Wozzeck

1. Wozzeck, one-act opera in 18 scenes with epilogue, Op. 16
Composed by Manfred Gurlitt
with Christiane Berggold , Reinhart Ginzel , Jorg Gottschick , Roland Hermann , Celina Lindsley , Anton Scharinger
Conducted by Gerd Albrecht

Tracks:

Haunted Heart
River
When Did You Leave Heaven?
You've Changed
Answer Me
My Cherie Amour
In My Life
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Wozzeck/The Midnight Sun
Liebst du um Schit
My One And Only Love/This Is Always
Can do Amor
Psych
Hard Times Come Again No More

Amazon.com

While countless fans flock to see soprano Renee Fleming's performances of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro because she's got the voice and the dramatic ability to handle such meaty roles, the versatile singer throws her fans a curveball on Haunted Heart, singing popular standards and ballads as well as a few altered classical pieces. In her liner notes, Fleming calls this album a "look back at the road not taken" -- she played a weekly gig in a jazz club while in school. Nonetheless, her feel for the material here is undeniable. Interestingly, she drops her voice a full octave from her usual tessitura, and the change reveals a robust gospel-oriented approach filled with dramatic breaths and moans. The lyrical Fred Hersch (piano) and the idiosyncratic Bill Frisell (guitar) provide support, and both are adventurous jazz players who create subtle and uniquely haunting backdrops. It adds up to an interesting cross-section of ideas well carried off by the generous talents of all involved. --Tad Hendrickson

Interview with Renee Fleming
Renee Fleming speaks about recent projects, including her memoir The Inner Voice and her recent Handel CD, in our interview.

Customer Reviews:

Sublime and ridiculous.......2007-06-13

The sublime: much of the artistry of this recording is about sound, and the subtle blending/responding of voice with guitar sounds and / or piano sounds. It is in the sensitive musical interplay between the artists where this effort shines. Definitely not recommended for road trips!

The ridiculous: Fleming ended the majority of most phrases in most of the songs with a guttural of some sort which for me becomes irritating to the point of distraction. These punctuations are mostly quite awful: really tasteless, clumsy, and overused big time and I'm amazed at how this ever got released. Without these ersatz testifyin' noises this CD would be stunning.

So, if you have the ability and inclination to edit out this garbage from your perception as you listen I think you'll be glad you experienced these artists at work together. (Unfortunately I'm not up to it).

Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwww.......2007-06-06

Ugh. Like a manufactured home vs. a stick-built house, Fleming's manufactured (aka "training and technique") blues voice compares unfavorably to other jazz/blues singers/lounge acts. Would not, COULD not, listen to this recording straight through--one big long, breathy, minor key train wreck in the making. Took the CD on a road trip and had to pull over and remove from queue--either that or drive into a wall.

Better than I thought it would be.......2007-04-10

I have to admit, Haunted Heart was a lot better than I thought it would be,especially her recordings of "River", "The Moon's a Harsh Mistress, "My Cherie Amour" and "In my life".
I think this is the most artistically successful recording of Pop/Jazz by a classical singer. I enjoyed it even better than the Anna Sophie Von Otter'/ Elvis Costello CD.
The perspective I am coming from is that of a classical singer who started out as a pop singer/songwriter. I perform and teach cross-genre but love a world class instrument such as Flemming's
I wanted to get the perspective of a friend who used to sing jingles and is also a trained singer but is usually critical of any attempts that opera singers make at crossing -over.
My friend is very familiar with Flemming's voice, but did not recognise it in this context when I played the CD for her. Her reaction was very complimentary, although she did comment that the diction was a bit strange.
She then played it for her brother a well known jazz singer and arranger who had a somewhat negative reaction.He found the singing to be overly dark and round. He prefers a cleaner more 'spoken' approach to this style of singing. I understand this perspective and therefore personally prefer Ella to Sarah as well, but let's not get too picky. Obviously, Rene Flemming is of the Sarah Vaghan School of jazz singing, which is not too shabby.

I will continue to enjoy this CD and will wait for another opera diva to top this one. But, somehow I think the next really good CD of Pop/ jazz from an opera star will also come from Rene.

To those who have been unreasonably mean and negative towards her, I can only say you are not fit to polish her shoes!

Brava Renee.......2007-04-09

This talented woman can sing anything. I really enjoyed this cd with the lights turned down and a glass of wine to relax after a very stressful day at work. Renee could definitely have another singing career outside of opera should she choose. Hearing her drop that gorgeous voice down one octave rivals the best chanteuses in the business - Cassandra Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Regina Belle, Sarah Vaughan, etc. This cd of different musical styles reminds me of Nina Simone and Cassandra Wilson, two great singers whom could interpret any song genre and make their versions special. I loved all the songs and the standouts here are "Haunted Heart", "River", "My One and Only Love", "My Cherie Amour", "Cancao do Amor", and Beatles "In My Life", and "Hard Times Come Again No More".
I hope Renee keeps recording whatever catches her fancy because I'll certainly always listen.

Art is always new. .......2007-03-10

Renee Fleming is an artist bringing us something new, and beautiful. The poor will always be with us as manifest in those who resent other's movement from their established zones. Renee Fleming is a great female voice with accomplishments her detractors will never have, but in their dreams.

I welcome Renee's elan demonstrated with her recent recordings, Love sublime with Brad Mehldau, and Haunted Heart with Fred Hersch and Bill Frissell. Bravery, fun, and talent combined by artists and for people who are listening. Hearing long time favorites Mehldau, Hersch, and Frissell is all the more sublime.

The Great War: Classical And Popular Selections From The Time Of World War I (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

Average customer rating:

Music and the Great War
How a Century Has Change Our Perception of War
Excellent Recording!
Good music, bad title

The Great War: Classical And Popular Selections From The Time Of World War I (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Great War
Over There - Songs From America's Wars
Words and Music of World War II
The Roaring Twenties
Songs That Got Us Through WWII

ASIN: B00000HXKX
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Military March No. 1 In D Major, Op. 39: Pomp Ad Circumstance
Waltz Fom Der Rosenkavalier Suite
'Von der Schonheit' From Das Lied von der Erde
'De l'aube a midi sur la mer' From La Mer
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 'Classical Symphony': III. Gavotta. Non troppo allegro
L'histoire du soldat Suite - IV. The Royal March
L'histoire du soldat Suite - V. The Little Concert
Le tombeau de Couperin - V. Menuet
Le tombeau de Couperin - VI. Toccata
Sinfonia From Pulcinella Suite
Walzer From Funf Klavierstucke, Op. 23
Interlude From Wozzeck, Act III
Prologue From Music Ffor The Theatre
'Shine On Harvest Moon'
'Alexander's Ragtime Band' - Irving Berlin
'Over There'
'How You Gonna Keep'em Down On The Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?'
'The Man I Love' From Stride Up The Band
'West End Blues'

Amazon.com

The first two-thirds of this disc is a fascinating cram course in concert music around the time of World War I. The programmer has put together some fascinating juxtapositions--for example, Strauss's Rosenkavalier leads almost seamlessly into Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, and Schoenberg sounds out of context with everybody (including Berg). The selections are all short, and performance quality runs from great to mediocre, but this is still a thought-provoking educational experience, even though Bartók and Ives are conspicuously missing. The popular selections are less interesting, often campy, and although vintage recordings are used, they aren't always the right vintage. And someone missed a point by separating Copland's jazzy "Music for the Theatre" from Louis Armstrong, who could have followed immediately. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Music and the Great War.......2007-05-14

This is a fascinating compendium of popular and classical music from the World War One period. It evokes all the turmoil, anguish, and also humor, of the age, and is a vital CD to own if you have an interest in the Great War and the music it inspired or was inspired by.

