Monday, February 6, 2023

WERGO

WER 50001 (1963, reissue of Vega – C 35 A 175, 1960)

Arnold Schoenberg: Erwartung (monodram) op. 17 (1909) (31:24)
Libretto by Marie Pappenheim

Soprano Vocals: Helga Pilarczyk
Orchestra: Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Herford, Conductor: Hermann Scherchen

Structured in four scenes, the singer of this theatrical "monologue" searches for her lover in a strange forest. Musically, Schoenberg uses "free tonality" to paint an aural soundscape reflecting the psychological terrain through which the singer travels (both literally and mentally). Each section employs at different times dissonant ensemble passages, ominous rhythmic patterns, fervent crescendos and angular polyphonic sequences. The vocals are mainly sung, but some passages are spoken (or shouted).

  • Scene 1 (2:43): Under a moonlit sky, a woman enters a fearful, forbidding forest. 
  • Scene 2 (3:01): The woman searches for someone whom she had expected in her garden earlier. A night bird startles her and she mistakes a tree trunk for a body.
  • Scene 3 (1:54): She reaches a moonlit path and still finds nothing, but hears more ominous animal sounds.
  • Scene 4 (23:49): Eventually she discovers her lover's dead body in front of a house and thinks that his other lover must have killed him. She mourns her loss in disbelief and expresses her resentment against him for choosing the other woman over her.

In some ways this piece is a large-scale predecessor to the melodrama Pierrot Lunaire Op.21 (1912), especially since the first three scenes of Erwartung are very short, and the fourth scene can be subdivided into smaller sequences as well.

WER 50002 (1962, reissue of Vega C 35 A 153, 1958)  

Igor Stravinsky: Agon: Ballet for Twelve Dancers (1957) (22:14)

Orchestra: Sinfonieorchester Des Südwestfunks, Baden-Baden, Conductor: Hans Rosbaud, recorded 1957

This ballet (written for a George Balanchine production) is structured as follows:

Side 1 (8:44):

  • Pas-de-quatre
  • Double pas-de-quatre
  • Triple pas-de-quatre (Coda)
  • Prelude
  • First pas-de-trois (Sarabande-step - Gaillarde - Coda)

Side 2 (13:31):

  • Interlude
  • Second pas-de-trois (Bransle simple - Bransle gay - Bransle de Poitou)
  • Interlude
  • Pas-de-deux 
  • Four Duos
  • Four Trios

Although Stravinsky applies some chromaticism in places, his rhythmic treatment generally gives this piece a festive, playful mood, with even the "12-tone" sequences being more tongue-in-cheek than actually tense. Employing chamber sub-groupings of the orchestra (with a few sections featuring a substantial mandolin part), some of the short dance sequences are drawn from French 17th century court forms (Sarabande, Galliarde, Bransle). Additionally, the score has instructions synchronizing the dance elements to the music itself.

WER 50004 (1965, reissue of Vega C 35 A 181)

This record features two works by Francis Poulenc, with the French composer himself on piano. 

Francis Poulenc: Sonate Pour Flûte Et Piano (1957) (11:32)

  1. Allegro Malinconico
  2. Cantilena: Assez Lent
  3. Presto giocoso
  • Flute – Jean-Pierre Rampal
  • Piano – Francis Poulenc

This witty duet is very inviting and makes good use of "exotic" flavors in its lively opening theme. The slow middle movement (characterized by Poulenc as an interlude or fantasia) also has a modern-sounding, almost cinematic melody line. The final movement is a lively dance with many lilting, accented figures.

Francis Poulenc: Trio Pour Piano, Hautbois Et Basson (1924-26) (12:52)

  1. Presto (Lent-presto)
  2. Andante (Andante Con Moto)
  3. Rondo (Très Vif)
  • Piano – Francis Poulenc
  • Oboe – Pierre Pierlot
  • Bassoon – Maurice Allard

The early trio piece opens with a playful, Mozart-ian tone and but then soon embraces some more Romantic harmonies. However, the proceedings are always colored with some French wit. This recording is from 1957.

WER 60001 (1963, reissue of Disques Adès – MA 30 LA 524, 1962)

Pierrot Lunaire. Dreimal sieben Gedichte nach Albert Giraud, (Melodram) Op. 21 (1912) (32:18)

This was Wergo's first LP (the previous albums were 10 inch records).

Soprano Vocals: Helga Pilarczyk
Conductor: Pierre Boulez ("Kammerensemble Der Domaine Musical")

  • Piano: Maria Bergmann
  • Flute, Piccolo Flute: Jacques Castagner
  • Clarinet: Guy Deplus
  • Bass Clarinet: Louis Montaigne
  • Viola: Serge Collot
  • Violin: Luben Yordanoff
  • Cello: Jean Huchot

Pierrot Lunaire is performed by a soprano "speaker" and a chamber septet (or a quintet which can double on some instruments). Structured as 21 short poems (grouped into 3 parts), it depicts the various psychological states described in Albert Giraud's florid poetry. Although it doesn't employ Schoenberg's later 12-tone technique, the melodies are extremely chromatic and expressionistic. The 21 sections feature different subsets of instruments, but no more than five instruments perform at any one time. 

Part One (11:14)

  • Mondestrunken (Drunk with Moonlight): Piano, flute, violin, cello
  • Colombine (Columbine): Piano, violin, flute, clarinet
  • Der Dandy (The Dandy): Piano, piccolo, clarinet
  • Eine blasse Wäscherin (A Pallid (Ethereal) Washerwoman): Flute, clarinet, violin
  • Valse de Chopin: Piano, flute, clarinet/bass clarinet
  • Madonna: Flute, bass clarinet, cello (and piano)
  • Der kranke Mond (The Sick Moon): Flute

Part Two (10:44)

  • Nacht (Passacaglia) (Night): Piano, bass clarinet, cello
  • Gebet an Pierrot (Prayer to Pierrot): Clarinet, piano
  • Raub (Theft): Flute, clarinet, violin, cello
  • Rote Messe (Red Mass): Piccolo, bass clarinet, viola, cello, piano
  • Galgenlied (Gallows Song): Piccolo, viola, cello (and piano)
  • Enthauptung (Beheading): Bass clarinet/clarinet, viola, cello, piano, flute
  • Die Kreuze (The Crosses): Piano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello

