Webern: Variations for Orchestra, Op. 30

Robert Craft’s abiding love and understanding of Anton Webern’s music have made him an internationally renowned champion of this elusive composer’s oeuvre.

Whether transforming the ‘Ricercata’ from J.S. Bach’s A Musical Offering into a kaleidoscope of orchestral sounds, creating vivid new colours through ever-changing vocal and instrumental groupings, revelling in multi-layered polyphony or cultivating the purest simplicity, Webern reveals new musical worlds which remain as fresh and fascinating today as when they were written.

“[Robert Craft’s] new home, Naxos, adds the lure of bargain prices to recordings that would be important no matter the cost…they provide rich overviews of the evolving styles of Webern and Schoenberg. Many of the performances are by the Twentieth Century Classics Ensemble, a group of veteran New York new-music players who could just as well call themselves the Robert Craft All-Stars…their interpretations reflect Mr. Craft's half century of experience with this repertory.” The New York Times

This set shows the so-called bogey-men of the Second Viennese School, from their hyper Romantic height, through Expressionism and onto the more entertaining aspects of Serialism, as entertainers of a great order. The Nineteenth-Century heritage of Schubert, Brahms and Wagner are never far from Schoenberg, Berg and Webern in these 8 CDs, which concentrate on the earlier, more approachable (and often finest) products of three distinct composers, rather than any school. The performers reflect the composers' Romantic leanings here; Sinopoli bringing in artists at the height of their early careers: Deborah Voigt, Alessandra Marc and Juliane Banse.

The ever-approachable Berg is seen at his kindest and Webern, a figure who looked as far back as he did forward is as finely tuned in Im Sommerwind as in the Op.21 Symphony – a simply and fascinating journey. Schoenberg is in full splendour, too. Sounding more like Mahler's heir than a prophet of total change.

“In his highly compelling live recording, Sinopoli conducts a most sensuous reading of Gurrelieder, bringing out all it’s romantic voluptuousness… anyone who has ever thought of Schoenberg as cold should certainly hear this, magnetic from first to last…" Penguin Guide ***

“It would be hard to imagine more romantic readings of Berg’s principal orchestral works than those under Giuseppe Sinopoli. The atonal arguments of Berg have never been presented more sinuously, cocooning the ear, helped by sumptuous playing and recording” Penguin Guide ***