# Alban Berg 1885-1935 - Viennese



## jdavid

One of the most intuitive of the 2nd Viennese School, Alban Berg's music is atonal, and serial, but also contains a rhapsodic quality which ties him to the late romantics. It is a music completely relevant to the first third of the 20th century - there is longing, and anxiety. His Three Pieces for Orchestra are masterpieces along with this concerto.


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## jdavid

One of the most intuitive of the 2nd Viennese School, Alban Berg's music is atonal, and serial, but also contains a rhapsodic quality which ties him to the late romantics. It is a music completely relevant to the first third of the 20th century - there is longing, and anxiety. His Three Pieces for Orchestra, String Quartet 'Lyric Suite', are masterpieces along with this concerto.






Artist: Hillary Hahn (live)


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## starthrower

I have the EMI Gemini set which includes the pieces mentioned above, in addition to the Lulu Suite, and the piano sonata. I enjoy Berg's music!


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## Manxfeeder

I don't know what it is about his music, but of that trimverate, Berg doesn't really click with me. I have several CDs and even bought Douglas Jarman's The Music of Alban Berg, but it gets into such minutiae, I think it made my problem worse.

Having said that, I don't like much opera, but for some reason, I do like Wozzeck (but as they say, I wouldn't want my sister to marry him).


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## myaskovsky2002

*I agree plenty*



jdavid said:


> One of the most intuitive of the 2nd Viennese School, Alban Berg's music is atonal, and serial, but also contains a rhapsodic quality which ties him to the late romantics. It is a music completely relevant to the first third of the 20th century - there is longing, and anxiety. His Three Pieces for Orchestra are masterpieces along with this concerto.


I love this composer. The violin concerto is incredible. I have 4 versions.

My Berg collection is quite complete...

