Berg: Lyric Suite; Wellesz: Sonnets By Elizabeth Barrett-Browning

A very interesting and well performed set of pieces. The new vocal piece presented here is of huge historical importance. Worth a listen and something to own!

The Lyric Suite and its secret program led to the discovery of the scholar George Perle: the version with voice of the last movement. Some years ago the Kronos Quartet with Dawn Upshaw recorded this version for the first time. Later an excellent version, perhaps the best, was done with the Diotima Quartet and Marie-Nicole Lemieux. This new recording does not exceed the above despite being of a high level. The Emerson Quartet perform an excellent version of the Lyric Suite, but René Fleming does not impress in the final movement. Good idea to put the two versions of the last movement, with and without voice. This CD is really indispensable for a masterpiece of Egon Wellesz, one composer unjustly unknown. Here René Fleming is amazing. I did not understand the inclusion of a work of Erich Zeisl, a simplistic work. The same interpreters might have recorded the Quartet 2 of Arnold Schoenberg. Maybe a next time.

Many listeners will be familiar with the composer’s own 3 Movement Orchestration for String Orchestra of Berg’s Lyric Suite from admired recordings by the likes of Karajan, Abbado and Boulez, others will be familiar with the complete suite for String Quartet, but the inclusion of the “ secret movement” of the last movement with sung text by soprano is a rarity.Although dedicated by Berg to Zemlinsky, the real dedicatee and indeed subject of the work was Hanna Fuchs-Robettin, sister of Franz Werfel and wife of a Prague Industrialist with whom Berg was staying during the period of composition, and with whom he had a prolonged illicit affair.Composed between 1925-6, the suite is composed in the dodecaphonic idiom which does not in any way militate against lyrical passion in the score. Fragments of Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony and Wagner’s Tristan emerge in the music, which while not an easy listen is endlessly rewarding to the patient listener.There is a full completion for String Orchestra from 2006 by another hand, but in a performance of such power and passion as this one by the Emersons, the full completion is superfluous in my view.Such is the expressive power and weight of this Quartet’s playing that at times one could be forgiven for thinking that a string orchestra is playing. Playing and recording are sensational-there is no other word for them.To add to the fascination, there is the “secret” final movement which was discovered in Berg’s papers by scholar Georg Perle in which text from Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” is sung by a soprano. It was kept secret as it depicts the composer’s passion for his host’s wife, so one can see why!!This is offered as an addition to the original suite in this recording, sung by none other than Renee Fleming. I am so pleased to hear her tackle this repertoire so far removed from the “ Renee Sings….” type of offering we have had from her so often.She begins with a throaty quality which blooms into the refulgent tone so apt for this work.She captures the passion and expression perfectly to my ears.A real delight for me on this set was to discover the 5 Sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning in translations by Rilke composed by Egon Wellesz at broadly the same time as the Berg suite and which are really beautiful. There is more tonality in these songs, with echoes of late Mahler, Zemlinsky and early Schoenberg characterising the music.The Emersons and Renee are totally convincing and I cannot imagine this work better performed-an absolute delight.The brief arrangement of a piece by Erich Zeisl, Viennese born composer who fled to the USA is a charming if somewhat incongruous addition to the programme. It is entirely tonal and of course, beautifully performed but sits rather uneasily with the other 2 works-still, better to have it here than not at all as it IS a really charming miniature.The presentation is beautiful with a gorgeous Klimt cover and a really interesting and informative booklet along with full text and translations of the songs themselves. The disc is somewhat short measure but is offered at mid-price- and one cannot put a price on such artistryThis cd will be a step too far for many of La Fleming’s many admirers, but I find it to be some of her best work, and with the Emersons being incomparable in this repertoire I cannot recommend this recording highly enough! 5 Stars. Stewart Crowe.

