01. - 04. Pelleas und Melisande, op.5* [42'25]
05. Accompaniment to a Cinematographic Scene, op.34 [8'41]
06. - 10. Five Pieces for Orchestra, op.16 (1949 revised version) [18'50]
Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Edo de Waart
ABC Classics 4545142 [recorded 1994 and 1996*: digital download released 2012]
[digital download; flacs, cover and inlay scans - no booklet]
Recording venue: Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House
Recording engineers: Allan Maclean & Yossi Gabbay; Producer: Tim Handley
These performances were recorded in concert during Dutch conductor Edo de Waart's tenure as chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony. He is the current chief conductor of the New Zealand Symphony.
The three works come from three stages of Schoenberg's composing styles - the tone poem Pelleas und Melisande from his early romantic period, Five Pieces for Orchestra from his first atonal period and Accompaniment to a Cinematographic Scene from his late full 12-tone period. All three are relatively seldom performed - or recorded.
The influence of Richard Strauss and Wagner are very obvious in Pelleas und Melisande, written at around the same time that Debussy was composing his opera based on the same Maeterlinck play. Although, apparently, Strauss disapproved of the work.
In the other two works, Schoenberg is very much his own man. The impersonal title Five Pieces for Orchestra accurately describes the uncompromising, abstract style of music - with the descriptive movement titles added at the publisher's request. The revision of 1949 brought down the required orchestral complement to 'standard' size from the earlier requirement for a giant orchestra as required for Pelleas und Melisande. And the title Accompaniment to a Cinematographic Scene must have been given with tongue firmly in cheek as it is difficult to consider this music actually being used for a film - even a German expressionist silent movie.
The Sydney Symphony play superbly for de Waart who is fully in tune with Schoenberg and his works. [This was also displayed in the recording of the Piano Concerto with Roger Woodward posted here earlier.] Edo de Waart always seems to be at his best in concert, rather than the recording studio.