How a Century Has Change Our Perception of War.......2005-10-29

War. Tough subject these days - tough subject since the beginning of time. Yet Americans tend to mend wounds and gradually allow the atrocities of yesteryear to fade into coated cases that signal more memories of 'how things used to be' rather than learning from the tragedies with which war has scarred the planet. National Public Radio issued this excellent memoir at the turn of the millennium and one wonders if it now has the same response that greeted it in 1999.

Linda Kobler reconstituted this mix of classical and popular music with a keen sense of history. The CD is twice divided (in both the classical and the popular music) into 'Before the War' 1901 - 1917, 'During the War' 1917 - 1922, and 'After the War' 1922 - 1928. In the first era are the works of Elgar ('Pomp and Circumstance'), Strauss (a waltz from 'Der Rosenkavalier'), Mahler (excerpt from 'Das Lied von der Erde'), and Debussy ('La Mer') joining the songs 'Shine On Harvest Moon' and 'Alexander's Ragtime Band'. The War period is represented by Prokofiev's 'Symphony No. 1', Stravinsky's 'L'histoire du soldat', and Ravel's 'Le tombeau de Couperin' in tandem with 'Over There'. After the war include Stravinsky ('Pulcinella Suite'), Schoenberg (Waltz from 'Five Piano Pieces'), Berg (excerpt from 'Wozzeck') and Copland ('Music from the Theatre') with popular songs 'How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm', 'The Man I Love', and 'West End Blues'.

The excerpts selected for this survey are exceptionally good: orchestras include NY Phil, LA Phil, Philadelphia Orchestra, London Symphony, and the Columbia Symphony under such batons a Ormandy, Bernstein, Salonen, Tilson Thomas, Schippers and Stravinsky; soloists include Glen Gould, Robert Casadesus, Lili Chookaskian, Louis Armstrong, et al. The sonics are very fine and the performances are each from significant full recordings remaining in the catalogue.

The booklet accompanying this concert of memories is written by Linda Kobler who uses each selection as a pivotal point in the atmosphere of the globe that accompanied the Great War: it is very well written and informative. This is one of those recorded collections that goes far beyond an accumulation of bits and pieces and instead gives food for thought about how our political and social actions intertwine with the arts in a prophetic way. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

Excellent Recording!.......1999-03-13

(It was called The "Great" War, because nobody knew about WWII at the time and it was the biggest war anyone had ever seen.)

I think this CD may be a bit choppy to "easy" listeners, but for anyone who has a sincere interest in delving into the musical senses of earlier generations it's VERY good! I recommend the entire NPR Milestones of the Millennium series to such aficionados.

Good music, bad title.......1999-02-11

Since when is war great? Life in the trenches waiting for the germans to attack you worrying about whether mustard gas is gonna loft your way isn't exactly like sipping chablis.

Average customer rating:

A sparkling remaster
Great music and a great package
An American Classic
Best of Barber
Is there anything to add...?

Samuel Barber / Thomas Schippers

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Barber's Adagio / Munch, Galway, Boston SO Strings
Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11/Orchestral Music; Leonard Slatkin
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Hungarian Sketches
Haydn: The London Symphonies, Vol. 1
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Fantasia on

ASIN: B0000029V2
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Medea's Dance Of Vengeance, Op. 23a
String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 11: Adagio For Strings
Second Essay For Orchestra, Op. 17
Overture To The School For Scandal, Op. 5
'Andromache's Farewell,' Op. 39: Andromache's Farewell, Op. 39
Intermezzo From Vanessa (Act II), Op. 32
Overture To Amelia al ballo
Interlude From Wozzeck (Act III)
Introduction To Fervaal, Op. 40

Amazon.com

This classic disc has been the prime recommendation for Barber's short orchestral pieces since the early 1960s. Remastered onto CD for the first time, and with the addition of some other items conducted by Thomas Schippers, it sounds better than ever. All of Barber's music is blessed with the virtues of impeccable craftsmanship, tunefulness, and, above all, brevity. Although a Romantic by temperament, Barber had the gift of being able to fit a lot of emotional impact into a very small space. The famous Adagio for Strings and the Second Essay actually sound much bigger than they are, but they don't go on a second too long--which means you can play them again right away! You'll want to. --David Hurwitz

Amazon.com

The most beautiful recording ever made of the Adagio for Strings is at last on CD, thoughtfully coupled with some of the other recordings the young Thomas Schippers made for Columbia Masterworks--of the music of Barber and others--between 1960 and 1965, at the start of his all-too-brief career. Although he was never on personal terms with Barber, Schippers had the ability to put Barber's music across in just the right way, with the perfect blend of energy and lyricism, toughness and warmth, and, above all, the feeling that its sentiment was real, yet ineffably contained. The performance of the New York Philharmonic (in the Adagio, as well as in the Second Essay for Orchestra, the Overture to the School for Scandal, Andromache's Farewell, and Medea's Dance of Vengeance) is aglow with inspiration, and the sound is exceptionally vivid, with a palpable sense of presence and space. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

A sparkling remaster.......2006-12-29

This disc showcases a spectrum of talent from the young Schippers before his tragic death. However, contrary to the other reviews, this is not the best version of the "Adagio" that I have ever heard. The other tracks on the disc are a nice complement and some are hard to find on CD. All in all, a decent buy.

Great music and a great package.......2006-11-10

This reissue of material conducted by Thomas Schippers shows the great style he had conducting Barber's (and Menotti's) work. This CD has been reissued again with a more mundane package as part of the RCA red seal releases. This disc presents background information and pictures that are a delight to the collector and will interest the listener new to this music. Its sound is good for its age and packages material together very well.

An American Classic.......2005-12-03

Like many of the other reviewers, I owned this recording as an LP. Listening to it again in the CD format was a wonderful experience. Barber's lyrical gift was extraordinary. "Romantic" is an inadequate word to describe his music. And it sounds peculiarly American, like Copland's. You can't imagine that a European could have written it. It has too much freedom and sparkle, too much yearning and openess. My only criticism is that this disc omits "Knoxville: Summer of 1915", which I recall was on the old LP, with Leontyne Price as the soloist. Thomas Schippers seems to have been the ideal interpreter of this composer. What a pity that he died young.