Part Three (10:23)

  • Heimweh (Homesickness): Clarinet, violin, piano (and piccolo, cello)
  • Gemeinheit! (Foul Play/Vulgarity/Outrage): Violin, cello, piccolo, clarinet, piano
  • Parodie (Parody): Piccolo/flute, clarinet, viola, piano
  • Der Mondfleck (The Moon Spot): Piccolo, clarinet, violin, cello, piano
  • Serenade: Cello, piano
  • Heimfahrt (Barcarole) (Journey Home): Flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano
  • O Alter Duft (O Ancient Fragrance): Flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin/viola, cello, piano

WER 60002 (1963, reissue of Disques Adès – MA 30 LA 525, 1962)

Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade, Op. 24 (1920-23) (30:49)

  1. Marsch (4:15)  
  2. Menuett (6:32)  
  3. Variationen (3:37)  
  4. Sonett Nr. 217 Von Petrarca Für Eine Tiefe Männerstimme (2:49)   
  5. Tanzscene (6:28)  
  6. Lied (Ohne Worte) (2:15)   
  7. Finale (4:57)

Conductor: Pierre Boulez ("Kammerensemble Der Domaine Musical")

  • Guitar: Paul Stingl
  • Mandolin: Paul Grund
  • Cello: Jean Huchot
  • Clarinet: Guy Deplus
  • Clarinet, Bass Clarinet: Louis Montaigne
  • Viola: Serge Collot
  • Violin: Luben Yordanoff
  • Bass Vocals: Louis-Jacques Rondeleux (Sonett Nr. 217)

In this "dance" work, Schoenberg demonstrates that "atonal" 12-tone music can also be witty and comic. The use of guitar and mandolin in the instrumentation goes a long way towards creating this mood, as well as the use of lurching/galloping rhythmic devices.

WER 60003 (1963)

This album features Stravinsky's works for two pianos or 4-hands.

Pianos: Alfons Kontarsky, Aloys Kontarsky, recorded November 11, 1962.

Igor Stravinsky: Concerto Per Due Pianoforti Soli (1935) (20:52)

  1. Con Moto
  2. Notturno (Adagietto)
  3. Quattro Variazioni
  4. Preludio E Fuga

This is an energetic but "light" piece which makes use of tremolo rhythms and some jazzy harmonies.

Igor Stravinsky: Sonata For Two Pianos (1944) (10:25)

  1. Moderato
  2. Theme With Variation
  3. Allegretto

This piece draws some tendencies from the French, jazz-tinged parlour music of Debussy. The last section also includes a fugue, and is later structured as a series of short vignettes.

Igor Stravinsky: Drei Leichte Stücke Für Klavier, Vierhändig (1915) (3:51)

  1. Marche
  2. Valse
  3. Polka

Here, Stravinsky produces "traditional" rhythms but with some more exotic harmonies.

Igor Stravinsky: Fünf Leichte Stücke Für Klavier, Vierhändig (1916-17) (5:59)

  1. Andante
  2. Española
  3. Balalaika
  4. Napolitana
  5. Preludio E Fuga

Like the earlier pieces, this suite also shows Debussy's influence on Stravinsky, in particular in its inclusion of folk, dance and rustic colors.

WER 60004 (1963, reissue of Līgo – Д-04448/04449, 1960)

Sergei Prokofiev: Sonate Nr. 7 In B-dur Op. 83, Für Klavier (1942) (18:07)

  1. Allegro Inquieto
  2. Andante Caloroso
  3. Precipitato
This is one of Prokofiev's most dynamic piano sonatas, and features many contrasting figures. The second movement draws from Schubert, while the third movement is as terrifying as Bartok's Allegro Barbaro.

Sergei Prokofiev: Sonate Nr. 9 In C-dur Op. 103, Für Klavier (1947) (22:49)

  1. Allegretto    
  2. Allegro Strepitoso    
  3. Andante Tranquillo    
  4. Allegro Con Brio, Ma Non Troppo Presto 
Prokofiev's 9th Piano Sonata reverts back to a more "youthful" style, without the "transgressive" tendencies of his more challenging works, and its style may be more comparable to Romeo and Juliet. The first movement employs a folkloristic theme, and this "leitmotiv" returns in the last movement to close the work.
  • Piano: Sviatoslav Richter

WER 60005 (1963)
Hans Heinz Stuckenschmidt: Einführung In Die Neue Musik Mit Ausgewählten Tonbeispielen

This 2-LP set features Hans Heinz Stuckenschmidt describing current trends in modern music (from 1908 to 1958) with selected examples from the following works:

  • Arnold Schoenberg: The Book of the Hanging Gardens, Op. 15 (1908, 1909)
  • Arnold Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire (1912)
  • Igor Strawinsky: L'Histoire Du Soldat (1918)
  • Edgard Varese: Hyperprism (1922, 1923)
  • Arnold Schoenberg: Suite Für Klavier, Op. 25 (1921/23)
  • Anton Webern: Concerto for Nine Instruments, Op. 24 (1934)
  • Igor Stravinsky: Concerto for piano and wind orchestra (1923/24)
  • Béla Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936)
  • Karlheinz Stockhausen: Kontrapunkte (1953)
  • Pierre Schaeffer: Etude Aux Allures (for tape, 1958)
  • Luigi Nono: Il Canto Sospeso (1955-56)
  • Pierre Boulez: Le Marteau Sans Maitre (1955)
  • Hans Werner Henze: Kammermusik 58 (1958)

WER 60006 (1963)

Herbert Eimert: Einführung In Die Elektronische Musik (50:24)

This LP features Herbert Eimert describing the elements, history and techniques of electronic music (recorded at the Studio für elektronische Musik des Westdeutschen Rundfunks, Köln 1963).

