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My favorite works of Schoenberg are personna non gratas, I Shall explain further on?

1191 Views 6 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Heck148
How Bizzaro bizarre, but this is obvious, everyone prefers the Guerrelieder and Le Pierrot Lunaire, but I really like six orchestral songs very much and Herzgewachse opus.20 is not to be miss, these are crucial Schoenberg or Schonberg works if you disagree you probably lie a bit, to contradicted me ;)
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I certainly do think that Schoenberg was a great song writer. The songs are mostly very approachable, too. I also love Herzgewachse. I am not a huge fan of Pierrot but do value Guerrelieder greatly. Both were seminal works.
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I can see why deprofundis would like what he does: he likes good, normal singing, not that sprechstimme stuff.

I, on the other hand, like weirdness and horror-show stuff.

BTW, this old LP box set has the best version of Herzgewachse I've heard.

Herzgewächse (German: "Foliage of the Heart"), Op. 20, is a composition by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg scored for coloratura soprano, celesta, harmonium, and harp. The text is taken from a poem of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck. The duration of the work is approximately three-and-a-half minutes, making it the shortest of Schoenberg's works with an opus number. The work is also notable for the extreme demands made on the singer which at one point has to ascend to a high F (pianissimo), nearly two-and-a-half octaves above middle C.

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I find Gurrelieder too Wagnerian, but like early Debussy it's enjoyable. I like the so-called "pierrot ensemble" mix of instruments but the vocals really depends on the soloist's choice of approach. So stuff like the 2nd quartet and the Serenade are more my speed. I find all of Arnold's chamber music to be especially rewarding.
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As a German, I'm quite familiar with Schönbergs Opern (Erwartung, Von Heute auf Morgen (first 12 tone Opera in the history) Moses & Aaron und Die Glückliche Hand) What I can say (for me only) is that despite my respect and admiration for the composer and his musical novelties, I can not follow and understand his music. And, most of all, I can't enjoy it. I listen to it to learn something new (if I can, because I understand nothing) or for the experience. The songs are something else. More approachable I could say. But, like with Orffs songs, are something alien to me. Something remoted which mostly provokes anxiety and not the required musical easiness to feed my soul. Dimitris had the ultimate respect for Arnold. He knew much better than me...
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Dimitris had the ultimate respect for Arnold. He knew much better than me...
I think you underestimate the "hipsterness" and pretentiousness of artists. Many people, even great ones, are susceptible to hype and group think.

I think that explains most of 20th century atonalism.

I say that as someone who does respect Schoenberg a bit. I feel the need to denigrate it though. It's not beautiful music, lets just be honest. It's ugly music. There's a place for that, there's a place for modern art. It should never have become a central force in Western music, and in the academy. It was hype mixed with pseudo-intellectualism in the worst way.

Just my opinion obviously. I'll stick with Bach.
I love Schoenberg's music..the. big orchestral works are favorites:
5 Orchestra Pieces
Vars for Orchestra
Pelleas & Melisande
i also love:
both Chamber symphonies
Violin Cto
Piano Cto..
Moses &Aro
Suite, 3 Little Orch pieces.
great composer, IMO....
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