BERG ALBAN DER WEIN (LE VIN) BOSTON - ERICH LEINSDORF, DIR - PHYLLIS CURTIN, SOPRANO AUVOC RUBAN 7.5 BOBINE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN WOZZECK DOCUMENTAIRE SUR L'OPRA FILM CASSETTE VIDEO VHS MAISON 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN 1 JUGENLIEDER (SELECTION) JESSYE NORMAN, ANN SCHEIN, PIANO - PIERRE BOULEZ LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN 10 lieder Mitsuko Shirai, mezzo-soprano - Hartmut Holl LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN 4 CHANSONS OP.2 CATHERINE ROWE, SOPRANO - BENJAMIN TUPAS, PIANO LIEDE DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN 4 CHANSONS OP.2 ELISABETH SPEISER, SOPRANO - IRVING GAGE, PIANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN 5 LIEDER (PETER ALTENBERG) OP.4 JESSYE NORMAN, ANN SCHEIN, PIANO - PIERRE BOULEZ LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN 7 EARLY SONGS GENNADI ROZHDESTVENSKY, CONDUCTOR - SABINE HASS, SOPRANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 07/10/2006 
BERG ALBAN 7 FRUHE LIEDER JESSYE NORMAN, ANN SCHEIN, PIANO - PIERRE BOULEZ LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN ALTENBERG LIEDER OP.4 BERTHANY BEARDSLEE, SOPRANO - ORCH. SYMPH. COLUMBIA DIR.: R OBERT CRAFT LIEDE DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN ALTENBERG LIEDER OP.4 MARGARET PRICE, SOPRANO LONDON SYMP. ORCH. (CLAUDIO ABBADO) LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN ALTENBERG LIEDER OP. 4 SWF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (MICHAEL GIELEN, CONDUCTOR) VLATKA OR SANIC,SOPRANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 03/03/2001 
BERG ALBAN AN LEUKON (1908) GENNADI ROZHDESTVENSKY, CONDUCTOR - SABINE HASS, SOPRANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 07/10/2006 
BERG ALBAN DER WEIN GENNADI ROZHDESTVENSKY, CONDUCTOR - SABINE HASS, SOPRANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 07/10/2006 
BERG ALBAN Jugendlieder (9) Mitsuko Shirai, mezzo-soprano - Hartmut Holl LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN JUGENLIEDER (SELECTION) JESSYE NORMAN, ANN SCHEIN, PIANO - PIERRE BOULEZ LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN SCHLIESSE MIR DIE AUGEN BEIDE (1ST SETTING) GENNADI ROZHDESTVENSKY, CONDUCTOR - SABINE HASS, SOPRANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 07/10/2006 
BERG ALBAN SCHLIESSE MIR DIE AUGEN BEIDE (2ND SETTING) GENNADI ROZHDESTVENSKY, CONDUCTOR - SABINE HASS, SOPRANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 07/10/2006 
BERG ALBAN SCHLIESSE MIR DIE AUGEN BEIDE (THEODOR STORM) ELISABETH SPEISER, SOPRANO; IRWING GAGE, PIANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SEPT CHANSONS ANCIENNES CATHERINE ROWE, SOPRANO - BENJAMIN TUPAS, PIANO LIEDE DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SIEBEN FRUHE LIEDER (1905-1908) ELISABETH SPEISER, SOPRANO; IRWING GAGE, PIANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SIEBEN FRUHE LIEDER (1905-1908) ZOE HWANG, SOPRANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SIEBEN FRUHE LIEDER (1905-1908) Mitsuko Shirai, mezzo - Hartmut Holl, piano LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN THREE PIECES FRON THE LYRIC SUITE SWF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (MICHAEL GIELEN, CONDUCTOR) VLATKA OR SANIC,SOPRANO LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 03/03/2001 
BERG ALBAN VIER LIEDER OP.2 - LIEDE RUBAN 7.5 BOBINE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN VIER LIEDER OP.2 (1910) Mitsuko Shirai, mezzo-soprano - Hartmut Holl LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN ZWEI LIEDER (SELECTION) JESSYE NORMAN, ANN SCHEIN, PIANO - PIERRE BOULEZ LIEDE DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN LULU ILONA STEINGRUBER, OTTO WIENER - ORCH. DE L'OPRA DE VIENNE- DIR.:HERBERT HAFNER OPERA DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN LULU EVELYN LEAR, FISCHER-DIESKAU, JOHNSON - KARL BOHM OPERA DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN LULU ANJA SILJA OPERA CASSETTE AUDIO-ENR EGIST.MAISON 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN LULU (TROISIEME ACTE COMPLETE PAR FRIEDRICH CERHA) TERESA STRATAS #NAME? OPERA DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN LULU CHRISTINE SCHAFER, KATHRYN HARRIES, WOLFGANG SCHONE (FESTIVA L OPERA GLYNDEBOURNE-ANDREW DAVIS) OPERA DVD 20/02/2004 
BERG ALBAN LULU ZURICH OPERA HOUSE (COND. FRANZ WELZER-MOST) LAURA AIKIN, KA LLISCH, KELLER,MUFF,STRAKA OPERA DVD 12/05/2004 
BERG ALBAN LULU ANAT EFFRATY, DORIS SOFFREL, MONICA MINARELLI, ADALBERT WALL ER, CLAUDE PIA TEATRO MASSIMO(RECK) OPERA DISQUE COMPACT 03/08/2005 
BERG ALBAN LULU- ILONA STEINGRUBER,HEINZ REHFUSS, KURT RUESCHE (ORCH. DE LA R AI (BRUNO MADERNA, COND) OPERA DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN LULU-SUITE ANJA SILJA STUTTGART 1968 OPERA DVD 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN WOZZECK MACK HARREL, EILEEN FARREL, JOSEF MORDINO - DIR. DIMITRI MIT ROPOULOS OPERA DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN WOZZECK EVELYN LEAR, FISCHER-DIESKAU - KARL BOHM OPERA DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN WOZZECK MACK HARREL, EILEEN FARREL, JOSEF MORDINO - DIR. DIMITRI MIT ROPOULOS OPERA DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN WOZZECK ORCH STOCKOLM ( LEIF SEGERSTAM, COND) OPERA DISQUE COMPACT 05/03/2004 
BERG ALBAN WOZZECK ANJA SILJA, FRITZ UHL, VIENNA PHIL, KARL BOHM OPERA DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN WOZZECK FRANKFURTER OPERA DVD 18/11/2007 
BERG ALBAN WOZZECK TEATRE DEL LICEU - CALIXTO BEITO (SEBASTIAN WEIGLE) OPERA DVD 16/01/2011 
