Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht

Simply supreme string orchestra/ensemble writing, very post-romantic, almost Mahlerian/Wagnerian ie. just before he went all serialist, the absolute pinnacle of chromaticism.

It's all about a couple walking through a wood or something.

Read up on wikipedia.


Seriously though, this is wunderschon.

I recommend Karajan/Yoyo Ma.

It seems to work well enough in its original form. A shame I haven't got to hear a live performance like that. Of the few attempts to record it, I go for the augmented Hollywood String Quartet no matter if it is a little older.

The work sounds richer in orchestral form but trades off an intimacy of voice and counterpoint and maybe the underlying "story".

i love this work ... when i hear it first time 20 years ago it was shock for me who knows just italian opras , beethoven mozart tshaikovsky ... this work opend my mind for new harmony and maked me search for newest music...