Best of Barber.......2004-09-30

The cover and Barber performances come from one of my favorite LPs - an old Odyssey release from the 70s. (Having worn one down, I was lucky to find a new one at a second-hand store - and soon after the CD was, finally, released.) Needless to say, I've listened to these performances frequently but never tire of them. Schippers, who was a close protege of Barber's (his lover?), infuses all of the Barber orchestral pieces with enormous vitality and emotion. The Adagio is one of the two or three best (if not THE best) on record, and the Medea Meditation and Dance of Vengeance is a knockout, more forceful even than Barber's own recording of the music in the Medea Suite for Mercury in the 50s. The School for Scandal Overture is a rollicking and tuneful delight, and the Second Essay is superbly done. My only objection is the CD is a rather scatter-shot collection, a massing culled from the handful of recordings Schippers made for Columbia in the early '60s. The sound is fine, but I'd sure love to hear an SACD version of this recording.

Is there anything to add...?.......2003-09-26

Is there anything to add to the string of glowing reviews of this CD? Perhaps not but I feel an obligation as it has been part of my life since I first bought it in 1967--and wore out several LP versions of it. The combination of composition, interpretation, playing, and engineering of the Barber pieces is unparalleled in my experience; each must be considered as definitive. I particularly favor the Second Essay which comes across as a major work of it era and should appear in concert more often. The contibution by Martina Arroyo is just an extra added attraction in this extended compilation. Legendary!

Average customer rating:

The worst Lulu ever
Two masterworks from the years between the wars in a recording from the sixties
first of all you have to understand a role
This is an amazing opera
El mejor Wozzeck en la discografía

Berg: Lulu; Wozzeck
Karl Christian Kohn , Karl-Ernst Mercker , Kurt Böhme , Leopold Clam , Loren Driscoll , Martin Vantin , Patricia Johnson , Robert Koffmane , and William Walther Dicks
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
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Britten: The Turn Of The Screw / Britten, Pears, Vyvyan, Cross, et al
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Berg - Wozzeck / Duesing · K. Ciesinski · Banks · R. Hamilton · R. Davies · Ormiston, Peter Mussbach · Sylvain Cambreling · Frankfurt Opera
Cello Suites
Berg - Lulu / Davis, Schafer, Bailey, Kuebler, Harries, Schone, Bardon, Glyndebourne

ASIN: B00000E53D
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

1. Akt, 1. Szene- Langsam, Wozzeck, Langsam!
Verwandlung. Orchester-Nachspiel
2. Szene- Du, Der Platz Ist Verflucht!
Verwandlung. Orchester-Nachspiel Und Beginnende Militmusik Im Hintergrund
3. Szene- Tschin Bum ! Hst Bub- Da Kommen Sie!
Verwandlung. Orchester-erleitung
4. Szene- Was Erleb' Ich, Wozzeck-
Verwandlung. Orchester-Einleitung
5. Szene- Geh Einmal Vor Dich Hin
2. Akt- Orchester-Einleitung. 1. Szene- Was Die Steine Glzen!
Verwandlung. Orchester-Nachspiel
2. Szene- Wohin So Eilig, Geehrtester Herr Sargnagel-
Verwandlung. erleitende Takte U. Kammerorchester-Einleitung. 3. Szene- Guten Tag, Franz - Ich Seh
Verwandlung. erleitende Takte Und Orchester-Vorspiel (Ldler)
4. Szene- Ich Hab' Ein Hemdlein An, Das Ist Nicht Mein
Verwandlung. Orchester-Nachspiel (Walzer)
5. Szene- Oh! Oh! Andres! Ich Kann Nicht Schlafen
3. Akt, 1. Szene- Und Ist Kein Betrug In Seinem Munde Erfunden Worden
Verwandlung. Orchester-Nachspiel
2. Szene- Dort Links Geht's In Die Stadt
Wozzeck- 3. Akt.- Verwandlung. Orchester-erleitung (H) [B]
3. Szene- -Tantzt Alle; Tanzt Nur Zu !-
Verwandlung. Orchester-Nachspiel. 4. Szene- -Das Messer- Wo Ist Das Messer--
Verwandlung. Orchester-Epilog- Invention er Eine Tonart (D-Moll)
5. Szene- -Ringel, Ringel, Rosenkranz, Ringelreih'n!-
Lulu- Prolog. -Hereinspaziert In Die Menagerie-
1. Akt, 1. Szene- -Darf Ich Eintreten-- - -Mein Sohn!-
Introduktion (Zum Canon). -Gnige Frau Frau Medizinalrat -; Canon- -Sie Bekommen Mich Noch Lange N

Customer Reviews:

The worst Lulu ever.......2007-01-20

Evelyn Lear could make a fine Marina Mnsek for Boris, his voice is not for modern opera.

Two masterworks from the years between the wars in a recording from the sixties.......2005-10-17

I remember when Schoenberg, Webern, and Berg were spoken of as the New Viennese School and compared to Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Seriously. From our present standpoint, it is impossible to understand how much influence these three composers had in the mid-twentieth century. These two operas continue to be performed and through them Berg has become the most widely remembered of the three.

Scholars have analyzed these works extremely closely and have discovered all kinds of symbolic patterns in the notes. For example, the music occurring around Marie as she dies seems rather chaotic, yet one scholar has shown that the music consists of ten fragments of music heard from and around her earlier in the opera. So, her life is passing before her as she dies.

There is always a debate about how much of this deep meaning one can actually hear and it does vary for each listener. This kind of discussion goes on in all the arts, but is particularly so in music because it is the most abstract of the arts. How abstract and how removed from the surface can any "meaning" be and still be heard? This was a discussion we had many times in music school and I have met no more than a very few who convinced me they could actually hear this deeply (and this is more than recognizing a given row or its transformation or hearing the most fleeting tonalities in atonal works).

For me, just as some of the ultra late romantic become somewhat over composed with a level of detail that seems to be there for its own sake, some of this minutiae is like going to a restaurant for a meal and being given an essay about a photograph of a painting of a pork chop. It may be interesting, informative, and even beautiful, but you still leave hungry.

"Wozzeck" and "Lulu" are powerful and affecting works. They do sound much more like highly chromatic, but tonal works than the abstractions of Webern. "Lulu" is the more severe and, well, bleak of the two. I have heard more than a few praise these works for telling the truth about human life and getting to the true center of the human heart. To me, they seem more like artworks that were above all anti-bourgeois and seem proud of that stance. They seem to invoke not only the materialist views of the world of Marx, but also of Freud, and other now long forgotten apostles of deterministic thought. Is it possible to still see these works eighty years on as modern? They are as much prisoners of their time as are any other opera and less transcendent than I expect great works of art to be.

Franz Wozzeck is a powerless man who has a child out of wedlock with a woman named Marie. He subjects himself to crackpot scientific experiments with a Dr. Schoen for a bit of extra money for Marie and their son. Marie feels oppressed by the social stigma of being an unwed mother, but also has eyes for other men. She is particularly attracted to a Drum Major who looks so wonderfully masculine, but is really a mere surface of a person. She has an affair with the Drum Major, which Wozzeck discovers. Since Wozzeck is already teetering on the edge of sanity from his impotence and the experiments, he falls off and stabs Marie after she tells him that she would rather be stabbed than beaten. He leaves her body and tosses the knife in a pond. Later, crazed even more deeply by guilt, he goes into the pond after the knife and drowns. The last moment of the play involves Marie's and Wozzeck's orphan at play and running off the stage oblivious that he is alone in the world.