BERG ALBAN 3 FRAGMENTS OF WOZZECK GOTHENBURG SYMPH (MARIO VENZAGO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN 3 PIECES OP.6 GOTHENBURG SYMPH (MARIO VENZAGO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN 3 PIECES POUR ORCHESTRE OP.6 ORCH. DE COLUMBIA - DIR.: ROBERT CRAFT SYMPH DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN 3 PIECES POUR ORCHESTRE OP.6 PHIL. DE BERLIN (DIR. HERBERT VON KARAJAN) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN 3 PIECES POUR ORCHESTRE OP.6 LONDONS SYMPHONY ORCH. (CLAUDIO ABBADO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN ADAGIO FOR VIOLIN, CLARINET AND PIANO (MOUV. ii FROM CHAMBER CONC ERTO ) HOUSTON SYMPHONY CHAMBER PLAYERS (cHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH, COND UCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 01/03/2003 
BERG ALBAN AUS 14 VARIATIONEN UBER EIN EIGNES THEMA F-MOLL: VARIATIONEN UBER EIN EIGEN ES THEMA C-DUR JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN CANON (TRANSCRIPTION BY SCHNITTKE) GIDON KREMER, YURI BASHMET, MSTISLAV ROSTROVITCH SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 03/01/2002 
BERG ALBAN CONCERTO DE CHAMBRE IVRY GITLIS, VIOLON SYMPH DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN CONCERTO DE CHAMBRE POUR VIOLON, PIANO ET 13 INSTRUMENTS A VENT ENSEMBLE INTERCONTEMPORAIN (DIR. PIERRE BOULEZ) DANIEL BAREN BOIM, PIANO PINCHAS ZUKERMAN,VIOLON SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN CONCERTO DE CHAMBRE POUR VIOLON, PIANO ET INSTRUMENTS A VENT C. FERRAS, VIOLON; BARBIZET, PIANO; CONSERVATOIRE DE PARIS - DIR. GEORGES PRETRE SYMPH DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN CONCERTO POUR VIOLON GOTHENBURG SYMPH (MARIO VENZAGO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN CONCERTO POUR VIOLON ET ORCHESTRE ORCH PRO MUSICA DE VIENNE - DIR.: WILLIAM STRIKLAND - IVRY G ITLIS, VIOLON SYMPH DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN CONCERTO POUR VIOLON ET ORCHESTRE ORCH. SYMPH. BAYREUTH DIR. RAFAEL KUBELIK, VIOLON: HENRYK SZ ERYNG SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN CONCERTO POUR VIOLON ET ORCHESTRE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - DIR. SEIJI OZAWA - VIOLON: ITZHA K PERLMAN SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN CONCERTO POUR VIOLON ET ORCHESTRE (1936) HENRYK SZERYNG, VIOLIN - ORCH. BAYREISCHEN RUNDFUNKS (COND. RAFAEL KUBELIK) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN DER WEIN JESSYE NORMAN, SOPRANO; PHIL. NEW YORK DIR. PIERRE BOULEZ SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN DER WEIN IN FRENCH GOTHENBURG SYMPH (MARIO VENZAGO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN DER WEIN IN GERMAN GOTHENBURG SYMPH (MARIO VENZAGO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN DER WEIN IN GERMAN WEIN, WEIB UND GESANG (TRANSCR. BERG 1921) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN DIE GEHEIME GESANGSTIMME PETERSEN QUARTET - CHRISTINE SCHAFER SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 04/02/2009 
BERG ALBAN FOUR PIECES FOR CLARINET AND PIANO, OP. 5 HOUSTON SYMPHONY CHAMBER PLAYERS (cHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH, COND UCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 01/03/2003 
BERG ALBAN FRUHE KLAVIERMUSIK (1907-9) JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN IMPROMPTU C-MOLL JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN KLAVIERSTUCK C MOLL JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN KLAVIERSTUCK F DUR JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN KLAVIERSTUCK F MOLL JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN KLAVIERSTUCK H-MOLL JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN LULU SUITE MARGARET PRICE, SOPRANO LONDON SYMP. ORCH. (CLAUDIO ABBADO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN LULU-SUITE JUDITH BLEGEN, SOPRANO; PHIL. NEW YORK DIR. PIERRE BOULEZ SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN MENUET C-MOLL JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN MENUET F-DUR JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN PASSACAGLIA GOTHENBURG SYMPH (MARIO VENZAGO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN PIANO SONATA OP. 1 (ORCH. VERSION) GOTHENBURG SYMPH (MARIO VENZAGO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN QUATOR POUR CORDES OP.3 SCHONBERG QUARTETT SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SCHERZO C-MOLL JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SONATE ES-DUR (extrait) JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SONATE G-MOLL (extrait) JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SONATE POUR PIANO OP. 1 SHURA CHEKASKY, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SONATE POUR PIANO OP. 1 HOROWITZ SYMPH CASSETTE VIDEO VHS MAISON 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SONATE POUR PIANO OP.1 JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SUITE LYRIQUE SCHONBERG QUARTETT SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SUITE LYRIQUE ADAPTATION POUR ORCHESTRE DE CHORDES, PHIL. NEW YORK DIR. PI ERRE BOULEZ SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN SYMPHONIC PIECES FROM LULU GOTHENBURG SYMPH (MARIO VENZAGO) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/10/2009 
BERG ALBAN THEMA F-DUR JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN TROIS MOUVEMENTS DE LA SUITE LYRIQUE ORCH. DE CHAMBRE DE ZURICH - DIR.: EDMOND DE STOUTZ SYMPH DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN TROIS MOUVEMENTS DE LA SUITE LYRIQUE PHIL. BERLIN (DIR. HERBERT VON KARAJAN) SYMPH DISQUE VINYLITE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN VIER STUCKE FUR KLARINETTE UND KLAVIER OP.5 - SYMPH RUBAN 7.5 BOBINE 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN WALTZER G DUR JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
BERG ALBAN ZWEI VARIATIONEN UBER EIN EIGENES JEAN-JACQUES DUNKI, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT

