Arnold Schoenberg: Expressionist Music in Bloomington, MN

Arnold Schoenberg
's songs are not particularly common on vocal recitals, and it is safe to say that they have never received advocacy like what they get here from soprano
Claire Booth
and pianist
Christopher Glynn
. "[F]or anyone who believes that
Schoenberg
is cold, cerebral, and unapproachable, we can only say this: try the songs," they write. Moreover, they group the 24 songs here into approachable themes (Expectation, Flesh, Nocturne, Hatred, Satire, Thinking, Winter Scene, and Tears), and, best of all, each of these themes is illustrated by one of
's paintings, with permission of the composer's living relatives. The performers seem to have achieved their goal, to judge by the appearance of this album on classical best-seller lists in the spring of 2024. Indeed, there are little-known and highly enjoyable songs here, including some that display a sense of humor, this not being something for which
was known. Try the two songs from the never-published
Brettl-Lieder
. Another oddity is "Mein Herz ist mir gemenget," from the unpublished collection
German Folksongs
; this has a novel relationship between vocal line and accompaniment that pianist
Glynn
holds well in hand. The term "
Expressionist Music
" in the title can mean a lot of things, and there are a variety of modes here. Most of the songs are early and more or less tonal, with the
Hochzeitslied ("Wedding Song"), Op. 3, No. 4
, toward the former end of the spectrum (the album was released just in time for the summer wedding season in 2024). There are a few songs from the serialist
Op. 48 set
, and some pieces for
solo from the
Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19
; these are atonal but not serial.
's best-known songs, the cycle
Book of Hanging Gardens, Op. 15
, are missing; perhaps they are still to come, with the ground prepared, on a second recording.
Orchid Classics
' church sound dulls the sharp edge that is the best thing about many of these songs. In general, though, this is a release that will raise the profile of the
song repertory a bit. ~ James Manheim