Arnold Schönberg’s Gurrelieder, composed in 1911 and his most occupied work, should also be his during his lifetime
bring greatest success. In addition to the 150 orchestra musicians, there are five soloists, a speaker, a male and a mixed choir. However, anyone associating Schönberg with highly abstract, difficult-to-decipher twelve-tone compositions should be surprised by the Gurrelieder composed in the late Romantic tradition. For all the late romantic intoxication of this music, Schönberg avoids the danger of sliding into the outwardly pompousness.
This DVD recording was made on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in October 2009 in the Munich Philharmonic in Gasteig. The Bavarian Radio Choir, led by Mariss Jansonssang, supported by the NDR Choir and the MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig. The top-class soloists included Mihoko Fujimura, Stig Andersen and Michael Volle. Especially a composition that is based on such excessive sound means gains structure for the listener not least through the help of the eye, which supports the hearing in following the complex sound events. The image level of the DVD is not only an optical documentation of a monumental musical event, but also a valuable aid for the listener.
