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Schoenberg: Gurrelieder

Siegfried Jerusalem (Waldemar), Sharon Sweet (Tove), Marjana Lipovšek (Wood Dove), Hartmut Welker (Peasant), Philip Langridge (Klaus the Jester) & Barbara Sukowa (Speaker)

Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado

… Abbado's interpretation, is the most Expressionistically detailed of all. The textures shimmer and then glint to reveal Schoenberg's' own sea-change in orchestral writing over a decade … Abbado... — Peter Quantrill, Gramophone Magazine More…

Release Date: 1st Jul 2013
Catalogue No: ELQ4807055
Label: Eloquence
Length: 1 hour 46 minutes

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Schoenberg: Gurrelieder: Part 1

Work length59:44

$13.20

$18.00

Siegfried Jerusalem (tenor), Sharon Sweet (soprano), Marjana Lipovsek (contralto)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Claudio Abbado
Recorded: 1992-05
Recording Venue: Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Wien

1. Orchestral Prelude

Track length6:50

$1.10

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2. Waldemar: Nun dämpft die Dämmerung

Track length4:00

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3. Tove: O, wenn des Mondes Strahlen

Track length2:44

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4. Waldemar: Ross! Mein Ross!

Track length3:34

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5. Tove: Sterne jubeln

Track length2:22

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6. Waldemar: So tanzen die Engel

Track length2:24

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7. Tove: Nun sag ich dir zum ersten Mal

Track length4:07

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8. Waldemar: Es ist Mitternachtszeit

Track length6:09

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9. Tove: Du sendest mir einen Liebesblick

Track length5:30

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10. Waldemar: Du wunderliche Tove!

Track length4:21

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10a. Orchestral Interlude

Track length5:49

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11. Voice of the Wood-dove: Doves of Gurre

Track length11:54

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Schoenberg: Gurre-Lieder / Part 2

Work length4:55

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Siegfried Jerusalem (tenor)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Claudio Abbado
Recorded: 1992-05
Recording Venue: Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Wien

12. Waldemar: Herrgott, weisst du, was du tatest

Track length4:55

$1.10

$1.50

Schoenberg: Gurre-Lieder / Part 3:

Work length41:54

$11.00

$15.00

Philip Langridge (tenor), Barbara Sukowa (speaker), Siegfried Jerusalem (tenor), Erwin Ortner (chorus master), Jan Rozehnal (chorus master), Hartmut Welker (baritone), Dietrich Gerpheide (chorus master)
Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Wiener Philharmoniker, Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Wiener Staatsoper
Claudio Abbado
Recorded: 1992-05
Recording Venue: Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Wien

13. Waldemar: Erwacht, König Waldemars Mannen wert!

Track length2:52

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14. Peasant: Deckel des Sarges Klappert

Track length3:06

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15. Waldemar's Men: Gegrüsst, o König

Track length5:47

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16. Waldemar: Mit Toves Stimme flüstert der Wald

Track length3:14

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17. Klaus the Jester: Ein seltsamer Vogel

Track length6:44

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18. Waldemar: Du strenger Richter

Track length2:24

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19. Waldemar's Men: Der Hahn erhebt den Kopf

Track length4:13

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20. Orchestral Prelude

Track length3:50

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21. Speaker: Herr Gänsefuss, Frau Gänsekraut

Track length5:13

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22. Mixed Chorus: Seht die Sonne

Track length4:31

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Favourites, Arnold Schoenberg

James selects some great recordings of music by the father of twelve-tone composition.

2013 marks the centenary of the first performance of Schoenberg’s – if not the early 20th century’s – essay in gargantuism. The forces involved were unprecedented: in addition to the soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, two tenors, bass and speaker) there were three male-voice choirs and an eight-part mixed choir; and the 150-piece orchestra included 25 woodwind, 11 percussion, 4 harps and 80 strings. In 1903 he had even been compelled to ask the Waldheim–Eberle Press to prepare him some special 48-stave manuscript paper. The reception at the first performance was overwhelming: the ovation lasted fifteen minutes; the composer’s denigrators were silenced, and many members of the audience wept. The title means 'Songs of Gurre', referring to Gurre Castle in Denmark, scene of the medieval love-tragedy revolving around the Danish national legend of the love of the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag (spelt Waldemar by Schoenberg) for his mistress Tove, and her subsequent murder by Valdemar's jealous Queen Helvig.

Its performances and recordings have attracted some of the world’s finest dramatic sopranos – among them Susan Dunn and Jessye Norman, and here, Sharon Sweet. In a survey of this work, Gramophone magazine selected this, Claudio Abbado’s recording as the finest ever made. It was, then, only available for digital download, and is now, after an absence of several years, returns to the CD catalogue in a year which also celebrates Abbado’s 80th birthday.

Reviews

… Abbado's interpretation, is the most Expressionistically detailed of all. The textures shimmer and then glint to reveal Schoenberg's' own sea-change in orchestral writing over a decade … Abbado and the Viennese live dangerously – and when day breaks and that prickly cactus Schoenberg finally blooms, they are unrivalled in splendour.

6th September 2013

Everything about this recording impresses. Siegfried Jerusalem is on top form as Waldemar. He seems able to encompass all aspects of the role...This is a tremendous account of Gurrelieder, which I’m sure is one of the foremost versions in the catalogue

August 2014

Somewhat unusually, Abbado chooses a female speaker (Barbara Sukowa) for the one song that employs the half-sung, half-spoken technique known as Sprechstimme, but for me this makes perfect sense as it looks forward to the use of the same technique in the later work for female voice and small ensemble, Pierrot Lunaire. The enormous forces of the Vienna Philharmonic, and the combined choral might of the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Arnold Schoenberg Chor, and Slowakischer Philharmonischer Chor Bratislava also help to make this a truly thrilling recording.

Schoenberg: Gurrelieder

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Favourites, Arnold Schoenberg

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