Many listeners will be familiar with the composer’s own 3 Movement Orchestration for String Orchestra of Berg’s Lyric Suite from admired recordings by the likes of Karajan, Abbado and Boulez, others will be familiar with the complete suite for String Quartet, but the inclusion of the “ secret movement” of the last movement with sung text by soprano is a rarity.Although dedicated by Berg to Zemlinsky, the real dedicatee and indeed subject of the work was Hanna Fuchs-Robettin, sister of Franz Werfel and wife of a Prague Industrialist with whom Berg was staying during the period of composition, and with whom he had a prolonged illicit affair.Composed between 1925-6, the suite is composed in the dodecaphonic idiom which does not in any way militate against lyrical passion in the score. Fragments of Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony and Wagner’s Tristan emerge in the music, which while not an easy listen is endlessly rewarding to the patient listener.There is a full completion for String Orchestra from 2006 by another hand, but in a performance of such power and passion as this one by the Emersons, the full completion is superfluous in my view.Such is the expressive power and weight of this Quartet’s playing that at times one could be forgiven for thinking that a string orchestra is playing. Playing and recording are sensational-there is no other word for them.To add to the fascination, there is the “secret” final movement which was discovered in Berg’s papers by scholar Georg Perle in which text from Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” is sung by a soprano. It was kept secret as it depicts the composer’s passion for his host’s wife, so one can see why!!This is offered as an addition to the original suite in this recording, sung by none other than Renee Fleming. I am so pleased to hear her tackle this repertoire so far removed from the “ Renee Sings….” type of offering we have had from her so often.She begins with a throaty quality which blooms into the refulgent tone so apt for this work.She captures the passion and expression perfectly to my ears.A real delight for me on this set was to discover the 5 Sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning in translations by Rilke composed by Egon Wellesz at broadly the same time as the Berg suite and which are really beautiful. There is more tonality in these songs, with echoes of late Mahler, Zemlinsky and early Schoenberg characterising the music.The Emersons and Renee are totally convincing and I cannot imagine this work better performed-an absolute delight.The brief arrangement of a piece by Erich Zeisl, Viennese born composer who fled to the USA is a charming if somewhat incongruous addition to the programme. It is entirely tonal and of course, beautifully performed but sits rather uneasily with the other 2 works-still, better to have it here than not at all as it IS a really charming miniature.The presentation is beautiful with a gorgeous Klimt cover and a really interesting and informative booklet along with full text and translations of the songs themselves. The disc is somewhat short measure but is offered at mid-price and one cannot put a price on such artistry.This cd will be a step too far for many of La Fleming’s many admirers, but I find it to be some of her best work, and with the Emersons being incomparable in this repertoire I cannot recommend this recording highly enough! 5 Stars. Stewart Crowe.

Voilà bien une rareté très composite. Personnellement je ne connaissais absolument pas des compositeurs comme Wellesz et Zeisl. La suite lyrique de Berg est bien plus célèbre évidemment mais il s'agit ici d'une version "alternative" avec une brève partie chantée. Etrange choix en fait mais qui ne pénalise pas (ou peu) la qualité de l'ouvrage. Je n'ai pas reconnu le timbre de voix de Renée Fleming laquelle nous avait habitué à un autre répertoire.

