Gould's Berg -Reply

[Johnathan Mansfield <jmansfield@cov.com>]

In response to the general discussion of Atonal/12 tone (not necessarily
the same thing, by the way.  Compare Berg's "Wozzeck" (atonal-for the
most part) with his later "Lulu" (12 tone, to be sure):

I listen to a fair amount of Second Viennese School composers, though I
find that the learning curve is quite steep.  Once you have gotten into a
piece like the Schoenberg Orchestral Variations (op. 31, if I remember), or
Webern's 5 pieces for String Quartet, they can be almost as listenable as
Strauss or Wagner. 

But the greatest of this group (and certainly the most "accessible") is
Alban Berg.  Try the Violin Concerto (both Stern and Perlman have great
recordings), either opera, or the string quartet pieces.  There is a lovely
recent recording of Norman doing a group of songs, including several
outside the accepted canon.

On the Berg issue, I completely concur with Michael Century's evaluation
of GG doing the Op. 1 sonata.  Gould's recording also inspired me to learn
the piece, though I can't even touch the combination of analysis and
intensity of GG.  I think that GG was very much in line with Berg as to this
synthesis of the Appolonian/Dionisian attitudes.  This piece repays
repeated listening.  

By the way, I also have the Barenboim and Pollini recordings of this piece.
 Can anyone else point me to other interpretations worth trying?

John Mansfield
jmansfield@cov.com