So, is this the true heart of us all? Is that last moment poignant, sharp irony on the human condition, or mere kitsch? I mean, dealing with the world view of this drama might benefit from as much detachment and irony as you can bring to it.

"Lulu" is even harsher. She is married to a professor of medicine who has a heart attack when he sees her with a painter he has commissioned to paint her portrait. She marries the painter at the urging of another doctor, who is engaged to another, with whom Lulu has had a long term love affair (such as love is in this work). Finally, the doctor understands that the painter really is blind to Lulu's true nature and tells him of her past. He kills himself. Under threat the doctor marries Lulu. She then takes up with a Countess who is enamored of her. Lulu ends up killing him with a revolver he has given her. She is arrested and sentenced to prison.

However, the countess arranges to take her place in prison to aid Lulu's escape. The Countess, the doctor's son, and an athlete help her escape abroad. Lulu then ends up with a wealthy man who ends up being a pimp and sells her to Cairo.

While the opera was incomplete at Berg's early death at fifty, the outline and sketch let us know that she is living in London with the doctor's son and the athlete. When the Countess arrives without money, Lulu is reduced to becoming a streetwalker. She goes through a series of clients who are the musical reincarnations of her various husbands. One of them kills the doctor's son, and the last kills both Lulu and the Countess, since he is Jack the Ripper (!).

The music is powerful and worth knowing because it is so personal to Berg and works its magic quite well. However, I have been at a symphonic concert when the Lulu Suite has been played and seem people get up and leave because they find it so harsh and intense.

Berg was indeed a major composer of the twentieth century. He cannot be merely dismissed. If you want to understand the serious art of that century you must come to terms with these works. You don't have to love them, but you cheat yourself if you don't know them at least a bit. Certainly, the morality of these operas, shocking in their time, is roughly equal to the "normal" behavior in any two episodes of "Friends" and "Law and Order". So, it must be the music that continues to affect people so strongly.

These recordings by Karl Böhm are masterfully done with great sound and solid singing. Some would prefer a different style of Sprechstimme (the half-singing) done here, but I find it appropriately chilling with the singing voice sliding around above the simultaneously sounding singing voice. I have no idea how it is done, but it sounds wonderfully insane.

first of all you have to understand a role.......2004-11-12

...before singing it. Evelyn Lear doesn't. She is a wonderful Marina Mintsek in Boris Godounov but as well as she is really good for classical roles, she doesn't fit for Lulu. Berg is music, not disorder, Teresa Stratas understood this and moreover Christina Scheffer!

The worst version you can choose if you really "UNDERSTAND" Berg. Good singers for the wrong repertoire.

Martin Pitchon
Canada

This is an amazing opera.......2003-11-23

(This review only applies to "Lulu")

As you know, Alban Berg couldn't finished this opera, the 1-297 measures of the 3rd Act was being finished, but later, Berg, was written last (approx.) 700 measures without orchestration (only with a Piano part and libretto).

In 1970's, Friedrich Cerha was orchestrated this measures and with this version, complete Three Acts was performed in Paris Opera, conducted by Pierre Boulez, in 1979. (The recording of this performance is available on DG Classics)

But, this performance is better than the version of Boulez's. (I have listened both of two recordings). And, even so, this is a live recording from Berlin, Deutsche Oper, in 1968. So, there isn't 3rd Act, instead of this, (with the same affairs) they were performed the last movements of Lulu-Suite (Symphonic Pieces from Opera). These movements are, 4th movement - Variations on Wedekind's Theme for Lute-, and 5th movement - The Last Scene (Jack the Ripper kills Lulu and Countess Geschwitz)...Even so, Berg was wanted this movements to be perform (to think that, if he can't finish the 3rd Act).

The soloists are excellent, especially Evelyn Lear (as Lulu), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (as Dr. Schön), Loren Driscoll (as Painter) and Donald Grobe (as Alwa). It is an interesting condition that, actually Karl Böhm isn't a conductor of 20th Century Music. We know with his historic Mozart and R. Strauss recordings. But in this set, he is amazing in both of Wozzeck and Lulu.

Another an interesting condition that, in "Wozzeck", the composer was used a large ensemble (ex. A quadruple orchestra, plus choir) and this is an atonal opera, isn't a 12-tone music at all. In "Lulu", Berg was used a little small ensemble than in Wozzeck (tripled orchestra, no choir), but this is a full 12-tone music. So, this opera is more difficult to reading the partition (of opera) or listen this music with understands than Wozzeck (it is interesting, but, Berg was written more difficult music with a little small ensemble and his first opera "Wozzeck" is more easy to understand or reading the partition but this is scored for large ensemble). Because, Berg was used 12-tone system at all, so, perhaps, this is more difficult to listen, but if you listen more and more, you will enjoy (!) with this music.

And there is a very amazing music in this opera: Interlude - Film Music (in 2nd Act between 1st and 2nd Scenes). In last minutes of 1st Scene, Lulu kills Dr. Schön and she arrests by police with help of Alwa (Doctor's Son). With a fast fall of curtain, Interlude - Film Music starts and there is a show that a (black-white, without colouring and without sound) short film tells, that Lulu's fortune in one year. Because of subject of film, in the music, starts and moves forwards, than music reaches to a centre (of music) and than, the music moves backwards! (This music was used once again in Lulu-Suite as the 1st movement of suite)...

Best tracks: Act 1
No. 2 Canon, No. 4 Melodram - The Death of Professor, No. 5 Arioso of The Painter (this is a very mysterious music), No. 10 Monoritmica (The Rhythm of Death, this rhythm was used in whole opera, in every passages!), No. 12 (Sonata Development)

Act 2:
No. 6 and 7 (Lulu kills Dr. Schon and arrests), No. 8 Film Music (of course!)

Instead of Act 3 (from Lulu-Suite): Variations (because of the Third act wasn't be found yet) and Adagio (Lulu, Countess Geschwitz...Jack the Ripper!)

Highly recommended for any Alban Berg, 20th Century Music or opera admirers.

El mejor Wozzeck en la discografía.......2003-09-28

Esta versión dirigida por Karl Böhm y producida por Otto Gerdes es en mi opinión la mejor que existe en el mercado. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau canta un Wozzeck soberbio. Aún sin verlo, sólo con escucharlo puede uno imaginarlo en el escenario. Evelyn Lear canta una Marie excelente, al igual que Fritz Wunderlich en su interpretación de Andrés. Caso aparte merece el gran Gerhard Stolze en su interpretación del capitán,en mi opinión la mejor que existe en la discografía, siendo una burda copia de la misma la realizada por Heinz Zednik en la versión de Claudio Abbado.
Karl Böhm realiza una interpretación llena de detalles y el sonido de DG es en ésta grabación digno de mencionarse, con un buen balance y sin la tendencia a los agudos típico de las grabaciones de DG.
Esta grabación es el punto de referencia para las otras que existen y ni la versión de Abbado ni Dohnanyi estan a su altura.
Este set de CDs consta de dos óperas, la ya comentada Wozzeck y Lulú en su versión original incompleta con sólo los dos primeros actos y la suite de Lulú como complemento, pero a pesar de ser una buena interpretación, en esta última ópera recomiendo la versión de Boulez en DG, con la reconstrucción del tercer acto por Friedrich Cerha y con Teresa Stratas como protagonista principal.

