Berg, A.: 3 Stucke / 5 Altenberglieder / 7 Fruhe Lieder / Wein, Weib und Gesang

Featuring

Marc Albrecht
Christiane Iven
Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg
Alban Berg
Johann Strauss II (Jr.)

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Performer Biography

Christiane Iven, the soprano on this recording, began her career as a mezzo-soprano and won many international competitions before becoming a sought-after opera soprano.

Compositional Technique

The Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6, are described by Theodor Adorno as the 'most complicated of scores in existence' and feature an unusually large orchestral strength, including quadruple woodwinds and extensive percussion.

Composition History

Alban Berg's Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6, were written as a reaction to criticism from his former teacher, Arnold Schoenberg, who was unhappy with Berg's earlier compositions.

Composition History

The premiere of Alban Berg's Altenberg Lieder, Op. 4, on March 31, 1913, provoked an enormous scandal.

Compositional Technique

Alban Berg's Seven Early Songs, originally composed between 1905-1908, were orchestrated in 1928, with each song instrumented differently to link the poems.

Composer's Artistic Vision

For the Altenberg Lieder, Op. 4, Alban Berg deliberately chose extremely concise texts from postcards sent by the poet Peter Altenberg, known as 'the Socrates of the Viennese coffee-houses'.

Historical Context

Alban Berg arranged Johann Strauss's waltz 'Wine, Women and Song' for a salon ensemble for a 'Society for Private Musical Performances' founded by Arnold Schoenberg, which aimed to present new works and raise donations.