:tiphat:

Martin


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## Manxfeeder

myaskovsky2002 said:


> I love this composer. The violin concerto is incredible. I have 4 versions.
> 
> My Berg collection is quite complete...


Wow, I'd say so!


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## myaskovsky2002

Manxfeeder said:


> Wow, I'd say so!


LOL...

Martin


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## jdavid

Your wonderful collection has been copied to a separate file. What Leider performances do you prize most highly?


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## jdavid

Maybe you or someone can help me - I'm a newbie, and somehow I published two identical Alban Berg threads within minutes of each other - both have been replied to and I'm not sure what, if anything, should be done.


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## Guest

Berg's music is excellent. I can recommend the book "Alban Berg and his World" ed. Christopher Hailey. It is an anthology of essays about this composer, with biographical information but also quite complex analyses of his works. An excellent starting point. Berg was the ultimate aesthete, moulded in the Wildean style. The picture of him on the front cover will explain just what I mean.


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## superhorn

A great composer, and the most accessible of the second Viennese school and atonal composers in general.
I also recommend the excellent 8 CD set on DG of Berg's music ,including the Boulez Lulu, the Abbado, Wozzeck, and performances of the other works with Abbado and the Vienna Phil, Mutter and levine/CSO for the violin concerto, and the vocal works by such eminent singers as Fischer-Dieskau, Von Otter and others. 
I recently took this out from my local library and have been enjoying it greatly.


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## myaskovsky2002

superhorn said:


> A great composer, and the most accessible of the second Viennese school and atonal composers in general.
> I also recommend the excellent 8 CD set on DG of Berg's music ,including the Boulez Lulu, the Abbado, Wozzeck, and performances of the other works with Abbado and the Vienna Phil, Mutter and levine/CSO for the violin concerto, and the vocal works by such eminent singers as Fischer-Dieskau, Von Otter and others.
> I recently took this out from my local library and have been enjoying it greatly.


IMHO would be a BIG mistake. Boulez is not very good. His Lulu is awful...Teresa Stratas is better for Traviata. A waste of money. I'M sorry.

Mitsuko Shirai, Jessye Norman are IMHO the very best.



CountenanceAnglaise said:


> Berg's music is excellent. I can recommend the book "Alban Berg and his World" ed. Christopher Hailey. It is an anthology of essays about this composer, with biographical information but also quite complex analyses of his works. An excellent starting point. Berg was the ultimate aesthete, moulded in the Wildean style. The picture of him on the front cover will explain just what I mean.


Speaking about books...Adorno learned music with him...

Master of the smallest link:










I don't understand why there are two sites for Berg with almost the same name...Is it on purpose?

Martin


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## Guest

I'm not sure what you mean myaskovsky2002. Do you mean threads on this forum about Berg? I find this whole forum difficult to navigate - too many topics and separate sections, so that may be the reason. Yes, I knew about the Adorno connection. I tried reading Adorno's works at University (theories etc.) and found these extremely difficult - especially in relation to film theory. But I think that the music of the 2nd Viennese school is far more "intravenous", if I may put it like that.


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## Sid James

I made a thread on Berg over two years ago, it's HERE.

My favourite works by him are his _Piano Sonata_, _String Quartet Op. 3_ and _Wozzeck_. I can follow the themes in those pretty clearly, they always reward repeated listening. _Wozzeck_ was the first "atonal" piece I heard, and I was grabbed by it's drama and how he illustrated it so powerfully with the music. I also like his _Violin Concerto_ & _Chamber Concerto_, the latter was harder to grasp for me, still is in some ways, but I enjoy it because it kind of has an element of humour and whimsy under the surface if played that way. I'm quite baffled by his _Lyric Suite for String Quartet_, even after 15 years, but I do enjoy the ride, that's the main thing for me, I still listen to it often.