Everything worked well

ALBAN BERGLyric SuiteEGON WELLESZSonnets for Elizabeth Barrett Browning Op. 52ERIC ZEISLKomm, susser TodEmerson String QuartetEugene Drucker and Philip Setzer, violinsLawrence Dutton, violaPaul Watkins, celloRenee Fleming, soprano2014 / 15 年録音DECCA【収録情報】Alban Berg (1885 - 1935)Lyric Suite for String Quartet (1926)1. I. Allegretto gioviale 3:102. II. Andante amoroso 5:453. III. Allegro misterioso - Trio estatico 3:194. IV. Adagio appassionato 5:355. V. Presto delirando - Tenebroso 4:406. VI. Largo desolato 5:357. VI. Largo desolato (Alternative version with Soprano) 5:58Egon Wellesz (1885 - 1974)Sonnets From The Portuguese, Op.528. I. Und es geschah mir einst, an Theokrit zu denken 5:059. II. Nur drei jedoch in Gottes ganzen All vernahmen es 3:4310. III. Du bist da droben im Palast begehrt 3:0911. IV. Ich denk an dich 3:1312. V. Mir scheint, das Angesicht der Welt verging in einem andern 4:24Eric Zeisl (1905 - 1959)13. Komm, susser Tod 2:52Total Time: 56:25--1.　ベルク：抒情組曲（弦楽四重奏版　全6曲）2.　ベルク：抒情組曲〜第6曲『悲嘆のラルゴ』（ソプラノ独唱付き）3.　ヴェレス：エリザベス・バレット・ブラウニングによるソネット Op.524.　ツァイスル：来たれ、汝甘き死の時よ　ルネ・フレミング（ソプラノ：2-4）　エマーソン弦楽四重奏団　録音時期：2015年2月（1）、2014年6月（2）、2014年8月（3,4）　録音場所：ニューヨーク市立大学クイーンズ校（1,2）　ドルー神学校（3,4）　録音方式：ステレオ（デジタル／セッション）（HMV.co.jp より）==随分昔、ある人と、シノーポリのベルクについて意見交換した時、彼は、「シノーポリのベルクは下手だと思う。ソレは、暗くて、ベルクの良さが伝わらない」という主旨の発言をなさっていましたが、私は、内心、「おら、シノーポリのベルクは、その根暗（ねくら）な激しさが好きだ」と、思っていた。エマーソンＳＱのメンバーは、１９５１年〜１９５４年生まれであり（ウィキペディアより）、このアルバムの録音時、彼らは、既に、６０歳を超えていると思われる（ただし、ポール・ワトキンス、１９７０年生まれ、は、２０１３−１４年のシーズンに、エマーソン弦楽四重奏団を離れたチェリスト、デイヴィッド・フィンケルに代わり、同四重奏団に加入した。Paul Watkins (born 1970) ... Watkins joined the Emerson String Quartet in the 2013-14 season, replacing the departing cellist David Finckel. ）。しかし、エマーソンＳＱのベルクは、そのアンサンブルにおいて、まったく衰えていない（それどころか、スリリングで迫力ありかつ明快なアンサンブル）。そして、彼らのベルクは、シノーポリと対照的に根明（ねあか）である（エマーソンＳＱのベルクの方が、シノーポリと違って、健康的でいいのだが、しかし、ソレは私がイメージするベルクと違う・・・しかし・・・それは私の好みの問題である、と思う）。エマーソンＳＱの最高傑作は、疑いもなく、バルトーク：弦楽四重奏曲全集（１９８８年録音） 6 String Quartets である。そして、エマーソンＳＱのバルトーク：弦楽四重奏曲全集（１９８８年録音）を超える同曲全集の録音は、現在まで、他に存在しない（と思う！）。そして、今、エマーソンＳＱのバルトーク全集録音から、約２６年後、（繰り返すが）エマーソンＳＱの演奏に、年齢による衰えはない。ただし、彼らが聴かせたバルトーク：弦楽四重奏曲全集での「アグレッシヴと精密な技巧」の完璧な同居、その完璧さは、やっぱり、後退していると思う。エマーソンＳＱは、角が取れたと思う（たとえば、１９６８年に録音されたラサールＱの「ベルク：抒情組曲」の方がエマーソンＳＱのそれより精緻だと思う）。当該アルバム（Berg / Wellesz / Zeisl）において、エマーソンＳＱの演奏は、上のバルトーク全集よりやや粗く、しかし、タフになったと思う・・・その「タフ」の意味：それは、彼らの、コノ新しいアルバムが、ベルクの傑作のみならず（ベルクにおいて彼らは既にタフであるが、さらに）、エゴン・ヴェレス（Egon Wellesz 1885 - 1974）という作曲家の力作「エリザベス・バレット・ブラウニングによるソネット Op.52」をも取り上げたこと・・・すなわち、彼らの、コノ新しいアルバムが、「旺盛な意欲」「高いテンション＆モチベーション」を持つことだ。ヴェレスのその作品のテキストは「英国ビクトリア時代の詩人ブラウニングの詩をリルケがドイツ語に翻訳したもの（HMV.co.jp より）」つまり、リルケ自身の詩ではない。とは言え、そのテキストで、リルケの高尚なドイツ語を味わえる（私は、学生時代、ドイツ文学を学んだが、リルケの詩の高尚さには敬意を払っている）。私は、このアルバムの国内盤（日本語歌詞対訳付）が出たら、買おうと思う（残念ながら、私の語学力では、このアルバムのすべての詩を理解できないから（汗）。誤解を怖れずに言えば、このアルバムは、エマーソンＳＱより、ルネ・フレミングが良い。うまい。彼女が主役だ、と、思う。 6 String Quartets

a lovely disc