

This recording features a selection of pieces and fragments written in Schoenberg's earliest years as a composer and, importantly, an amateur player of the cello and viola. Schoenberg was not a conservatory-bred composer, but began by imitating the pieces in his lessons and those he performed with friends. Popular waltzes, folk tunes, and the Romantic repertoire of the day inspired him in these largely self-taught efforts.

The works are performed beautifully and, ironically I suspect, with far greater expertise than Schoenberg and his pals could ever have dreamt of at the time. But the value in hearing these pieces - aside from their straightforward musicality - is they provide at least a window, however speculative, into the man's connection to tradition and understanding of what it meant to be a musician of his time.

A minor but important point to note is the format of this recording is an audio DVD. If you want to listen on a CD player, you'll need something like Cinematize to extract the tracks to CD.

The Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra's very own Christina Fong has once again excelled, along with the Rangzen Quartet and Strings. Whereas the Austrian composer Arnold Schonberg is widely known throughout the classical music world, his early works are not so much so. This Audio DVD is not just a joy and delight to listen to. It is a wonderful opportunity to hear and experience Schonberg's hitherto unknown compositions. This truly remarkable production is most definitely a collector's item! Experience and enjoy..... {:-)

This recording is a joy! Wonderful sound quality and excellent playing of little-heard works and fragments from his youth. It sheds new light on Schoenberg's beginnings, once again illustrating his roots in earlier Viennese music, and is worth the cost to wallow in the sound alone. Enthusiastically recommended....