Arnold Schönberg - Suite op. 29 (1925-26) for septet

*Editing mistake at 2:10 sorry!*

Suite op. 29 (1925-26) for septet
Composer: Arnold Schönberg (1874 - 1951)
Performers: Ensemble intercontemporain, dir. Pierre Boulez

0:00 I. Ouverture. Allegretto
8:31 II. Tanzschritte. Moderato
15:54 III. Thema mit Variationen
21:56 IV. Gigue
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[simon-holt]

Miraculous piece, bursting with joyous invention. Waltzes are never far from the overall melée. But what fantastic notes. Everything makes total sense and yet there's a wildness about it too. Unleashed, incredibly characterful and makes me smile. Here's somebody who was very, very serious having a great time!

[gerardbegni]

This suite belongs to Schoenberg's first writings in dodecaphonic language, and it is generally commented (and sometimes criticized) only from that point of view. This is interesting and important of course, but after all it is music, and all the aspects of musical language shound be conisdered. For intsnace, it is quite intersting to note that, just as in Pierrot Lunaire, we have a symerty of winfdds ans strings around the piano, but while in Pierrot trhe set of instruments was ratehr limited in range ( especially winds: flute & clarinet, in spite of the frequent substitution with bass clarinet, here we have two "reasonably" instruments set; the traditional string trio on one hand, three clarinets (with two ratjer high instruments) and the musical management of this symmetrical disposition is also q a quite intersting observation study. The way how Schoenberg used the seruies with a tonal theme has sometimes benn condemned as a "failure", but even studying why, and how Schoenberg managed further on to find more coherent serial handling (inclusing in variations: serialism semms particularly suited to variations). All in all, we g have here a sonority quite typical of the exprssionist period od Schoenberg, with the use of a piano and two sets of instruments in the very spirit of chamber music. This suite a has a precise room in dodecaphnic devvelopment, buta before that, it is a music score, and an excellent and successful one.

[CanzonaChamberPlayers]

One of the great masterpieces of the 20th Century

[yagiz]

One of my all time favorites from Schoenberg, everything by it is just fascinating.

[blackbrownbeige]

Fascinating. I love this so much. An aural and visual soundscape perfect as "soundtrack" for German Expressionist Silent Film with abstract themes.

[oceanmachine]

Absolutely incredible work from Schoenberg

[joshuasussman]

It's a shame. I love Schoenberg, but so much of his chamber music is clarinet, then a bit more clarinet and in case you hadn't had enough clarinet, I will give you some clarinet. Just in this piece alone there clarinets. There are two in the Serenade, he includes (obviously) in the Wind Quintet and then in Pierrot. I sometimes listen to Ein Schteldichein just to hear the oboe.

[doug]

I think it would sound better without the clarinets. Just take out the clarinet parts and it would be perfect.