# Schoenberg - recommended recordings?



## apbsen

Can anyone help with recommendations for Schoenberg recordings?

It can be orchestral music, but also his vocal compositions. 

What are your favourite Schoenberg recordings?

Thank you for help and recommendations


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## elgar's ghost

Here are my favourites and I've never been disappointed with them, but as I don't collect multiple recordings it's not for me to say if they're the best:






































I'm looking forward to seeing what Mahlerian says - I reckon he'll be able to cover virtually all bases for you.


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## TurnaboutVox

This is also very satisfying (and in places unexpected, e.g. the cabaret songs)


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## haydnfan

The concertos cd with Brendel is my favorite (already mentioned). After that try this:


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## Mahlerian

I agree with the recommendations of Elgars Ghost and the wonderful set of lieder (much of which consists of early works and gives a fine picture of the composer's development) recommended by TurnaboutVox.

The Karajan disc is a fine one in its own way, and of course the pieces on it are wonderful, but it's not ideal for all tastes.

I unreservedly recommend the concerto discs with Mitsuko Uchida and Hillary Hahn, the latter of which especially supersedes all previous recordings and makes them useless.


















Finally, the best recording of Schoenberg's opera Moses und Aron is, in my opinion, this one:










If you want any more recommendations on specific works, I'd be happy to oblige.


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## brotagonist

I have quite a bit of Schoenberg. In addition to the ones mentioned that I already know, I'd most highly recommend:









5 discs of chamber music, including the String Quartets and much, much more. Essential!










2 discs with the two Chamber Symphonies and Verklärte Nacht (string orchestra version of 1943).










11 discs of a huge portion of Schoenberg's œuvre at a sensational price and in very good versions.

If that isn't enough to get you started, I can suggest a good number of others :tiphat:


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## Guest

I enjoyed the Schoenberg Piano Concerto on Friday night with Mitsuko Uchida at the Proms (and with London Philharmonic conducted by Vladimir Jurowski).

She described the piece as 'bloody difficult'!


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## apbsen

Thank you for all your helpful tips and wonderful recommendations. Much appreciated!


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## apbsen

I am considering buying the box set "Boulez conducts Schoenberg":

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pierre-Boul...55&sr=8-1&keywords=boulez+conducts+schoenberg

Which - if any - major Schoenberg works are NOT included in the box set? I am not sure if the box set is comprehensive - for instance Wind Quintet, Op. 26 seems to be missing.

(Serenade, Op. 24, Wind Quintet, Op. 26 and Suite, Op. 29 are among my favourite Schoenberg pieces, so it's non-vocal and atonal works like these that I'm mainly interested in. Are there works in the style of Op. 24, Op. 26 and Op. 29 that are not in the "Boulez conducts Schoenberg box set..?!)

Here is a list of works in the box set "Boulez conducts Schoenberg":