Average customer rating:

Fabulous bargain, but Berg needs texts!
Superb Berg performances ... good value!
Real Estate Saver
Best Set; Good Price...
Excellent collection

Alban Berg Collection / Various (Coll)

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Complete Webern
Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra
Schoenberg: Piano Concerto
Arnold Schoenberg: Chamber Music for Strings
Schönberg: Das Chorwerk

ASIN: B0000B09Z4
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous bargain, but Berg needs texts!.......2006-02-05

This is a great set for anyone who wishes to be immersed in Alban Berg's lurid, hothouse, hallucinogenic world. Both performances and sound quality are mostly excellent: No record company has ever made as great a commitment to Berg as Deutsche Grammophon. Based on the performances alone, this deserves six stars.

But the budget price comes with a catch: No texts or librettos. (There are at least scene synopses for "Wozzeck" and "Lulu.") With some composers, this wouldn't be a serious problem, but Berg was one of the greatest control freaks in music history. Without knowing exactly where each word is placed, listeners who don't understand German will miss an important facet of this intricately multi-layered music.

Superb Berg performances ... good value!.......2006-01-05

This might be the best box set I own. First of all you get what is most likely the best available versions of the Violin Concerto,Wozzeck,Lulu (3 act ver.),Lulu suite,7 Early Songs with van Otter,Der Wein and much more. The only real sub-par performance on it is the Piano Sonata op1 with Barenboim which can be found in many other recordings for a decent price. So, if you are new to Berg and you buy this, you are getting really an outstanding set of recordings which are top of the heap with great conductors and orchestras.

Real Estate Saver.......2004-10-04

This little box is an elegant, SPACE-SAVING means of acquiring classic performances (all of them stellar) from the DG catalog of Berg's major works, including two by my adored Lasalle Quartet that I believe have recently gone OOP. The set contains eight CD's housed in somewhat hard-to-remove cardboard sleeves that clearly identify the contents therein, and includes a booklet which, despite not containing lyrics for any of the vocal works, is very informative. The lack of libretti is possibly less an issue in the case of Wozzeck; chances are that listeners already own at least one other recording and so can refer to its libretto. Lulu, however, is more problematic because more listeners probably opt to purchase this "complete/d" performance over all others and may even be purchasing this set on that basis.
Not being particularly fond of lieder in general, I feel less qualified to make an educated call as to who might own which recordings of the songs other than to remark that I already own this recording of Op. 2 (which, of course includes the lyrics). In fact, as is the case with a previous reviewer, I already own a number of recordings from this set (which I received as a gift). No matter, it's still worth owning, and I agree with yet another reviewer's suggestion to grab it while it's available. True, one might prefer different performances here or there but honestly, this affords the best way of acquiring everything in one fell swoop, and there's not a clinker in the whole set.
In that vein, I might suggest that fans of the VC seek out Szeryng's performance with Kubelik, now available remastered on DG Eloquence at budget price. It's much less emotional than Mutter's beautiful reading but I find this proves an enhancement rather than a detraction; I also feel that Kubelik, possibly due to his Austro-Hungarian upbringing, ultimately has a better grasp of this repertoire than Levine (although I love his OOP Lulu Suite/Wozzeck excerpts on Sony and Mahler 4 on RCA).

Best Set; Good Price..........2004-05-11

This is a really nice set at a good price. It features all DG's Berg recordings--which really are about the best around. This "Collectors' Edition" is certain to disappear soon and increase in value.

Excellent collection.......2004-04-06

This is a must have for any collectors, 20th Century Music admirers.

This is 8-CD set and includes the complete works of Berg on acclaimed performances.

Especially, the stars of this set (for me):
Wozzeck (Hildegard Behrens, Wiener Philharmoniker, Abbado)

Lulu, complete opera in 3 act (Teresa Stratas, Franz Mazura, Yvonne Minton, Jules Bastin, Robert Tear, Opera National de Paris, Pierre Boulez!!)

Lulu-Suite (London SO, Abbado)

Three Pieces for Orchestra (London SO, Abbado)

Piano Sonata (Daniel Barenboim)

Alban Berg's musical language is difficult to understand (at least in first listening), but when listening more times, we notice that, actually in his music, there is a very mystic or impressive and lyric atmosphere. So, I think that he is a "Romantic" modern. Just, he expressed these lyric atmospheres with realist and striking language. Still, he was used 12-tone system, but he was not forget tonality and used the both styles (even so he used jazz passages, especially in Lulu). In other words: Berg is one of the most famous and important composers and he impressed the composers came after him (ex. Shostakovich, Britten, Henze)

Tracks:

Die Zauberflote: Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja
Die Zauberflote: Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fuhlen
Die Zauberflote: Ein Madchen oder Weibchen
Le nozze di Figaro: Hai gia vinta la causa !
Le nozze di Figaro: Crudel ! perche finora
Don Giovanni: Deh, vieni alla finestra
Tannhauser: Blick ich umher in diesem edlen Kreise
Tannhauser: Wie Todesahnung...O du mein holder Abendstern
Szenen aus Goethes Faust: Ein Sumpf zieht am Gebirge hin
Konigskinder: Verdorben! Gestorben!... Ihr Kindlein, sie sind gefunden
Ariadne auf Naxos: Harlekinlied
Die tote Stadt: Mein Sehnen, mein Wahnen
Wozzeck: Wir arme Leut!
Wozzeck: Dort links geht's in die Stadt...Du sollst da bleiben, Marie

Amazon.com

Possessor of one of today's most beautiful baritone voices, Matthias Goerne has been associated, on stage and disc, more with lieder than with opera. Listeners who were spellbound by the emotional impact of his performances of Schubert's great song cycles were amazed at the comic perfection of his Papageno in his Metropolitan Opera debut. This recording, on which he creates and impersonates nine vastly different characters from operas spanning three centuries, is an even bigger surprise. Using--but never abusing--an extraordinary range of vocal and expressive color and inflection, he captures Papageno's humor, Count Almaviva's malicious cunning, Don Giovanni's seductiveness, Wolfram von Eschenbach's inward, chaste devoutness, and Wozzek's yearning desperation and madness, with equally total involvement and conviction. Along the way there are also rarities: the Minstrel's heartbreaking lament from Humperdinck's Die Königskinder--unjustly neglected if the rest of the opera is indeed as beautiful as this aria--Harlekin's ironic ditty from Strauss's Ariadne; the Pierrot's sensuous dream-song from Korngold's Die tote Stadt; and the final, heroically dramatic section of Schumann's Scenes from Faust. Soprano Dorothea Röschmann, his partner in four duets, also takes on several greatly varied roles with admirable flexibility. A children's chorus and a women's chorus participate in one aria to lovely effect, and the orchestra is excellent. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

A captivating stage performer doesn't register as dramatically on disc.......2005-09-24

Georne's picture on the cover of this CD implies an edgy, even angst-ridden interpreter, but the singing one finds inside is good average baritone work. I hear no musical revelations here, and although Goern'es voice is instantly recognizable, his characterization is rather faceless. If you think Hermann Prey or Theo Adam is a great baritone, I guess you'll think Goerne is one, too. Compared to a similar baritone recital on Sony with Bo Skovhus, I'd give the edge to Skovhus. Thomas Hampson, Thomas Quasthoff, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky have nothing to fear; maybe even Nathan Gunn has nothing to fear. All in all, I expected more from a singer who reputation is flying high.