Acoustic and Theoretical Basic Concepts

  • tone
  • sound
  • tone mixture
  • noise
  • harmony/consonance
  • sound transformation by ring modulator
  • sound generation by sine wave generator, noise generator and pulse generator

On the History and Compositional Technique

  • Beginnings 1952/53 - The Earliest Compositions
  • Further development Until 1960
  • Music and Language:
  • Acoustics and information theory - W. Meyer-Eppler
  • Production technology
  • Electronic Birthday Homage For Igor Stravinsky (1957)
  • On the Technique of Epitaph for Aikichi Kuboyama (1957-62)

WER 60007 (1963)

Béla Bartók: Sonate für zwei Klaviere und Schlagzeug, Sz 110 (1937) (26:53)

  1. Assai Lento / Allegro Molto
  2. Lento Ma Non Troppo
  3. Allegro Non Troppo 
  • Pianos: Alfons Kontarsky, Aloys Kontarsky
  • Percussion: Christoph Caskel, Heinz König 
Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion.

Béla Bartók: Sieben Stücke Aus Dem Mikrokosmos (Fassung Für Zwei Klaviere) (1926-39) (8:46)

  1. No. 113: Bulgarian Rhythm (1)
  2. No. 69: Chord study
  3. No. 135: Perpetual motion machine
  4. No. 123: Staccato And Legato
  5. No. 127: New Hungarian Folksong
  6. No. 145: Chromatic Invention
  7. No. 146: Ostinato
  • Pianos: Alfons Kontarsky, Aloys Kontarsky

Seven Pieces From Microkosmos (Version For Two Pianos).

This is the second Wergo release to feature Alfons and Aloys Kontarsky on pianos. Although these two works are not nearly as "avant garde" as the later works these performers would soon be associated with, both of these works feature elements of great rhythmic and harmonic interest.

WER 60008 (1963)

Claude Debussy: Petite Suite (1888-89) (12:52)

  • I. En bateau
  • II. Cortège
  • III. Menuet
  • IV. Ballet

Claude Debussy: Six Épigraphes antiques, L.131 (1914-15) (14:38)

  • I. Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d'été
  • II. Pour un tombeau sans nom
  • III. Pour que la nuit soit propice
  • IV. Pour la danseusse aux crotales
  • V. Pour l'Égyptienne
  • VI. Pour remercier la pluie au matin

Claude Debussy: Lindaraja (1901) (4:45)

Claude Debussy: En blanc et noir (1915) (15:34)

  • I. À mon ami A. [sic] Koussevitzky
  • II. Au Lieutenant Jacques Charlot tué à l'ennemi en 1915, le 3 mars
  • III. À mon ami Igor Stravinsky

Pianos: Alfons Kontarsky, Aloys Kontarsky 

This is the third Wergo release to feature Alfons and Aloys Kontarsky on pianos. Although Debussy's piano works generally have less tension than those of Stravinsky or Prokofiev, these works are among his most modernistic (excepting possibly the first piece).

WER 60009 (1960)

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Kontakte für elektronische Klänge, Klavier und Schlagzeug (1958-60) (34:55)

  1. Side 1 (16:11)
  2. Side 2 (18:45)
  • Piano (& percussion): Davis Tudor
  • Percussion: Christof Caskel
Contacts for electronic sounds, piano and percussion.

Although the tape element of this piece was created over 1958 to 1960, the instrumental part was recorded on the occasion of the 34th World Festival of the IGNM in Cologne on June 10, 1960 at WDR, Cologne (under the supervision of the composer, assissted by Gottfried Michael Koenig).

Kontakte marks Stockhausen's first "live" electro-acoustic work in the version with accompanying live instrumentalists. In GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE, a boy's voice was used in the assembly of the electronic layers, but in the case of Kontakte, the "concrete" sounds would be "joined" at the moment of performance. Originally planned as an electroacoustic work with 4 live performers playing scores with some aleatoric elements, it was eventually reduced to just tape, piano and percussion, with all of the live parts completely notated out.   

The basic sounds of the tape portion of Kontakte were mostly generated by a pulse generator which could create bursts of noise ("white noise clicks") at the rate of 16 clicks/second to 1 every 16 seconds, and with durations between 1/10000 of a second and 1-second. These "full-spectrum" noise impulses were then fed through a frequency bandwidth filter in order to produce pitches, noises and mixtures of both.  Other devices employed include reverb units and ring modulators.

The piano and percussion elements were designed by the composer to underline (synchronize with) elements of the electronic attacks. Sometimes the live instruments also dialogue with or even anticipate the tape elements.

WER 60010 (1964)

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Zyklus (1959) (Version 1) (11:39)

  • Percussion: Christoph Caskel

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Zyklus (1959) (Version 2) (10:15)

  • Percussion: Max Neuhaus 

Zyklus is a solo percussion piece which partially uses indeterminate notation to specify attacks. However, the types of percussion are organized by texture, and the performer moves from one grouping to another. Different versions of Zyklus are also markedly different due to the fact that the performer may start on any page of the score (but continue on the first page after reaching the last page until all pages have been completed).

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Klavierstuck X (1955/61) (22:02)

  • Piano: Frederic Rzewski 

This piano piece explores cluster chords and cluster glissandi, developing in pitch and dynamic range. After an initial explosion/overture, the work develops in groupings of small explosions (separated by pauses), each with their own substructure. From a tempo viewpoint, no initial speed is prescribed, but the piece follows a tempo specified in relative notation. 

WER 60011 (1965)

Pierre Boulez: Structures pour deux pianos, Book 1 (1952) (14:31)

  1. Part One (3:24)
  2. Part Two (8:31)
  3. Part Three (2:12)
Pierre Boulez: Structures pour deux pianos, Book 2 (1961) (19:42)
  1. Part 1 (8:37)
  2. Part 2 (10:43)
  • Pianos: Alfons Kontarsky, Aloys Kontarsky 

Boulez's intention with these works was to break away from the forms and styles of all previous music up until that time. To accomplish this, he applied the serial technique to the organization of pitch, dynamics, duration and articulation ("modes of attack"). In other words, by dividing each of these qualities into 12 degrees and then applying them so that no one degree dominated for any length of time, any obvious sense of key/harmony, tempo, dynamics or mood was obliterated. Nonetheless, moments of rhythmic dialogue between the two piano parts do give these works a sense of composed chaos. Book 2 also gives each of the two piano players several "solos" with which to explore some more unified textures.

Book 1 was initially premiered in Paris in 1952, performed by Boulez and Olivier Messiaen, while Book 2 was premiered in 1962 by Boulez and Yvonne Loriod.

