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A New Century

Donald Macleod focuses on the cultural life of Vienna at the start of the 20th century, introducing works by Schoenberg, Zemlinsky, Webern and Mahler.

Donald Macleod presents a picture of the most exciting cultural city in the world in the early 1900s: home of Mahler, Schoenberg and Freud.

As part of World War I on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, this week Radio 3 focuses on the European music scene in the years leading up to the First World War.
In the first decade and a half of the twentieth century, Vienna was the hub of the world's art, music and philosophy. Donald Macleod takes us through the key musical figures and works that made waves in pre-war Vienna, including Mahler, Korngold, Zemlinsky and the "Second Viennese School" of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern, and explores the personal, musical and philosophical conflicts that tore it apart.

Donald begins the week at the dawn of the 20th century, with the 26-year old Schoenberg busily penning his early masterpiece for string sextet, Verklärte Nacht, before moving on to perhaps the last great work of the Romantic era, Gurrelieder. But the prodigy of Viennese new music circles is not Schoenberg, but his older colleague ? and future brother-in-law ? Alexander Zemlinsky, soon to be cruelly abandoned by the beautiful Alma Schindler ? the future Mrs Gustav Mahler. Meanwhile, a wide-eyed young man from the countryside, Anton von Webern, arrives in the metropolis and seeks out a teacher...

1 hour

Last on

Mon 6 Jan 2014 18:30

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Music Played

  • Anton Webern

    Two Pieces for Cello and Piano

    Performer: Clemens Hagen. Performer: Oleg Maisemberg.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON: 2576372.
    • 1.
  • Alexander von Zemlinsky

    3 Ballet pieces for orchestra

    Orchestra: Hamburg State Opera Orchestra. Conductor: Gerd Albrecht.
    • CAPRICCIO : 10-448.
    • CAPRICCIO.
    • 8.
  • Arnold Schoenberg

    Verklarte Nacht Op.4 for string sextet

    Performer: Janine Jansen. Performer: Boris Brovtsyn. Performer: Maxim Rysanov. Performer: Amihai Grosz. Performer: Torleif ThedΓ©en. Performer: Jens Peter Maintz.
    • DECCA : 478-3551.
    • DECCA.
    • 3.
  • Gustav Mahler

    IV. Sehr behaglich: Wir geniessen der himmlischen Freuden

    Singer: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Otto Klemperer.
    • EMI: CDM7696672.
    • 4.
  • Anton Webern

    3 Poems for voice and piano [1899-1903]

    Singer: Christiane Oelze. Performer: Eric Schneider.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON: 2576372.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 1.
  • Arnold Schoenberg

    Gurrelieder for soloists, chorus and orchestra

    Singer: Anne Sofie von Otter. Orchestra: BERLIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • EMI CLASSICS : 50999-4-57562-1.
    • EMI CLASSICS.
    • 12.

Broadcasts

  • Mon 6 Jan 2014 12:00
  • Mon 6 Jan 2014 18:30

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