Goerne Excellent in Familiar and Unusual Repertory.......2003-10-10

Many baritones record Papegano's first aria ("Die Vogelfanger bin ich, ja"), Don Giovanni's serenade, and Wolfram's Evening Star Song. But when was the last time you saw Count Almaviva's aria ("Vedro, mentr'io sospiro") from LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Wolfram's "Blick, ich umher," or the murder scene from WOZZECK excerpted on a recital disc? Matthias Goerne's "Arias" CD includes all of these items and more, all sung with beauty, feeling, and musicality by one of the most intelligent and charismatic male singers of today. Goerne is joined in three duets ("Bei Mannern" from DIE ZAUBERFLOTE, "Crudel, perche finora" from FIGARO, and the WOZZECK scene) by soprano Dorothea Roschmann, whose sound isn't quite to my taste (it's a bit lacking in warmth) but who is as musical and as sensitive as her partner. The conductor, Manfred Honeck, is also an ideal match both for Goerne and for the music. Matthias Goerne's "Arias" is an indispensable disc for admirers of German music, the baritone voice, or Goerne himself -- or for those who would just like to hear an interestingly programmed aria recital.

Average customer rating:

A 'Wozzeck' for People Who Thought They Didn't Like It
A new standard in Wozzeck performance

Berg: Wozzeck

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008WQB9
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Slowly, Wozzeck, Slowly! - Andrew Shore
Wozzeck You Are A Decent Man, And Yet.... - Alan Woodrow
Andres! This Place Is Accursed! - Andrew Shore
Listen. There's Something Moving There Below Us - Andrew Shore
Tschin, Bum, Tschin, Bum Bum, Bum, Bum! - Jean Rigby
What Will You Do Now, Poor Lamb?... - Dame Josephine Barstow
Whose There? - Jean Rigby
This Is Monstrous, Wozzeck! - Andrew Shore
Wozzeck-Just Like A Lunatic!! - Andrew Shore
Show Me How You Parade! - Dame Josephine Barstow

Tracks:

How They Glisten Brightly! - Dame Josephine Barstow
What's That, There? - Andrew Shore
Why Are You Rushing, My Dearest Friend - Stuart Kale
Hey, Wozzeck! - Stuart Kale
But What Are You Trying To Tell Me, Herr Doktor - Stuart Kale
Good Morning Franz - Andrew Shore
Scene Change [Slow Landler]-Taver Music Onstage - Philharmonia Orchestra
Him! Her! Damn! - Andrew Shore
A Hunter From The Rhine - Jean Rigby
And Yet, If A Traveller Pauses - John Graham-Hall
Mmmmmmm - Jean Rigby
I Am A Man - Andrew Shore
And Out Of His Mouth - Dame Josephine Barstow
And Once There Was A Lonely Child - Dame Josephine Barstow
And Fallin On Her Knees Before Him - Dame Josephine Barstow
The Town Is Over There - Andrew Shore
How The Moon Rises Red! - Andrew Shore
Dance, Damn You! - Jean Rigby
The Dagger? Where Is The Dagger - Andrew Shore
I Ought To Wash Myself Clean - Andrew Shore
Scene Change [Invention On A Key] - Philharmonia Orchestra
Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses, All Fall Down - Jean Rigby

Customer Reviews:

A 'Wozzeck' for People Who Thought They Didn't Like It.......2003-09-20

Unless you are a speaker of German there is no way you can get the full impact of Berg's wrenchingly dramatic 'Wozzeck' in a German-language recording. Even following along with libretto in hand is a diluted experience. This 2-CD recording, part of the Chandos's laudable 'Opera in English' series, underwritten by the equally laudable Moores Foundation who have now underwritten more than 30 English-language opera recordings including the wonderful 'English Ring' conducted by Reginald Goodall, meets the need for a recording that has an immediate, visceral impact for opera-lovers who don't understand German.

I have loved 'Wozzeck' ever since the Mitropoulos recording made in the early 1950s with Mack Harrell and Eileen Farrell and have owned recordings conducted by Abbado, von Dohnanyi and Böhm. I had never heard it before in English and I have to admit that in this recording I heard and understood things I simply had missed before [and my German is passable]. The diction in this recording is clear and understandable, but Chandos also includes an English libretto to help you understand any of the occasional misheard words.

The rising young English conductor, Paul Daniel, does a remarkable job; he keeps things moving along but also tightens the tension appropriately as we move towards the shattering final scenes. The Philharmonia play the complex score brilliantly. The singers--Andrew Shore as Wozzeck, Josephine Barstow as Marie, Alan Woodrow as the Drum Major, Peter Bronder as Andres, Stuart Kyle as the Doctor, Jean Rigby as Margret--are first-rate and generally the equals of singers on earlier recordings. I had worried that Barstow, who is no longer young, wouldn't sound right as Marie, but indeed she does. For instance, the lullaby ['What will you do now, poor lamb?'] is a perfect combination of gentleness and mounting anxiety. Later, as the drama progresses her tone becomes more harried and harrying. She has always been a good actress and that is in evidence here.

Andrew Shore, as Wozzeck, is as good as I've ever heard. He catches the simple humanity of the man as I've never heard it. He tries so hard to be good and one sees him slipping into insanity in spite of his efforts. In Act III, especially, his singing and acting are riveting.

The marvelous new English translation is by Richard Stokes. It not only preserves the meaning of the German original, but faithfully follows the flow of the music in much the same way the German words--by Berg, after Büchner--do. The recorded sound is state-of-of-the-art.

I suspect this will the recording of 'Wozzeck' I reach for most often.

Recommended.

CD I, Act I, 34:00
CD II, Acts II & III, 57:43
TT=91:43
(There appears to be a small price break on account of the short timing for two CDs.)

Scott Morrison

A new standard in Wozzeck performance.......2003-08-29

First of all, I don't think any recording of Alban Berg's Wozzeck has ever sounded this good, regardless of language. Under Paul Daniel's inspired and meticulous conducting, the Philharmonia Orchestra plays beautifully, and the sound is more luscious than I ever imagined possible for this opera. I first saw and heard this magnificent opera many (too many) years ago in Munich, at which time I was completely astonished by it, but ever since then, recorded performances have seemed to be a mere suggestion of the opera's potential. This recorded performance very nicely addresses that gap, with a very powerful and convincing interpretation. Hearing the excellently articulated English allows the listener to be both totally absorbed in the drama, as well as to be able to relax and appreciate the sensational music, without being completely absorbed in following the German text with translation in a printed libretto. Wonderful singing, perfect conducting, crystal clear orchestral playing -- a splendid package, and a superb rendering of a very intriguing opera.

