Customer Reviews

Glenn Gould Plays Schoenberg, Berg, Webern

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It may surprize some audiophiles, but GG wasn't just the Bach specialist: he was also the Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, and Hindemith specialist; moreover, he was a lifelong advocate of the Second Viennese School--especially Schoenberg.

GG recorded nearly all Schoenberg's works for keyboard. Pieces like the Op. 25 Suite for Piano, and the Op. 11 Piano Pieces, were staples of his repetoire. Too, the Berg Piano Sonata ("Op. 1") was one of GG's favorite works.

Plus, Schoenberg's Piano Concerto (Op. 42) is doubtless THE FINEST piano concerto written in the 20th Century.

This disc of rare early Gould is worth having for his remarkable timing and miraculous digital ability.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: this out of print disc is now (12/2007) re-issued in complete CBC set:
Glenn Gould: The Young Maverick
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It should be mentioned at the outset that all the items were recorded from 1952 to 1954 and the sound is somewhat constricted. The Schoenberg Op 25 and Webern Op 27 are also played, in my view, with plenty of staccato, which combined with the age of the performance produces a dryish tone which may not be to all tastes. Anyone who admires this artist's work, even if not a fan of the Second Viennese School, should try to hear this. The Webern at least was done live and one is almost taken aback by the enthusiastic applause at the end.

For those who normally find 12 tone music almost unlistenable, the Schoenberg Piano Concerto might be a very nice surprise. The piece feels quite tonal in the traditional sense, the work is quite melodic and flowing, for the piano and orchestra. The first movement has a passage somewhat similar to one in, of all things, the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony - which was a delightful shock. The final movement marked Giocoso is not an oxymoron, it sounds quite buoyant indeed.

The first two of the Three Pieces Op. 11 are quite conventional - not unlike Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition in places. The last piece feels quite different, and refreshingly so in its own way.

The Berg Op. 1 Sonata is strikingly original for a first published work.

Recommended for those who can accept the sound quality for the sake of the music.