The Glenn Gould Edition / Schoenberg: Lieder - Ellen Faull, Helen Vanni, Donald Gramm, Cornelius Opthof, Glenn Gould ‎/ Sony Classical ‎2x Audio CD 1995 / SM2K52667

UPC 5099705266724

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Review:

Schönberg's early Lieder Op.1,2&3 sounds very much like crossover between Wagner and R.Strauß. Glenn Gould is a superb accompanist capturing subtlety and deep Romanticism of these songs. Originally he wanted to record all Schönberg Lieder with Schwarzkopf (the soprano he greatly admired) but they (or rather she) fell out due to interpretative issues when they recorded Strauß Lieder. She could not stand Gould adding some notes to piano part and not following composer's directions. What a shame! A classical case of snobbish conservatism spoiling a great opportunity to explore other interpretative possiblities!
Fortunately, soprano Ellen Faull, mezzo Helen Vanni, baritone Donald Gramm and Cornelis Opthof are all able and fine singers, their German pronounciation is occasionally very English according to my German wife, though.
Listening to all these Lieder, one can appreciate seamless continuity between Wagnerian Romanticism and gradual transition to atonal music. There is no distinction in the way Gould treats the both earlier and later Lieder. Highly recommendable alongside his Hindemith Lieder recording

About Glenn Herbert:

Glenn Herbert Gould (25 September 1932 – 4 October 1982) was a Canadian pianist who became one of the best-known and most-celebrated classical pianists of the 20th century. He was renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Gould's playing was distinguished by a remarkable technical proficiency and a capacity to articulate the contrapuntal texture of Bach's music.

Gould rejected most of the standard Romantic piano literature by Chopin, Liszt, and others, in favour of Bach and Beethoven mainly, along with some late-Romantic and modernist composers. Although his recordings were dominated by Bach and Beethoven, Gould's repertoire was diverse, including works by Mozart, Haydn, and Brahms; pre-Baroque composers such as Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and Orlando Gibbons; and 20th-century composers including Paul Hindemith, Arnold Schoenberg, and Richard Strauss. Gould was known for his eccentricities, from his unorthodox musical interpretations and mannerisms at the keyboard to aspects of his lifestyle and behaviour. He stopped giving concerts at the age of 31 to concentrate on studio recording and other projects.

Gould was also a writer, broadcaster, composer and conductor. He was a prolific contributor to musical journals, in which he discussed music theory and outlined his musical philosophy. He performed on television and radio, and produced three musique concrète radio documentaries called the Solitude Trilogy, about isolated areas of Canada.

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