This is the 4th Wergo release in 3 years to feature Alfons and Aloys Kontarsky on pianos, recorded in 1965 in Cologne. 

WER 60012 (1965)

Hans Werner Henze: Kammermusik 1958 über die Hymne "In lieblicher Bläue" von Friedrich Hölderlin für Tenor, Gitarre und acht Solo-Instrumente (1958)

  1. Prefazione (ensemble)      
  2. In Lieblicher Bläue (voice & guitar)  
  3. Tento I "Du Schönes Bächlein" (solo guitar)
  4. Innen Aus Verschiedenem Entsteht (voice & ensemble)
  5. Tento II "Es Findet Das Aug' Oft" (solo guitar)
  6. Gibt Es Auf Erden (voice & ensemble)   
  7. Sonata (ensemble)   
  8. Möcht' Ich Ein Komet Sein? (voice & guitar)       
  9. Cadenza (ensemble)     
  10. Wenn Einer In Den Spiegel Siehet (voice & guitar)       
  11. Tento III "Sohn Laios" (solo guitar)   
  12. Wie Bäche Reißt Das Ende Von Etwas Mich Dahin (voice & ensemble)       
  13. Adagio (ensemble)   

Chamber music 1958 on the hymn "In lieblicher Bläue" by Friedrich Hölderlin for tenor, guitar and eight solo instruments.

Ensemble: Philharmonisches Oktett, Berlin

  • Tenor: Loren Driscoll
  • Guitar: Erich Ferstl
  • Clarinet: Herbert Stähr
  • Horn: Gerd Seifert
  • Bassoon: Hans Lemke
  • Violins: Fred Malacek, Rudolf Hartmann
  • Viola: Ulrich Fritze
  • Cello: Heinrich Masowski
  • Contrabass: Rainer Zepperitz

Recorded 1 & 2 April and 12 & 13 May, 1965  

This is a somewhat "pastoral" suite of songs, guitar etudes, interludes and ensemble compositions revolving around texts written by Friedrich Hölderlin. Stylistically, these pieces employ extended chromatic harmony, but frequently still retain a strong sense of Late Romanticism. Some of the guitar solos (in particular the 2nd etude piece) demonstrate some ethnic (Spanish) influences.

WER 60013 (1965)

Arnold Schoenberg: Variationen für Orchester, Op. 31 (1926-28) (21:18)

  1. Introduction: Mäßig, ruhig
  2. Theme, Molto moderato
  3. Variation I: Moderato
  4. Variation II: Adagio
  5. Variation III: Mäßig
  6. Variation IV: Walzer-tempo
  7. Variation V: Bewegt
  8. Variation VI: Andante
  9. Variation VII: Langsam
  10. Variation VIII: Sehr rasch
  11. Variation IX: L'istesso Tempo
  12. Finale, Mäßig schnell
  • Sinfonieorchester Des Südwestfunks, Conducted by Hans Rosbaud
Schoenberg's Variations for Orchestra was the first of his large scale works to employ his twelve-tone technique. The theme first appears in bars 34-57, which is then followed by 10 variations. Although designed to be "atonal", it still demonstrates a lush, lyrical style of composition with motivic elements.

Arnold Schoenberg: Variationen Über Ein Rezitativ Für Orgel, Op. 40 (1941) (18:36)

Variations on a Recitative for Organ (in D).
  • Theme, Variations 1-10, Cadenza (Fuge)
  • Organ: Gerd Zacher

This work navigates between tonal and atonal music. Although it employs all 12 notes of the chromatic scale, a pitch center of D is established in the initial theme, after which a series of 11-bar variations follow. Although the harmony does modulate quite a bit, the presence of a tonic note can still be detected.

WER 60014 (1966)

Herbert Eimert: Epitaph Für Aikichi Kuboyama, für Sprecher und Sprachklänge (1960-62) (23:25)

  • Speaker: Richard Münch
Epitaph For Aikichi Kuboyama, for speakers and sounds of speech.

This is an electronic work which derives its source from an opening spoken recitation (not sung) of the German translation (Günther Anders) of the epitaph for Aikichi Kuboyama, a fatality caused by H-bomb testing in the Pacific (in 1954). In contrast to earlier works by Stockhausen (Gesang der Junglinge), Berio (Visage, Omaggio' a Joyce) and Krenek (Spiritus intelligentsiae sanctus), the transformations here tend to avoid "musical" results, but rather tend towards "speech-sound" phenomena. In other words, the bulk of the developed sounds are essentially unrecognizable as being sourced from vocal elements.

Herbert Eimert: Sechs Studien (Electronic Music, Six Studies) (1962) (17:49)

  1. I (2:57)
  2. II (3:03)
  3. III (2:36)
  4. IV (3:10)
  5. V (4:01)
  6. VI (2:06)

Created while working on Epitaph and some earlier electronic works, these shorter pieces are also based on spoken word recordings transformed into abstract noise ("sounds in whose spectrum the spoken word can no longer be recognized."). Each of these studies focuses on a specific textural approach, much like an etude.

WER 60015 (1965)

Paul Hindemith: Kammermusik Nr.2 (Klavierkonzert) Op.36 Nr.1 (1924) (19:11)

  1. Sehr Lebhafte Achtel (3:35)
  2. Sehr Langsame Achtel (7:51)
  3. Kleines Potpourri: Sehr Lebhafte Viertel (1:48)
  4. Finale: Schnelle Viertel (5:55)

Ensemble: Ensemble Des Südwestfunk-Orchesters, Baden-Baden, Conductor: Hilmar Schatz:
  • Piano: Maria Bergmann
  • Trumpet: Walter Scholz
  • Horn: Karl Arnold
  • Trombone: Otto Heinl
  • Flute: Kraft-Thorwald Dilloo
  • Clarinet: Hans Lemser
  • Bass Clarinet: Karl Meiser
  • Oboe: Horst Schneider
  • Bassoon: Helmut Müller
  • Violin: Alfred Böhler
  • Viola: Ulrich Koch
  • Violoncello: Dietrich Liebenwein
  • Contrabass: Manfred Gräser

This is a propulsive work with driving ostinato rhythms and clear themes. Maria Bergmann is featured as the pianist in this peformance.

