# Schoenberg: Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, Op. 15



## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Thinking of Lieder recently, I belatedly recalled an old favourite, Schönberg's _Das Buch der hängenden Gärten_, Op. 15. This is a beautiful Lieder cycle from the late Romantik that "breaks away from conventional musical order through its usage of atonality" (Wikipedia).

It doesn't appear to be included in Boulez's 11CD Schoenberg box and I cannot locate many recordings of it. With 2 spellings of Schönberg and the English and German titles, it might be that my search criteria are missing their intended targets.

Which recordings of this Spätromantik masterpiece are your favourites?


----------



## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

I'm fond of the Gould/Vanni recording. It's a gorgeous cycle, darkly lyrical and sensually mysterious.


----------



## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I suspect that many recordings of the work are hidden in compilations, such as above. This could become my first Glenn Gould album. I'll have to inspect availability, reissues


----------



## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

brotagonist said:


> I suspect that many recordings of the work are hidden in compilations, such as above. This could become my first Glenn Gould album. I'll have to inspect availability, reissues


Gould's Schoenberg is idiosyncratic, for sure. All of his recordings (including the lieder) are available in this set:









The singers are not always the best, but I do like the Book of the Hanging Gardens.


----------



## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

There's also a live recording of Gould with Kerstin Meyer apparently, although I haven't heard that one. The Gould/Vanni recording is good (you can barely hear Gould singing) although I think I prefer Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

It's on this collection I recently purchased.
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=772447

Also available here. This recording is on YouTube, and sounds very fine
but the CD is quite expensive, if available at all.
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=93350


----------



## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

+Mahlerian: I just discovered the 4CD set. You say the Gould is "idiosyncratic." Does that mean you approve or find it not so great? I already have the Pollini disc. However, I have collected no Gould at all. Dilemma.

+starthrower: I discovered that Capriccio set a couple of years back. Now that I'm shopping for Lieder, this looks phenomenally interesting! No Gould, but lots of Lieder! Dilemma.

They're both about the same price. I'm tending to think: when buying Schoenberg, buy Schoenberg; when buying Gould, buy Gould. Dilemma.

What do you guys think?


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

The 2012 Gould releases are a great deal. I have a few in my collection.


----------



## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Gould's recording of Hindemith's song cycle _Das Marienleben_ with soprano Roxolana Roslak is also highly recommended. Err well by me at least, sorry for the hijack.


----------



## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Oh, my! I just discovered that the Gould Gardens is sung by a soprano, while the Capriccio Gardens is sung by a baritone! Wow! This is really nice, too! Now, that makes them different kettles of fish.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Depends on whether you prefer it sung by a male or female? Capriccio CD has male vocal.

Here's the Susanne Lange version. This woman can sing!


----------



## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I like them both, the female and the male singers. It is a contrast to the music that makes for very interesting listening and means that neither recording is redundant, no matter which one one prefers.

While the 2 albums have some duplication with one another and with items in my collection, each has so much more than what I've already got. I am thinking that I might just get both, but, this time, I really need to think about it for a little while. The complete Schoenberg Lieder is highly desirable, as is finally having some Gould. I really need to stop this collecting bug :lol:


----------



## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

brotagonist said:


> When buying Schoenberg, buy Schoenberg; when buying Gould, buy Gould.


I am currently shopping for Lieder. I just bought the Capriccio set  I feel that it's continued existence is far more precarious than the continued availability of Glenn Gould's Schoenberg. I miss my old Dorothy Dorow LPs, too, which included much of this material. Now, I really do have enough Lieder for quite some time 

This makes my dilemma much simpler (and now I'm quasi hijacking my own thread): is the Glenn Gould Schoenberg set so phenomenal that I need another version of the Lieder and the Pollini piano works interpretations I already have? If I get some Gould, a composer I love would make the most sense. And it turns out that Schoenberg was Gould's favourite composer! I must say, his piano playing sounded mighty fine  but I don't relish hearing any burps and grunts.


----------



## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

quack said:


> Gould's recording of Hindemith's song cycle _Das Marienleben_ with soprano Roxolana Roslak is also highly recommended. Err well by me at least, sorry for the hijack.


That sounds gorgeous! I love Hindemith from that earlier expressionist phase.


----------



## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

brotagonist said:


> +Mahlerian: I just discovered the 4CD set. You say the Gould is "idiosyncratic." Does that mean you approve or find it not so great? I already have the Pollini disc. However, I have collected no Gould at all. Dilemma.


Oh no, I love it. His Suite op. 25 is fascinating. He brings out a four note motif that seems to unify the entire work in various forms. That said, he also takes the Intermezzo at half tempo (literally) and the Gigue at a breathless clip.

And I'm fond of his renditions of the lieder, where he shows the subtlety and beauty of Schoenberg's accompaniments.


----------



## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Mahlerian said:


> Oh no, I love it. His Suite op. 25 is fascinating. He brings out a four note motif that seems to unify the entire work in various forms. That said, he also takes the Intermezzo at half tempo (literally) and the Gigue at a breathless clip.
> 
> And I'm fond of his renditions of the lieder, where he shows the subtlety and beauty of Schoenberg's accompaniments.


I will almost certainly get that set, too. I think I'll sleep on it a bit, since the combined cost of the 2 sets is about $50  but I want to have some really nice Gould, too. I am not fearing that Gould will become unavailable anytime soon.


----------

