This CD is reissued by ArkivMusic.
Notes and Editorial Reviews
In Boulez's hands, this music sounds as it should: immensely expressive, enormously concentrated, totally unyielding, and utterly uncompromising.
As they used to say back in the fin de siècle, for every generation, it's art. How could one argue? Every generation has its own life and its own world and its own history and every generation has the right to its own artistic prophet. But should every generation's art appeal to the next generation, or the generation after that, or the generation after that? In his generation, Schoenberg was anathema to almost everyone not accepted into his elect band of disciples who revered him as the prophet of modern music. After his death, Schoenberg was still anathema to almost
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everybody except the next generation of disciples, and that generation gave the world performances of the prophet's music that made it sound as austere and forbidding as possible. But, finally, after three generations, the disciples were able to relax a bit and give the world performances of the prophet's music that made it sound as close to appealing as the music has ever gotten. In these recordings of Schoenberg's choral music by Pierre Boulez and the BBC Singers and BBC Chorus, the prophet's music still sounds like the prophet's music: immensely expressive, enormously concentrated, totally unyielding, and utterly uncompromising. But at least the music is accurately directed and accurately performed so for once it is clearly and lucidly presented, which is more than one can say for earlier recordings. And if the prophet's music still sounds forbidding to most listeners, well, there is only so much performers can do and remain faithful to the spirit of the music and of the prophet. For true believers, however, these discs will provide proof positive of the greatness of the man and the music.
-- James Leonard, AllMusic.com Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Friede auf Erden, Op. 13 by Arnold Schoenberg
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1907; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 09/1982
Venue: BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale, London
Length: 9 Minutes 5 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is an ADD recording.
2.
Kol nidre, Op. 39 by Arnold Schoenberg
Performer:
John Shirley-Quirk (Spoken Vocals)
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Symphony Orchestra,
BBC Symphony Chorus
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1938; USA
Date of Recording: 02/1984
Venue: BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale, London
Length: 12 Minutes 26 Secs.
3.
Folksongs (3) for Chorus, Op. 49 by Arnold Schoenberg
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1948; USA
Date of Recording: 10/1986
Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London
Length: 10 Minutes 33 Secs.
Language: German
4.
Pieces (4) for Chorus, Op. 27 by Arnold Schoenberg
Performer:
Michael Collins (Clarinet),
James Ellis (Mandolin),
Christopher Van Kampen (Cello),
Nona Liddell (Violin)
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1925; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 09/1982
Venue: BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale, London
Length: 10 Minutes 38 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is an ADD recording.
5.
Satires (3) for Chorus, Op. 28 by Arnold Schoenberg
Performer:
John Constable (Piano),
Christopher Van Kampen (Cello),
Roger Chase (Viola)
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1925; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 09/1982
Venue: BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale, London
Length: 11 Minutes 8 Secs.
6.
Pieces (6) for Mens Chorus, Op. 35 by Arnold Schoenberg
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1929-1930; Berlin, Germany
Date of Recording: 02/1984
Venue: BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale, London
Length: 13 Minutes 51 Secs.
Language: German
7.
Dreimal tausend Jahre, Op. 50a by Arnold Schoenberg
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1949; USA
Date of Recording: 09/1982
Venue: BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale, London
Length: 3 Minutes 6 Secs.
Language: German
8.
De profundis, Op. 50b by Arnold Schoenberg
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1950; USA
Date of Recording: 09/1982
Venue: BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale, London
Length: 4 Minutes 30 Secs.
Notes: This selection is an ADD recording.
9.
Modern Psalm, Op. 50c by Arnold Schoenberg
Performer:
John Shirley-Quirk (Spoken Vocals)
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Symphony Orchestra,
BBC Symphony Chorus
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1950; USA
Date of Recording: 02/1984
Venue: BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale, London
Length: 5 Minutes 33 Secs.
10.
A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46 by Arnold Schoenberg
Performer:
Günter Reich (Spoken Vocals)
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Symphony Orchestra,
BBC Symphony Chorus
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1946; USA
Date of Recording: 09/1982
Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London
Length: 7 Minutes 26 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: This selection is an ADD recording.
11.
Canons (2) for Chorus by Arnold Schoenberg
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Singers
Period: 20th Century
Date of Recording: 10/1986
Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London
Length: 3 Minutes 31 Secs.
Language: German
12.
German Folksongs (3) for Chorus by Arnold Schoenberg
Conductor:
Pierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1929; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 10/1986
Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London
Length: 9 Minutes 50 Secs.
Language: German
Sound Samples
Es gingen zwei Gespielen gut
Der Mai tritt ein mit Freuden
Mein Herz in steten Treuen
Wenn der schwer Gedruckte klagt
O dass der Sinnen doch so viele sind!
Es gingen zwei Gespielen gut
Herzlieblich Lieb, durch Scheiden
Schein uns, du liebe Sonne
Du sollst nicht, du musst
Der Wunsch des Liebhabers
Dreimal Tausend Jahre, Op. 50A
De Profundis, Op. 50 B (Psalm 130)
A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46
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