So why would anyone want to listen to an opera about a poor deranged soldier who has gone crazy from a mad doctor's experiments and who ultimately murders his girl friend and stumbles into his own death, leaving behind a pathetic little child? The answer is in the extraordinary details of the libretto, which demonstrate extraordinary insights into human nature, as well as some of the most original music ever written. Yes, it's very disturbing, but at the end of the opera one is left with a seriously renewed empathy for the human condition.

Alban Berg: Wozzeck (Opera in 3 Acts) - Franz Grundheber / Hildegard Behrens / Wiener Philharmoniker / Claudio Abbado
Average customer rating:

Great orchestra, but Abbado misses the terror and mystery

Dirección excelente, interpretes cuestionables.

A Monument in Vienna Opera history

Live is hard, and then there's Alban Berg.

Great conducting, sad inaccurate singing

Alban Berg: Wozzeck (Opera in 3 Acts) - Franz Grundheber / Hildegard Behrens / Wiener Philharmoniker / Claudio Abbado
Franz Grundheber , Aage Haugland , Peter Jelosits , Werner Kamenik , Wiener Staatsopernchor , and Wiener Philharmoniker
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001G9D
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Wozzeck: Act One - Scene 1- 'Langsam, Wozzeck, langsam!' (Hauptmann, Wozzeck)
Wozzeck: Act One - Scene 2 - 'Du, der Platz ist verflucht!' (Wozzeck, Andres)
Wozzeck: Act One - Scene 3 - 'Tschin Bum...! Horst Bub? Da kommen sie!' (Marie, Wozzeck)
Wozzeck: Act One - Scene 4 - 'Was erleb' ich, Wozzeck?' (Doctor, Wozzeck)
Wozzeck: Act One - Scene 5 - 'Geh einmal vor Dich hin...' (Marie, Drum Major)

Tracks:

Wozzeck: Act Two - Scene 1 - 'Was die Steine glanzen!' (Marie, Wozzeck)
Wozzeck: Act Two - Scene 2 - 'Wohin so eilig, geehrtester Herr Sargnagel?' (Captain, Doctor, Wozzeck)
Wozzeck: Act Two - Scene 3 - 'Guten Tag, Franz.' (Marie, Wozzeck)
Wozzeck: Act Two - Scene 4 - 'Ich hab' ein Hemdlein an, das ist nicht mein...' (Wozzeck, Marie, Drum Major, Andres)
Wozzeck: Act Two - Scene 5 - 'Oh! Oh! Andres, ich kann nicht schlafen.' (Wozzeck, Andres, Drum Major)
Wozzeck: Act Three - Scene 1 - 'Und ist kein Betrug in seinem Munde erfunden worden...' (Marie)
Wozzeck: Act Three - Scene 1 - 'Und kniete hin zu seinen Fussen' (Marie)
Wozzeck: Act Three - Scene 2 - 'Dort links geht's in die Stadt.' (Marie, Wozzeck)
Wozzeck: Act Three - Scene 3 - 'Tanzt Alle; tanzt nur zu...!' (Wozzeck)
Wozzeck: Act Three - Scene 4 - 'Das Messer? Wo ist das Messer?' (Wozzeck, Captain, Doctor)
Wozzeck: Act Three - Scene 5 - 'Ringel, Ringel, Rosenkranz, Ringelreih'n!'

Amazon.com essential recording

This 1988 Vienna State Opera production of Wozzeck is, to my ears, vastly superior to the 1979 performance by Christoph von Dohnányi with the same orchestra. The entire emotional and dynamic range of the music is here, projected in striking relief. The anxieties of the tale are unflinchingly portrayed, but so, too, are the many moments of tenderness and rapturous beauty. The cast--Franz Grundheber plays the title role and Hildegard Behrens portrays Marie--are skilled dramatists as well as voices, even on record. The disc commemorates one of the rare instances when a company has done justice to the dazzling splendor of Berg's conception. --Joshua Cody

Customer Reviews:

Great orchestra, but Abbado misses the terror and mystery.......2005-09-18

Abbado falters when he conducts careful, reticent performances and misses the music's inner passion. This Wozzeck seems like that to me, in spsite of its technical brilliance. The orchestra s recorded far forward with incredible detail, and one couldn't expect any better than from the Vienna Phil.

But the singers, reduced sometimes to a secondary attraction, don't catch fire, particularly the Wozzeck of veteran Grundheber, which is just good, middle-of-the-road work. almost every other major Wozzeck on record--Walter Berry, Fischer-Dieskau, Eberhard Waechter, and the first, Mack Harrell--seems much more inspired and dramatically intense. Behrens is a gripping Marie, and her somewhat threadbare voice by this time sounds just right for this worn-out proletarian victim. All in all, a set to value for its orchestral detail but not for the action onstage.

Dirección excelente, interpretes cuestionables........2003-02-25

Claudio Abbado demuestra en esta grabación su afinidad con la música de Berg, la dirección es precisa, llena de detalles y aún apasionada en algunos momentos, sin embargo, ni Hildegard Behrens ni Franz Grudheber, están a la altura. Yo creo que Wozzeck es una ópera en la que la música va al fondo del subconsciente de los personajes y necesita por tanto de una gran interpretación. La mejor versión en mi opinión es la de Karl Böhm con la Deutsche Oper, con Evelyn Lear y Dietrich Fischer-Diaskau en los papeles principales, además del gran Gerhard Stolze que canta un Capitán incomparable.

A Monument in Vienna Opera history.......2001-05-24

I own this Wozzeck since it was released. I don't play it too often. But every time the experience is electrifying. I have seen a televised broadcast of this performance as well, which made me decide to buy the CD set.

Seldom have I heard such unity and congruence in a live performance, even watching it on TV or listening at home. In Berg's Wozzeck, every musical and dramaturgical detail is most important, and this production comes very close to being ideal. Abbado and his vocalists and instrumentalists join each other in a splendid performance in which all efforts come beautifully together to create this monumental human drama. I do not want to repeat here what is said by other reviewers. To me, this recording is a document. It documents the supreme musical and dramatical artistry of Alban Berg which is on the same high level as that of the other supreme master of music and drama, Mozart.

This production is also a monument in Vienna Opera history, as it is one of (or THE) highlight of the artistic leadership of Claudio Abbado, who, together with Claus Helmut Drese as Opera Director at the time, is to be credited for the outstanding quality of many productions at the Vienna State Opera - a quality it has lost since both left this house.

Live is hard, and then there's Alban Berg........2001-04-04

I have owned this recording since 1988 and still consider it among the very best classical recordings ever made. I may be alone in saying so, but I prefer it over Solti's "Ring" that the Gramophone chose as recording of the century. There are only a handful of opera recordings where the approach of conductor and singers shows such unity, and where the vocalists chose "contributing" over "starring" to such an extent.

