This disc directed by Robert Craft will be compulsory listening for Schoenberg fans. All the works here come from the second half of the composer's career, that is, after he had invented the dodecaphonic system. The program includes two chamber works, the String Trio, Op. 45, and the Septet-Suite, Op. 29; two pieces of choral music, the Four Pieces for Mixed Chorus, Op. 27, and the Three Satires for Mixed Chorus, Op. 28; and one orchestral work, the Accompaniment to a Cinematographic Scene, Op. 34. In every case, Craft has ...
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This disc directed by Robert Craft will be compulsory listening for Schoenberg fans. All the works here come from the second half of the composer's career, that is, after he had invented the dodecaphonic system. The program includes two chamber works, the String Trio, Op. 45, and the Septet-Suite, Op. 29; two pieces of choral music, the Four Pieces for Mixed Chorus, Op. 27, and the Three Satires for Mixed Chorus, Op. 28; and one orchestral work, the Accompaniment to a Cinematographic Scene, Op. 34. In every case, Craft has assembled a crack team of players, including the London Symphony, the Simon Joly Chorale, and Rolf Schulte, Richard O'Neill, and Fred Sherry. They deliver note-perfect performances that are nevertheless full of passion and insight. The String Trio, said to depict the composer's heart attack, is truly frightening, and the Three Satires, one of which pokes fun at Stravinsky, are truly funny. The Septet-Suite, if not exactly elegant, is at least as smooth and sweet as Schoenberg ever...
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