Paul Hindemith: Sonate Op.25 Nr.1 Für Viola Solo (1922) (14:27)

  1. Breite Viertel (1:55)
  2. Sehr Frisch Und Straff (Viertel) (2:17)
  3. Sehr Langsam (4:29)
  4. Rasendes Zeitmaß. Wild. Tonschönheit Ist Nebensache (1:31)
  5. Langsam, Mit Viel Ausdruck (3:58)
  • Viola: Ulrich Koch 

In this solo piece, the viola is played so that bowing on two strings simultaneously produces a second melody, in some ways creating a "violin accompaniment".

Paul Hindemith: Trio Für Bratsche, Heckelphon Und Klavier Op. 47 (1929) (14:32)

  1. Part I: Solo (7:02)
    1. Sehr Lebhaft, Stürmisch (Klavier)
    2. Arioso: Sehr Langsam (Heckelphon, Klavier)
    3. Duett: Lebhaft (Heckelphon, Bratsche, Klavier)
  2. Part II: Potpourri (7:32)
    1. Schnelle Halbe 
    2. Lebhaft. Ganze Takte
    3. Schnelle Halbe
    4. Prestissimo
  • Viola: Ulrich Koch
  • Heckelphone: Horst Schneider
  • Piano: Maria Bergmann

This is a lively work notable for using the rarely-featured Heckelphone, a kind of cross between a tenor saxophone and an oboe. The first part starts with solo piano, after which the heckelphone joins, and then eventually the viola. The second part has a folk-dance rhythm, somewhat reminiscent of Bartok's folk dances.

WER 60016 (1966)

Paul Hindemith: Messe Für Gemischten Chor A Cappella (1963) (25:45)

  1. Kyrie (3:59)
  2. Gloria (5:28)
  3. Credo (5:41)
  4. Sanctus (2:12)
  5. Benedictus (3:19)
  6. Agnus Dei (5:01)
  • Choir: Schola Cantorum Stuttgart, Conducted by Clytus Gottwald
This sacred work never gets into any particularly dissonant areas, but Hindemith does craft it with a modern sense of harmony.

Paul Hindemith: Apparebit Repentina Dies Für Gemischten Chor Und Blechinstrumente (1947) (21:18)

A Sudden Day Will Appear, for Mixed Choir And Brass Instruments.
  1. Apparebit repentina dies magna Domini/The sudden great day of the Lord will appear
  2. Hujus omnes ad electi colligentur dexteram/All these are gathered to the right hand of the elect
  3. Retro ruent tunc injusti ignes in perpetuos/Then the unjust fires rush back into the perpetual...
  4. Ydri fraudes ergo cave, infirmantes subleva/Therefore, beware of Ydri's frauds, relieve those who are weak
  • Choir: Schola Cantorum Stuttgart, Conducted by Clytus Gottwald
  • Winds: Bläser-Ensemble Des Südwestfunk-Orchesters, Baden-Baden
This piece (another sacred setting with more "mainstream" approach) opens with a rousing brass fugue, followed by several episodes of dramatic brass and choral interplay. The Latin poems are from the Oxford Book of Medieval Latin Verse written sometime before 700 AD.

WER 60017 (1966)

Boris Blacher: Abstrakte Oper Nr. 1, Op. 43 (1953) (27:20)

  1. Angst/Fear
  2. Liebe I/Love I
  3. Schmerz/Pain
  4. Verhandlung/Negotiation
  5. Panik/Panic
  6. Liebe II/Love II
  7. Angst/Fear
  • Lyrics By: Werner Egk
  • Ensemble: The University Of Illinois Opera Group, Conductor: Ludwig Zirner 
Over the course Abstract Opera's seven rhythmic, jazz/lounge-inflected "scenes", Blacher employs "nonsense syllables" in his vocal parts to depict various emotional states such as love, fear, pain, panic, etc (although the scene "Negotiation" uses English and Russian phrases in an ironic manner. The vocal parts in "Panic" are also layered and looped in a manner which somewhat anticipates Minimalist opera concepts .

Boris Blacher: Elektronische Impulse (1965) (2:50)

  • Technical Director Of the Studio Der Technischen Universität, Berlin: Fritz Winckel

Despite the fast, choppy electronic nature of this piece, Blacher claims to employ a musical discipline in its creation. Possibly for this reason, this piece seems more "tonal" than those of the serialists. The opening and ending sequences feature some harmonious vocal sampling, while other sections sound closer to transformed piano or percussion.

Boris Blacher: Sonate Für Klavier Op. 39 (1951) (7:55)

  • Piano: Gerty Herzog

Boris Blacher: Aprèslude, quattro lieder per voce e pianoforte su testi di Gottfried Benn, Op.57 (1958) (4:35)

  1. Gedicht (1:55)
  2. Worte (1:07)
  3. Eure Etüden (1:00)
  4. Letzter Frühling (0:33)
  • Tenor Vocals: Ernst Haefliger 
  • Piano: Gerty Herzog

Boris Blacher: What About This, Mr. Clementi? (3 pieces, 1943) (3:05)

  1. (0:43)
  2. (1:22)
  3. (1:00)
  • Piano: Gerty Herzog

These are "lighter" piano-based pieces which aim to merge jazz with baroque forms. The four lieder of Aprèslude feature some interesting rhythms in the piano accompaniments, but are otherwise harmonically conventional. The Clementi piece is a suite of three short etudes which also reflect a jazz-inflected, Debussy-like approach.

Recorded live at University Of Illinois during the Festival Of Contemporary Arts, 1963. Elektronische Impulse realized at the Tonstudio der Technischen Universität Berlin, everything else recorded at Telefunken-Tonstudio, Berlin 1966.

WER 60018 (1966)

Kazimierz Serocki: Musica Concertante (1958) (11:24) 

  1. crotchet ca. 84
  2. dotted crotchet ca. 72
  3. crotchet ca. 60
  4. quaver ca. 192
  5. crotchet ca. 48
  6. dotted crotchet ca. 80
  7. crotchet ca. 72

These 7 serially-composed episodes, each with a different instrumental combination, explore different approaches to rhythm, polyphony and dynamics (although all of them retain a pointillist texture typical to serial music to some extent).