The only other major works of his that I don't know that well, don't own on disc, are _Lulu_, his songs, and the _Five Pieces for Orch_. I've gone out of an "atonal" phase that lasted like for the last couple of years, I now listen to less of this type of music, but do hope to get to these when I'm in the mood to go down that path again. All in all, Berg has been a composer that I could rely on to deliver and really engage me to a high level in many ways.

I would recommend to people to hear his music live if you get the chance, because it's in that "real" way that you can hear those colours and textures to the max which are so special, beautiful & unique...


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## Guest

OK Sid, thanks very much. I've only been a contributor to these boards for a short time. I had a look at the thread and it seems interesting. I agree about what you say about Berg. You cannot sustain this kind of listening indefinitely, but serious music-lovers must go there because (if for no other reason) of the influence he had one what came later. I love his Orchestral Pieces too. I heard them played by the Berliner Philharmoniker/Rattle, in Sydney as it happens! Wonderful musicianship it was, too.


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## Manxfeeder

CountenanceAnglaise said:


> But I think that the music of the 2nd Viennese school is far more "intravenous", if I may put it like that.


That's an interesting way to put it. In contrast to the French composers at the time, who were concerned with the fleeting moment, this group was concerned with the psychological moment, and in that sense, it is more like an injection.


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## Guest

You've understood what I meant exactly. Thanks so much. (It's great to have intelligent posters!!) Also, the "intravenous" response is an immediate RUSH - without the complicated cognitive process, necessarily. That can come afterwards, and it most certainly does! But, I also meant it is IMMEDIATE and goes straight to the heart, psyche and emotion! Whereas with art and literature there is a gestation period (not always, however!!) - we have to 'think it through' - but with particular music the response is INSTANT. Of all art forms somehow music has that 'intravenous' affect, for me at least. I can read literature and get "the rush" with a few words or phrases - yes definitely - but with music I find this occurs much more spontaneously. I think of great lines in literature, such as "Perdition catch my soul but I do love thee: and when I love thee not chaos is come again" (Othello). That's intravenous!! Ever considered how close to music is the written word, particularly in relation to GREAT literature? Wow, what a great thread that would make!!


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## jdavid

The Op. 6 is _Three_ Three Pieces for Orchestra, Schoenberg wrote 5 and Webern wrote 6. James Levine's recording of these three works with Vienna is my only copy, but I love it.


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## jdavid

Am going to visit your Berg thread that you made some two years ago. Actually, I've not listened to the 2nd Viennese Masters for a number of years, and so today, a rainy, cold and grey day is perfect - I've stayed home and have listened so far to: 3 Pieces for Orchestra, 3 Orchestrations from the 'Lyric Suite' by Vienna Phil., the Violin Concerto (Anne-Sofie Mutter and Chicago), The Chamber Concerto for Piano and Violin with 13 Winds, Sonata for Piano Op. 1 (Barenboim), 4 Pieces for Clarinet and Piano Op. 5, the Adagio from the Chamber Concerto transcribed for Violin, Clarinet and Piano, Berg's transcription of J.Strauss's 'Wine, Women, Song' (very strange), the 'Lyric Suite' String quartet, and right now the Op. 3 String Quartet - so, the first 2 and 1/2 discs from the Berg Collection by DG records... and I am enjoying Berg with new ears (but the weather helps).



Sid James said:


> I made a thread on Berg over two years ago, it's HERE.
> 
> My favourite works by him are his _Piano Sonata_, _String Quartet Op. 3_ and _Wozzeck_. I can follow the themes in those pretty clearly, they always reward repeated listening. _Wozzeck_ was the first "atonal" piece I heard, and I was grabbed by it's drama and how he illustrated it so powerfully with the music. I also like his _Violin Concerto_ & _Chamber Concerto_, the latter was harder to grasp for me, still is in some ways, but I enjoy it because it kind of has an element of humour and whimsy under the surface if played that way. I'm quite baffled by his _Lyric Suite for String Quartet_, even after 15 years, but I do enjoy the ride, that's the main thing for me, I still listen to it often.
> 
> The only other major works of his that I don't know that well, don't own on disc, are _Lulu_, his songs, and the _Five Pieces for Orch_. I've gone out of an "atonal" phase that lasted like for the last couple of years, I now listen to less of this type of music, but do hope to get to these when I'm in the mood to go down that path again. All in all, Berg has been a composer that I could rely on to deliver and really engage me to a high level in many ways.
> 
> I would recommend to people to hear his music live if you get the chance, because it's in that "real" way that you can hear those colours and textures to the max which are so special, beautiful & unique...


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