Thursday 1 December 2016

These classical punks: Vienna 1908-1914


Good find in the charity shop today, Vienna 1908-1914 for £1.99. I should know the art used on the cover because I recognise it but can't name it...what the hell it makes a fine sleeve. As you know, record labels were fond of using modern art for their 'modernist' classical releases. It remains a mystery, though, as to why they're relatively scarce in charity shops compared to the big guns like Beethoven, Bach etc. perhaps it's simply a matter of less people buying them in the first place resulting in less in circulation today. The music's fantastic, of course. Comparing the two, Dorati does a much better job of creating the drama of the Schoenberg pieces than Simon Rattle. I only know because I just compared them. Speaking of their music, Schoenberg extolled the virtues of 'extreme expressiveness' and 'extraordinary brevity' - amen to that. In such brevity (as opposed to lengthy, Romantic grandeur) this music still packs a punch akin to that landed by The Ramones in a time of long-winded Prog Rock awfulness.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...