Kazimierz Serocki: Segmenti Für Kammerorchester (1960-61) (11:40) 

Segments for Chamber Orchestra

This serial work (structured as several episodic "segments") employs winds, percussion and plucked strings to create different sound scenes. Coming from 3 separated instrumental groups, the sounds move across the stereo field in dialogue (sometimes coming across as a stripped-down incarnation of Stockhausen's Gruppen).

Kazimierz Serocki: Episoden, Für Streicher Und 9 Schlagzeuggruppen (1959) (10:56) 

Episodes for Strings and 3 Percussion Groups. 

  1. “proiezioni” (projections)
  2. “movimenti” (movements)
  3. “migrazioni” (migrations)
  4. “incontri” (encounters)

Like Segments, this work also distributes the orchestra in an unconventional arrangement (V and C-shaped), and further explores the movement of string and percussion textures in space.

Kazimierz Serocki: Symphonische Fresken (1963/64) (12:21)

Symphonic Frescoes

In this work Serocki abandons the serial technique of dissonant polyphony, and instead focuses on the dynamic manipulation of layered textures. Structured as a prelude followed by 3 episodes, it begins mysteriously, but eventually builds to an intense climax.

  • Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Conducted by Jan Krenz 

WER 60019 (1966)

Witold Lutoslawski: Trois Poemes D'Henri Michaux (1962-63) for choir and orchestra (20:20)

  1. Pensées (7:16)
  2. Le Grand Combat (5:42)
  3. Repos Dans Le Malheur (7:23)
  • Chorus: Polnischer Radio-Chor
  • Orchestra: Polnisches Radio-Symphonie-Orchester, Conductor: Jan Krenz

These vocal and orchestra arrangements are notable for "swirling" lines, probably achieved through indeterminate notation. The vocal portions also make use of whispering, speech-song and microtonalism.

Witold Lutoslawski: Postludium (1958-60) for orchestra (4:03)

  • Orchestra: Polnisches Radio-Symphonie-Orchester, Conductor: Jan Krenz

This opens withs a pensive section with foreground elements interrupting the placid surface. The work eventually erupts into a massive crescendo, before returning back to the more placid textures.

Witold Lutoslawski: String Quartet (1964) (23:36)

LaSalle Quartett:

  • Violin: Henry Meyer
  • Violin: Walter Levin
  • Cello: Jack Kirstein
  • Viola: Peter Kamnitzer
This is a highly-segmented work (grouped into a prelude and a main movement), with some of the earlier sections demarcated by accented octave figures. The latter half explores less frenzied, more "delicate" textures. Many sequences are also scored so that the four players are to play "asynchronously" with each other (in order to obtain an aleatory texture).
 

WER 60020 (1965)

Krzysztof Penderecki: Psalmen Davids Für Chor Und Schlagzeug (1958) (10:09)

 From the Psalms of David for Choir and Percussion.

  1. (3:06)
  2. (1:39)
  3. (2:26)
  4. (2:53)
  • Choir: Chor Der Warschauer Philharmonie
  • Orchestra: Warschauer Philharmonisches Orchester

This work starts out with an instrumental fanfare of piano and percussion, after which a more restrained second movement follows, featuring chanted vocal lines (many of the choral portions also feature opposing forces in dialogue). Some of the "mechanical" rhythms of the 3rd movement are influenced by late 20s/early 30s styles, in particular that of Stravinsky. The final movement is a summation of the previous three.

Krzysztof Penderecki: Anaklasis Für Streicher Und Schlagzeug (1960) (7:40)

  • Choir: Chor Der Warschauer Philharmonie
  • Orchestra: Warschauer Philharmonisches Orchester, Conductor: Andrzej Markowski

For strings and percussion groups, this abrasive work virtually introduced graphic notation to European music. Penderecki begins his experiments with extended techniques here, which would very shortly lead to his most famous work, Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (1960).

Krzysztof Penderecki: Sonate Für Cello Und Orchester (1964) (9:44)

  • Violoncello: Siegfried Palm
  • Orchestra: Philharmonisches Orchester Poznan, Conductor: Andrzej Markowski

During a few cadenza-like moments, this cello concerto requires the cellist to switch rapidly from technique to technique (bowing, plucking, knocking, etc.). In general, however, the supporting strings and brass also produce constantly-evolving sequence of dynamic, abrasive sound textures.

Krzysztof Penderecki: Fluorescences Für Orchester (1961) (17:40)

  • Choir: Chor Der Warschauer Philharmonie
  • Orchestra: Warschauer Philharmonisches Orchester

Flourescences employs all of Penderecki's textural effects up until this time and takes them to even greater extremes, this time also taking greater advantage of brass and an enlarged percussion section. As is typical of this period, Penderecki explores exotic sonorities produced through massed ensemble instruments.

Krzysztof Penderecki: Stabat Mater Für Drei A-cappella Chöre (1963) (7:41)

  • Choir: Chor Der Warschauer Philharmonie,
  • Orchestra: Warschauer Philharmonisches Orchester, Conductor: Andrzej Markowski

Although this piece does employ its three 16-voice choirs to create a variety of colors, pitch bandwiths and masses, it also demonstrates moments of clearly traditional tonality, creating a dramatic arc which permeates the entire work.

WER 60021 (1967)

Luciano Berio: Circles (1960) (18:14)

  • Vocals: Cathy Berberian
  • Harp: Francis Pierre
  • Drums: Jean-Claude Casadesus, Jean-Pierre Drouet
This is a setting of three poems by E. E. Cummings, including the poems "Stinging", "Riverly Is a Flower", and "N(o)w". The vocal part includes both sung and spoken parts, and the non-traditional Cummings text adds to the exotic nature of the piece.

Luciano Berio: Sequenza I (1958) (5:01)

  • Flute: Aurèle Nicolet

This is an exploration of various flute timbres.

Luciano Berio: Sequenza III (1965) (8:55)

  • Vocals: Cathy Berberian

This is an exploration of various vocal styles.

Luciano Berio: Sequenza V (1966) (7:29)

  • Trombone: Vinko Globokar

In this work, the trombone tones approach those of electronic music.