1.
Die glückliche Hand, Op. 18

2.
Variations for Orchestra, Op. 31

3.
Verklärte Nacht for String Orchestra, Op. 4

4.
Die Jakobsleiter

5.
Chamber Symphony no 1 in E major, Op. 9

6.
Incidental Music to a Motion Picture Scene, Op. 34

7.
Friede auf Erden, Op. 13

8.
Kol nidre, Op. 39

9.
Folksongs (3) for Chorus, Op. 49

10.
Pieces (4) for Chorus, Op. 27

11.
Satires (3) for Chorus, Op. 28

12.
Pieces (6) for Mens Chorus, Op. 35

13.
Dreimal tausend Jahre, Op. 50a

14.
De profundis, Op. 50b

15.
Modern Psalm, Op. 50c

16.
A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46

17.
Canons (2) for Chorus

18.
German Folksongs (3) for Chorus

19.
Gurrelieder

20.
Orchestral Songs (4), Op. 22

21.
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21

22.
Gurrelieder: Lied der Waldtaube

23.
Erwartung, Op. 17

24.
Suite, Op. 29

25.
Pieces (3) for Chamber Orchestra

26.
Verklärte Nacht for String Sextet, Op. 4

27.
Moses und Aron

28.
Chamber Symphony no 2, Op. 38

29.
Serenade, Op. 24

30.
Pieces (5) for Orchestra, Op. 16

31.
Ode to Napoleon, Op. 41


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## elgar's ghost

^
^

Looking at your list, the only orchestral works that seem to be missing are Pelleas und Melisande op. 5 and the Theme & Variations for Orchestra (or band) op. 43b (or 43a).

Otherwise, this leaves the chamber music apart from the Serenade (principally the four acknowledged string quartets, Wind Quintet, Suite for Septet, String Trio and the Fanatasie for Violin & Piano), piano music (all the main works fit easily onto one disc), arrangements of works by Monn, Handel and Brahms (interesting but hardly essential) plus all the songs (see the Capriccio set from a previous post - if you don't want all of them there are always the Sony recordings with Glen Gould on piano). Also the 'zeitoper' Von heute auf morgen.

For a cross-reference with Schoenberg's complete output, use this link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...old_Schoenberg#Compositions_with_opus_numbers


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## Mahlerian

elgars ghost said:


> ^
> ^
> 
> Looking at your list, the only orchestral works that seem to be missing are Pelleas und Melisande op. 5 and the Theme & Variations for Orchestra (or band) op. 43b (or 43a).
> 
> Otherwise, this leaves the chamber music apart from the Serenade (principally the four acknowledged string quartets, Wind Quintet, *Suite for Septet*, String Trio and the Fanatasie for Violin & Piano), piano music (all the main works fit easily onto one disc), arrangements of works by Monn, Handel and Brahms (interesting but hardly essential) plus all the songs (see the Capriccio set from a previous post - if you don't want all of them there are always the Sony recordings with Glen Gould on piano). Also the 'zeitoper' Von heute auf morgen.
> 
> For a cross-reference with Schoenberg's complete output, use this link:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...old_Schoenberg#Compositions_with_opus_numbers


This is on the Boulez set, which has a lot to recommend it, including fine recordings of the choral music. Some of the recordings seem a bit cavernous, though, which is a shame.

The concertos are missing, though.


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## elgar's ghost

^
^

Yes, the concertos! 

M, if I recall correctly you were underwhelmed with Von heute auf morgen. Can you remind me why? Most criticism levelled at it seems to be that the humorous elements in the plot don't sit easy with Schoenberg's 'seriousness'. I'm a fan of 'zeitoper' but have never got around to buying this one. Is it too flippant?


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## Mahlerian

elgars ghost said:


> M, if I recall correctly you were underwhelmed with Von heute auf morgen. Can you remind me why? Most criticism levelled at it seems to be that the humorous elements in the plot don't sit easy with Schoenberg's 'seriousness'. I'm a fan of 'zeitoper' but have never got around to buying this one. Is it too flippant?


The early 12-tone music of the 20s has a freshness and wit that I love and that belies Schoenberg's reputation for angst or constant negativity. The Serenade, Suite Op. 25 for Piano, and the Four Pieces for mixed chorus are easily among my favorite Schoenberg works. For whatever reason, in spite of the many fine moments in the score, Von Heute auf Morgen really doesn't seem to channel that spirit effectively. The writing is certainly lighter than Erwartung or Moses und Aron, but it lacks the exquisite emotional nuance and kaleidoscopic orchestration of the former and the dramatic thrust of the latter.

Perhaps in a different performance, I would see these problems go away, but as far as I'm concerned, the Gielen version is not that performance, well-sung and conducted though it undoubtedly is.

By all means, if you're really interested in Schoenberg (or want to hear his reaction to Zeitoper trends), you should get around to listening to Von Heute auf Morgen, but I wouldn't say that it's among the most important pieces in his oeuvre.


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