Alban Berg's expressionistic Wozzeck (1917-1922), based on the unfinished play Woyzeck by Georg Büchner, is regarded as one of the greatest 20th century operas, and its deep plunge into themes of sadism, madness, and murder made it one of the first psychopathological studies in opera. This concert performance by the Houston Symphony Orchestra under Hans Graf features baritone Roman Trekel as Wozzeck, soprano Anne Schwanewilms as Marie, tenor Marc Molomot as the Captain, bass-baritone Nathan Berg as the Doctor, and tenor ...
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Alban Berg's expressionistic Wozzeck (1917-1922), based on the unfinished play Woyzeck by Georg Büchner, is regarded as one of the greatest 20th century operas, and its deep plunge into themes of sadism, madness, and murder made it one of the first psychopathological studies in opera. This concert performance by the Houston Symphony Orchestra under Hans Graf features baritone Roman Trekel as Wozzeck, soprano Anne Schwanewilms as Marie, tenor Marc Molomot as the Captain, bass-baritone Nathan Berg as the Doctor, and tenor Gordon Gietz as the Drum Major. The demanding music, which veers between atonality and tonality, and challenging vocal lines outline the disturbing tale of the soldier Wozzeck, who is systematically abused and driven to kill his wife, only to succumb to insanity and drown himself while trying to hide his knife. The angular music and the abrupt action contribute to the persistent feeling of instability and cruelty, and while Berg's score is far from the harshest music ever given...
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