WER 60022 (1967)

György Ligeti: Aventures (1962) (10:58)

György Ligeti: Nouvelles Aventures (1962-65) (11:46)

  • Vocals: Gertie Charlent, Marie-Thérèse Cahn, William Pearson
  • Ensemble: Internationales Kammerensemble Darmstadt, Conductor: Bruno Maderna

In the above 2 works, Ligeti uses a made-up language to realize kaleidoscopic, multi-layered dramas of absurdity, peppered with isolated instrumental accents and commentary. The second work also sometimes makes satirical gestures towards traditional repertoire (chorale, bel canto opera, etc).

György Ligeti: Atmospheres (1961) (8:35)

  • Orchestra: Sinfonie-Orchester Des Südwestfunk, Baden-Baden, Conductor: Ernest Bour

In this orchestral piece, Ligeti uses "micropolyphony" to create monolithic, slow-moving clouds (tone clusters) of harmonic texture.

György Ligeti: Volumina (1961-62) (15:17)

  • Organ: Karl-Erik Welin 

This piece is based on slowly changing held note clusters (sometimes tremolo), with the number of held notes remaining the same. 

WER 60023 (1966) 

The theme of this album is the Jewish experience, especially in the early 20th century.

Jüdische Chronik, Für Alt- Und Baritonsolo, Kammerchor, Zwei Sprecher Und Kleines Orchester (1960) (25:52)

Jewish Chronicle, for alto, baritone, chamber choir, two speakers and small orchestra

Lyrics by: Jens Gerlach

  1. Boris Blacher: I. Prolog (Dies Geschieht Heute/This Happens Today)
  2. Rudolf Wagner-Régeny: I. Prolog (Werden Die Stummen Rufen?/Will the mute call?)
  3. Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Paul Dessau, Hans Werner Henze: II. Ghetto (Berichtet Wird/Reported)
  4. Hans Werner Henze: III. Aufstand (Ach, Erde, Bedecke Mein Blut Nicht!)/Uprising (Oh, Earth, Do Not Cover My Blood!)
  5. Paul Dessau: III. Aufstand (Im Januareis Glomm Das Feuer)/Uprising (In the January Ice the Fire Glows)
  6. Paul Dessau: IV. Epilog (Dies Geschieht Heute/This Happens Today)
  • Narrators: Ekkehard Schall, Hilmar Thate
  • Vocalists: Anna Barová, Vladimir Bauer
  • Choir: Rundfunkchor Leipzig
  • Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig, Conductor: Herbert Kegel

A total of 5 composers worked on different sections of this work, which features both spoken and sung dialogue. For this reason, each of the scenes reflects a different musical approach, reflecting similar dramatic works by Weill, Berg, Shostakovich and Schoenberg. 

Dmitri Shostakovich: Aus Jüdischer Volkspoesie Op. 79, Ein Liederzyklus Für Sopran, Alt, Tenor Und Orchester (1948/49) (24:51)

From Jewish Folk Poetry Op. 79, A song cycle for soprano, alto, tenor and orchestra

  1. Totenklage (Sonne Und Regen)/Lamentation (Sun And Rain)
  2. Wiegenlied (Schlaf, Schlaf Ein)/Lullaby (sleep, sleep on)
  3. Söhnchen, Schönstes/Son, loveliest
  4. Abschied (Ach, Abram, Wie Wird Das Leben Sein)/Farewell (Oh, Abram, how will life be)
  5. Warnung (Hör Mich, Hasja)/Warning (Hear Me, Hasja)
  6. Der Verlassene Vater (Ehle, Der Trödler)/The Abandoned Father (Ehle, The Trödler)
  7. Die Grosse Not (Weich Und Süß Schläft Das Kind)/The great need (soft and sweet sleeps the child)
  8. Winter (Die Mutter Liegt Frierend Im Bette)/Winter (The mother is freezing in bed)
  9. Das Schöne Neue Leben (Kein Lied Von Den Feldern)/The Brave New Life (No Song From The Fields)
  10. Lied Der Hirtin (Auf Der Wiese Vor Dem Walde)/Song of the shepherdess (on the meadow in front of the forest)
  11. Das Glück (Bei Meinem Mann Hab Ich Mich Eingehakt)/Happiness (I linked my arms with my husband)
  • Vocalists: Annelies Burmeister, Maria Croonen, Peter Schreier
  • Orchestra: Städtisches Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester, Conductor: Kurt Sanderling

These are somewhat rustic vocal settings with orchestral accompaniment, with some songs having more or less of a "folk-dance" (or even Middle-Eastern) element present.

WER 60024 (1967)

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Momente für sopran, 4 chorgruppen und 13 Instrumentalisten (1962-69, 1965 Version) (57:56)

Moments for soprano, 4 choir groups and 13 instrumentalists

  1. I(m): Clapping Moment (5:33)
  2. M Moments (23:43)
  3. I(d): Organ Moment (4:41)
  4. K Moments (11:43)
  5. I: Prayer Moment (12:19)
  • Soprano: Martina Arroyo
  • Choir: Der Kölner Rundfunkchor, Conductor: Herbert Schernus
  • Hammond Organ: Aloys Kontarsky
  • Lowrey Organ: Alfons Kontarsky
  • Orchestra: Mitglieder des Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchesters, Conductor: Karlheinz Stockhausen

This is a recording of Momente in the state it was in (sketched out but not completely scored) in 1965. In the ensuing years, the work would be expanded to double the length of this version. It features a soprano vocalist using sung and spoken text to traverse a constantly-changing environment of brass, choir, organ and percussion, with many hand-percussion elements added by the choir. It opens with a "clapping" sequence (performed by the choir), which leads into an "aria" portion. An organ interlude appears in the middle. Different versions of Momente can be performed, since the work is structured as "episodes" whose order can be flexible.

WER 60025 (1967)

Claude Debussy: Sonate Für Flöte, Viola Und Harfe (1915) (16:48)

  1. Pastorale: Lento, dolce rubato
  2. Interlude: Tempo di Minuetto
  3. Finale: Allegro moderato ma risoluto
  • Flute: Aurèle Nicolet
  • Viola: Ulrich Koch
  • Harp: Ursula Holliger

Claude Debussy: Sonate Für Violine Und Klavier (1916/17) (12:16)

  1. Allegro vivo
  2. Intermède: Fantasque et léger
  3. Finale: Très animé
  • Violin: Saschko Gawriloff
  • Piano: Maria Bergmann

Claude Debussy: Sonate Für Violoncello Und Klavier (1915) (10:10)

  1. Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto
  2. Sérénade: Modérément animé
  3. Finale: Animé, léger et nerveux
  • Cello: Siegfried Palm
  • Piano: Maria Bergmann

Recorded September-October 1966 Stuttgart. 

