Re: GG: 12 Tone Fans

[Neil Tingley <neil@music.demon.co.uk>]

In message <CMM-RU.1.5.836807830.mwatts@niflheim.rutgers.edu>, Mary Jo
Watts <mwatts@rci.rutgers.edu> writes
>I wonder if I could take a little poll about how many list members are
>interested in atonal, or 12 tone music, and what draws you to it (if
>you are!)  Also, what is your reaction to GG's performances of
>Schoenberg, Berg, et al?

Berg I know so far: the piano sonata and Lulu suite and other orchestral
works.

Gould Berg sonata in it's several incarnations is one of his finest
achievments. I enjoy the TV recording a little more than the the CBS
disc. It's a little more spontaneous and flows slightly better (ie
better than anyone else). For an facsinating and very valid contrast try
and find Shura Cherkassky's version on Hermitage taken from a recital he
gave in the mid sixties.

Schoenberg is something I've come to via GG. Now I know most of the
important works and really enjoy the chamber symphonies (love is a
better description), Verklaerte Nacht, the 5 pieces for orchestra, piano
concerto (who else could have guided me through this difficult music)
!). ~And the list goes on. GG's recording of the Op 1 lieder with Gramm
is one of my favourite chamber recordings, in that the music is
magnificent and GG is so passionate an accompanist, and not forgetting
Gramm's noble and exhaulted singing. I'm working on the Orchestral
variations, love the Serenade and looking forward to getting to grips
with the Operas, Scene from a film (...) and the Survivor from Warsaw.

What one needs to undertsand from Schoenberg is his passion is both
intellectual and emotional. If you read GG's essays he does make these
points very clearly. Fo the piano pieces he wrote some detailed notes
which are essential reading whilst undertanding the subleties of the
music. Once you can follow the intellectual path, the music flows like
Bach almost. 

I recommend the La Salle quartet's cycle of the Quartet's replete with
extremely detailed booklet (90 pages). These works in a sense map out S.
transition from the neo-romatic, to innovative impressionist (another
important facet of Schoenberg's art) to a stren serialist and then back
to a more refined and sharper passion. 

Infact here we go again, but do read GG essays on Schoenberg. They make
out a very strong case for him indeed, and put his music in a very clear
perspective and context.

A final GG plug is the recording of the Phantasy for violin with piano
which he did with Menuhin. He described Menuhin's performance and
intellectual grasp as miraculous, and so it is. I'd never have thought
that I would find a depth and emotion in such bleak and sparse music,
but it's there and deeply involving.


>If you do have an interest in atonal music-- what brought you to it--
>music training? a certain piece caught your attention?
>
None

GG

Hrm ? Berg sonata maybe. 

Neil
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Neil Tingley                   Furtwaengler FAQ from r.m.c.r contributers at:
neil@music.demon.co.uk         http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/music/ & links to
London, UK                     G.H Gould and others "more about me" menu.
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