Alban Berg did an incredible job putting the story of Wozzeck, the archetypal innocent loser, to music. Seldom has an opera composer been able to convey heart-wrenching emotions so directly in his music, at no moment falling to the regurgitated cliches so popular in the Italian tradition. Yet, the atmosphere of the opera remains more "latin" than "teutononic". In addition, this works clearly illustrates the virtues of an atonal approach in communicating emotions in a very direct way.

This recording stems from a time that Abbado recorded a little too much for his own good. Recording the Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Mendelsohn Symphonies and many other works in just a matter of years often resulted in recordings of Barenboimian mediocrity. The opposite applies here, there is an intensity/electricity that is simply mesmerizing. The recording is of a live performance and stage and audience noises abound. Don't let those and other distractions keep you from buying this set. If you only own one Berg recording, choose this one.

Great conducting, sad inaccurate singing.......2001-01-07

When this performance started coming out of my speakers, I was thrilled. Abbado conducts with a warmth, cohesion and tension that is wonderful to hear, and his orchestra is positively radiant. Unfortunately, the principal singers are not up to their roles. Grundheber barks menacingly but is extraordinarily sloppy and inaccurate with his note-values, making a mess of the title role; Hildegard Behrens, though more musically accurate, is about 20 years past her prime, and her voice wobbles all over the place.

What I'm wondering is why the classic recording with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Evelyn Lear and the fabulous conducting of Karl Bohm (also on DG) is out of print. When it came out about 8 years ago, in a 3-CD set with "Lulu," I snapped it up, and have enjoyed it ever since.

Tracks:

Three Fragments From 'Wozzeck' (1924): I. (I. Akt, 2. und 3. Szene) Langsam
Three Fragments From 'Wozzeck' (1924): II. (III. Akt, 1. Szene) Thema. Grave - Variationen 1-7 - Fuge
Three Fragments From 'Wozzeck' (1924): III. (III. Akt, 4. und 5. Szene) Langsam
Three Orchestral Pieces Op. 6 (1914-15): I. Praludium. Langsam
Three Orchestral Pieces Op. 6 (1914-15): II. Reigen. Anfangs etwas zogernd, leicht beschwingt
Three Orchestral Pieces Op. 6 (1914-15): III. March. Massiges Marschtempo
Lulu-Suite (1934) - Symphonic Pieces From The Opera 'Lulu': Rondo. Andante (Introduzione) - Hymne. Sostenuto
Lulu-Suite (1934) - Symphonic Pieces From The Opera 'Lulu': Ostinato. Allegro
Lulu-Suite (1934) - Symphonic Pieces From The Opera 'Lulu': Lied der Lulu. Comodo
Lulu-Suite (1934) - Symphonic Pieces From The Opera 'Lulu': Variationen. Moderato (Grandioso - Grazioso - Funebre - Affetuoso - Thema)
Lulu-Suite (1934) - Symphonic Pieces From The Opera 'Lulu': Adagio. Sostenuto - Lento - Grave

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Berg's "Three Pieces" take the most nightmarish sections of Mahler's Sixth Symphony as their starting point and explore the outermost bound of musical terror. They are not easy to listen to by any means, but if you're a fan of horror movie soundtracks, then you'll find this an experience not to be missed. None of the remaining music on this disc is quite so frightening, but it also won't exactly leave you humming the tunes. Berg takes some work, but it's such good music nevertheless that you may find it worth your time. James Levine knows and loves these pieces, and he has an orchestra that plays them with the confidence born of long familiarity. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

A gorgeously performed sampler of Berg's best.......2002-04-26

For Berg lovers this is an extraordinary recording. For those who remain unconvinced of his talent -- and you know who you are -- this disc might change your mind. Never have these pieces sounded so lyrical and Richard Strauss-ian, and frankly, just plain beautiful. The sonorities and textures Levine elicits from this amazing orchestra are ravishing, and the entire project is recorded with clarity that brings out the precision of Berg's writing.

In recent years, Levine has received justifiable acclaim for his live performances of both "Wozzeck" and "Lulu," and this disc offers a glorious glimpse of each one, not to mention an outstanding version of Berg's powerful "Three Pieces for Orchestra." The latter is almost frightening, with Levine hunting down every last blazing color in the score.

Ms. Fleming is magnificent here. Surely I am not the only music-lover who would be delighted if she were to tackle Marie in "Wozzeck" or the title character in "Lulu." Fleming negotiates the ferociously difficult "Lied der Lulu" effortlessly, and reaches a thrilling climax as the vocal line ascends into the stratosphere.

The great Met Orchestra makes a sensuous, crystalline partner for Fleming's powerful sound. We can only imagine the pleasures that complete recordings of these operas might offer, with the combination of Levine's vision and these artists working at this kind of white-hot level. In any case, for now we will have to be satisfied with this stunning preview.

Bártok: Bluebeard's Castle
Average customer rating:

An overrated conductor and wobbly Slavic singers

A most powerful and authentic performance

Bártok: Bluebeard's Castle

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000057LX
Release Date: 1992-10-13

Tracks:

Bluebeard's Castle: Opening
Bluebeard's Castle: Door 1
Bluebeard's Castle: Door 2
Bluebeard's Castle: Door 3
Bluebeard's Castle: Door 4
Bluebeard's Castle: Door 5
Bluebeard's Castle: Door 6
Bluebeard's Castle: Door 7
Wozzeck, Three Excerpts: Act I, Scenes 2 And 3 - Helga Pilarczyk
Wozzeck, Three Excerpts: Act III, Scene 1 - Helga Pilarczyk
Wozzeck, Three Excerpts: Act III, Scenes 4 And 5 - Helga Pilarczyk

Customer Reviews:

An overrated conductor and wobbly Slavic singers.......2006-05-18

The reviewer below has gone overboard. Dorati's conducting here is, if anything, a bit stodgy, and his two Hungarian singers sound wobbly and artistically provincial. The whole enterprise sounds good on paper, given Dorati's credentials, but he made a career of lowering expectations. The sonics have the high-treble sting familiar from Wilma Fine's engineering for Mercury. All in all, I would rank this set well below those from Kertesz, Haitink, and Fricsay, to mention three of the best.

A most powerful and authentic performance.......2002-05-23

This is the most powerfully conducted Bluebeard among the several versions that I have heard, one of unequalled dramatic thrust and intensity. Dorati, who, as a young man in Budapest, was a pupil of Bartok, brings out the Hungarian folksong based rhythms and colors of this music instead of, as other interpreters tend to do, soften or smooth them out (perhaps in order to create a more overtly dream like atmosphere), which robs the music of its considerable dramatic force. The singers, though lacking the vocal beauty of those in some other recordings, are both native Hungarians, and moreover, the Bluebeard in this recording was tutored in the role by Bartok himself. Arguably then, the singing here, along with the conducting, possesses the most stylistic authority of all the versions currently available.
Finally, the recorded sound is crystal clear and dynamic, thus enhancing the qualities of Dorati's performance.
If you are a lover of Bartok, this is an essential purchase.

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