Although Debussy never completed his projected set of "Six sonatas for various instruments", the ones that were completed are witty/melancholy chamber pieces which demonstrate the full range of his approach to modern composition. As to be expected, some "jazz" elements are also hinted at times.

WER 60026 Neue Chormusik I (1966)


WER 60027 Paul Hindemith: Kammermusik Nr. 3 (Cellokonzert), Nobilissima Visione (1966)


WER 60028 Antoinette Vischer (1967)


WER 60029 Severino Gazzelloni (1967)


WER 60030 Bernd Alois Zimmermann: Die Soldaten (1965)


WER 60031 Bernd Alois Zimmermann: Die Befristeten (1967)


WER 60032 Arnold Schoenberg: Quintett Für Flöte, Oboe, Klarinette, Horn Und Fagott (1967)


WER 60033 Gerd Zacher: Orgel (Kagel, Cage, etc)


WER 60034 Isang Yun (1967)


WER 60035 Wolfgang Fortner: Die Pfingstgeschichte, Triplum (1967)


WER 60036 Siegfried Palm: Ligeti, Penderecki, Webern, etc (1969)


WER 60037 Luis De Pablo (1969)


WER 60038 Luigi Nono: La Fabbrica Illuminata (1968)


WER 60039 Henri Pousseur, Michel Butor, Pierre Bartholomee (1968)


WER 60040 Lukas Foss: Echoi, The Fragments Of Archilochos, Non-Improvisation (1968)


WER 60041 Gisela May Singt Brecht - Eisler - Dessau (1966)


WER 60042 Cristóbal Halffter: Symposion, Secuencias, Lineas Y Puntos (1969)


WER 60043 Mauricio Kagel: Heterophonie (1972)


WER 60044 Witold Lutoslawski (1969)


WER 60045 György Ligeti: Requiem, Lontano, Continuum (1969)


WER 60046 Luc Ferrari (1969)


WER 60047 Folke Rabe: Was, Bo Anders Persson: Proteinimperialism (1970)


WER 60048 Sylvano Bussotti: Il Nudo, Phrase À Trois, Ancora Odono I Colli, Rara (1969)


WER 60049 Roman Haubenstock-Ramati (1970)


WER 60051 Liliana Poli: Schoenberg, Nono, etc (1970)


WER 60052 Aurele Nicolet (1969)



WER 60053 Quartett Societá Cameristica Italiana (1971)



WER 60054 Cathy Berberian: Magnificathy (1971)



WER 60055 Róbert Wittinger: Irreversibilitazione, OM, Tendenze, Strutture Simmetriche (1971)



WER 60056 Joan Carroll: Stravinsky, Gorecki, Riemann (1971)



WER 60057 The San Francisco Conservatory New Music Ensemble (1971)



WER 60058 Gerd Zacher: Ives, Satie, etc (1970)



WER 60059 György Ligeti (1971)



WER 60060 New Phonic Art (1971)



WER 60061 Karl Amadeus Hartmann: Gesangsszene (1972)



WER 60062 Bernd Alois Zimmermann: Concerto Pour Violoncelle, Photoptosis, Tratto II (1969)



WER 60063 Christian Wolff (1972)



WER 60064 Hanns Eisler (1972)



WER 60065 Karlheinz Stockhausen: Ensemble (1972)



WER 60066 Josef Anton Riedl (1972)



WER 60067 Luigi Nono: Canti Di Vita E D'Amore, Per Bastiana, Omaggio A Vedova (1973)



WER 60068 Wilhelm Killmayer: Fin Al Punto, The Woods So Wilde  (1973)



WER 60069 Klaus Huber: ...Inwendig Voller Figur... (1973)



WER 60070 Neue Chormusik II (1974)



WER 60071 Peter Ruzicka - Metastrofe (1974)



WER 60072 Aribert Reimann (1974)



WER 60073 Roswitha Trexler Singt Eisler - Dessau  - Lutoslawski (1975)



WER 60074 John Cage: Sonata XIII, Music For Marcel Duchamp, Songs Books I-II; Empty Words III (1976)



WER 60075 Dieter Schnebel: Choralvorspiele I, II, Atemzuge (1976)



WER 60076 György Ligeti (1976)



WER 60077 Wolfgang Fortner: Prismen, Bluthochzeit (1977)



WER 60078 Sonja Kehler: Brecht-Portrait (1978)



WER 60079 György Ligeti: String Quartets (1978)



WER 60080 Charles Ives: Concord Sonata (Hebert Henck, 1978)



WER 60081 Volker Banfield: Killmayer, Scriabin & Fiše (1979)



WER 60082 Harald Genzmer (1979)



WER 60083 Spyros Sakkas Singt (1979)



WER 60084 Heinz Holliger (1979)



WER 60085 György Ligeti: Szenen Und Zwischenspiele Aus Der Oper Le Grand Macabre (extracts, 1980)



WER 60086 Karl Amadeus Hartmann: Symphonies (1980)



WER 60087 Jean Françaix: Françaix spielt Françaix (1982)



WER 60088 Hans Zender (1982)



WER 60089 Paul Hindemith: Lustige Sinfonietta (1982)



WER 60090 Emile Naoumoff (1982)



WER 60091 Béla Bartók: Piano and Percussion (1982)



WER 60092 Wilhelm Killmayer: Poemes Symphoniques (1982)



WER 60093 Alexander Goehr (1982)



WER 60094 Electric Phoenix (1982)



WER 60095 György Ligeti (1982)



WER 60096 John Casken: The Moving Fires Of Evening (1982)



WER 60097 Aribert Reimann (1982)



WER 60098 Clarence Barlow: Çogluotobüsisletmesi (1982)



WER 60099 John Cage: Music of Changes (Herbert Henck, 1982)



WER 60100 György Ligeti: Trio fur Violine Horn & Clavier (1986)

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