Episodes

SeriesEpisodeFirst
Broadcast
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20070120071210Anton Webern (1883-1945)

1/5. Donald Macleod tackles Webern's forbidding reputation, and explores some myths about the spirit behind his music.

Quartet, Op 28 (2nd mvt)

Quatuor Parisii

Four Songs, Op 13

Heather Harper (soprano)

London Symphony Orchestra

Pierre Boulez (conductor)

Concerto, Op 24

Members of the Staatskapelle Dresden

Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor)

Passacaglia, Op 1

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Quatuor Debussy

Langsamer Satz

Psophos Quartet

Two Songs, Op 19

BBC Singers

Ensemble InterContemporain

Pierre Boulez (conductor).

Donald Macleod explores some myths about the spirit behind Webern's music.

20070220071211Anton Webern (1883-1945)

2/5. Donald Macleod reveals how tragedy blighted Webern's early career, and considers the way his erratic, headstrong personality shaped the music he wrote.

Schmerz, immer blick nach oben (Three pieces for string quartet)

Dorothy Dorow (soprano)

Schoenberg Quartet

Five Movements, Op 5 (String orchestra version)

Munchener Kammerorchester

Christoph Poppen (conductor)

Three Songs (Nos 1 and 2)

Svetlana Savenko (soprano)

Yuri Polubelov (piano)

Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen, Op 2

Netherlands Chamber Choir

Six Pieces, Op 6

The Cleveland Orchestra

Christoph von Dohnanyi (conductor)

Four Pieces for violin and piano, Op 7

Jesse Mills (violin)

Christopher Oldfather (piano)

Six Songs, Op 14

Heather Harper (soprano)

Members of the London Symphony Orchestra

Pierre Boulez (conductor).

Donald Macleod reveals how tragedy blighted Webern's early career.

20070320071212Anton Webern (1883-1945)

3/5. Donald Macleod investigates how Webern's encounter with his mentor Arnold Schoenberg led to a continuing relationship that imposed on huge areas of his life and music, and not always in a positive way.

Kinderstuck

Yuji Takahashi (piano)

Piano Quintet

Ensemble InterContemporain

Five Songs, Op 4

Christiane Oelze (soprano)

Eric Schneider (piano)

Three pieces for cello and piano, Op 11

Fred Sherry (cello)

Christopher Oldfather (piano)

Six Bagatelles, Op 9

Artis Quartet

Symphony, Op 21

The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra

Christoph von Dohnanyi (conductor)

Quartet, Op 22

Jennifer Frautschi (violin)

Daniel Goble (tenor saxophone)

Michael Lowenstern (clarinet).

Donald Macleod looks at Webern's encounter with his mentor Arnold Schoenberg.

20070420071213The years between the Wars brought hardship to Webern and all of Austria, but the composer also discovered a new muse, the poet Hidegard Jone. Presented by Donald Macleod.

Playlist

Five Pieces, Op 10

Staatskapelle Dresden

Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor)

Teldec 3984229022

CD1 tracks 9 to 13

Trio, Op 20

Ani Kavafian (violin)

Richard O'Neill (viola)

Fred Sherry (cello)

Naxos 8.557530

CD 1 tracks 14-15

Three songs, Op 23

Christiane Oelze (soprano)

Eric Schneider (piano)

Deutsche Grammophon 4471932

CD1 tracks 35-37

Das Augenlicht, Op 26

BBC Singers

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Pierre Boulez (conductor)

Deutsche Grammophon 4477652

CD1 t11

Bach, arr. Webern: Fuga (Ricercata)

Munchener Kammerorchester

Christoph Poppen (conductor)

ECM 4619122

CD1 t14

Cantata No 1, Op 29

Christine Oelze (soprano)

CD1 tracks 12-14

4/5. The inter-war years and a new muse, the poet Hidegard Jone.

200705 LAST20071214Anton Webern (1883-1945)

5/5. Donald Macleod reflects on Webern's intense love of his homeland Austria, which helped him through the difficulties of the Second World War until his death at the hands of an American soldier.

Variations, Op 30

Ulster Orchestra

Takuo Yuasa (conductor)

Three Songs, Op 25

Halina Lukomska (soprano)

Charles Rosen (piano)

Im Sommerwind

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Riccardo Chailly (conductor)

Variations for piano, Op 27

Barry Douglas (piano)

Cantata No 2, Op 31

Christiane Oelze (soprano)

Gerald Finley (bass)

BBC Singers

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Pierre Boulez (conductor)

Ideale Landschaft

Svetlana Savenko (soprano)

Yuri Polubelov (piano).

Donald Macleod reflects on Webern's intense love of his homeland Austria.