Pierre Boulez - Schönberg: Das Chorwerk

Title: Schönberg: Das Chorwerk Artist: Pierre Boulez Release Date: 1990 Label: Sony Classical Essent Duration: 104:59 Album Type(s): musical score, composition (work) description, lyrics/libretto UPCs: 074644457124, 5099704457123 Genre: Choral Music Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 0 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 2

1. Peace on Earth (Friede auf Erden), for chorus & instruments ad lib, Op. 13
2. Kol Nidre, for narrator, chorus & orchestra, Op. 39
3. German Folksongs (3) for chorus, Op. 49
   - 1. Es gingen zwei Gespielen gut
4. German Folksongs (3) for chorus, Op. 49
   - 2. Der Mai tritt ein mit Freuden
5. German Folksongs (3) for chorus, Op. 49
   - 3. Mein Herz in steten Treuen
6. Wenn der schwer Gedrückte klagt, canon for 4 parts
7. O dass der Sinnen doch so viele sind, canon for 4 parts
8. Folksongs (3) for chorus
   - 1. Es gingen zwei Gespielen gut
9. Folksongs (3) for chorus
   - 2. Herzlieblich Lieb, durch Scheiden
10. Folksongs (3) for chorus
    - 3. Schein uns, du liebe Sonne

1. Pieces (4) for chorus & ensemble, Op. 27
   - 1. Unentrinnbar
2. Pieces (4) for chorus & ensemble, Op. 27
   - 2. Du sollst nicht, du mußt
3. Pieces (4) for chorus & ensemble, Op. 27
   - 3. Mond und Menschen
4. Pieces (4) for chorus & ensemble, Op. 27
   - 4. Der Wunsch des Liebhabers
5. Satires (3), for chorus and instruments, Op. 28
   - 1. Am Scheideweg
6. Satires (3), for chorus and instruments, Op. 28
   - 2. Vielseitigkeit
7. Satires (3), for chorus and instruments, Op. 28
   - 3. Der neue Klassizismus
8. Pieces (6) for male chorus, Op. 35
   - 1. Hemmung
9. Pieces (6) for male chorus, Op. 35
   - 2. Das Gesetz
10. Pieces (6) for male chorus, Op. 35
    - 3. Ausdrucksweise
11. Pieces (6) for male chorus, Op. 35
    - 4. Glück
12. Pieces (6) for male chorus, Op. 35
    - 5. Landsknechte
13. Pieces (6) for male chorus, Op. 35
    - 6. Verbundenheit
14. Dreimal tausend Jahre, for chorus, Op. 50a
15. De Profundis, for chorus, Op. 50b
16. Modern Psalm, for narrator, chorus & orchestra, Op. 50c
17. A Survivor from Warsaw, for narrator, male chorus & orchestra, Op. 46

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 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, All Music Guide

Name Credits Arnaldo Albergo Liner Note Translation B. Kruck Cover Design BBC Singers Choir, Chorus C.C. Garbers Cover Design Clytus Gottwald Liner Notes Conrad Ferdinand Meyer Text Eberhard Ross Artwork Francois Papet-Perin Text Translation Georges Kadar Producer Giannino Gagliardi Text Translation Jacques Fournier Liner Note Translation John Rushby-Smith Engineer, Balance Engineer Karin Baumeister Liner Note Translation Martin Thurn-Mithoff Liner Note Translation, Text Translation Pierre Boulez Conductor