- Alban Berg (1885 - 1935): Piano Sonata, Op. 1:
- 1 Berg: Piano Sonata, Op. 1 (Arr. for Orchestra) 12:52
- Drei Orchesterstücke, Op. 6:
- 2 Berg: Drei Orchesterstücke, Op. 6: I. Präludium. Langsam (Revised 1929) 04:46
- 3 Berg: Drei Orchesterstücke, Op. 6: II. Reigen. Anfangs etwas zögernd. Leicht beschwingt (Revised 1929) 05:35
- 4 Berg: Drei Orchesterstücke, Op. 6: III. Marsch. Mäßiges Marschtempo (Revised 1929) 10:43
- Der Wein:
- 5 Berg: Der Wein (French) 13:00
- Passacaglia:
- 6 Berg: Passacaglia (Arr. for Orchestra) 04:24
- Violin Concerto, "To the Memory of an Angel":
- 7 Berg: Violin Concerto, "To the Memory of an Angel": I. Andante - Allegretto 11:11
- 8 Berg: Violin Concerto, "To the Memory of an Angel": II. Allegro - Adagio 17:02
- 9 Berg: Three Wozzeck-Fragments: No. 1, Act I Scene 2. Marsch - Act I Scene 3. Wiegenlied 07:23
- 10 Berg: Three Wozzeck-Fragments: No. 2, Act III Scene 1. Variationen 05:36
- 11 Berg: Three Wozzeck-Fragments: No. 3, Act III Scenes 4 & 5. Abschluss 07:10
- Lulu Suite:
- 12 Berg: Lulu Suite: I. Rondo. Andante und Hymme 15:49
- 13 Berg: Lulu Suite: II. Ostinato. Allegro 03:54
- 14 Berg: Lulu Suite: III. Lied der Lulu. Comodo 02:44
- 15 Berg: Lulu Suite: IV. Variationen. Moderato 03:08
- 16 Berg: Lulu Suite: V. Adagio. Sostenuto 08:49
- Der Wein:
- 17 Berg: Der Wein (German) 13:41
- Johann Strauss II (1825 - 1899): Wein, Weib und Gesang!:
- 18 Strauss II: Wein, Weib und Gesang! 09:27
Info for Berg: Orchestral Works
The works on the present album span Berg’s creative career from his first published piece, the Piano Sonata, Op. 1, here performed in the orchestration by Theo Verbey, to the Violin Concerto and the Symphonic Pieces from the Opera ‘Lulu’, the last works that were fully completed when Berg died at the age of fifty in 1935.
The Dutch violinist Isabelle van Keulen performs the Violin Concerto, for which she is well known. The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote last year: ‘Van Keulen brought Manon Gropius vividly to life in the concerto, matching her tone and expression to each episode; flighty and cheerful in the first, plucky and aggressive in the second, serenely resigned at the end, where Berg quotes a Bach chorale. The enigmatic folksong woven into both movements (hardly Bachian with its risqué text) had a mysterious feel, and van Keulen tied it all up in a performance as narrative as it was nimble.’
This comprehensive collection, performed by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (the National Orchestra of Sweden) under its former Principal Conductor Mario Venzago.
"Thanks to the lucid conducting of Mario Venzago, the magnificent and fearless playing of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and a Chandos recording which combines clarity and enormous weight, this set represents an outstanding addition to the catalogue…" (BBC Music Magazine)
"That the suites from Wozzeck and Lulu are the most pressing reasons to hear this set is due in large part to the stature and eloquence of Geraldine McGreevy's contributions, for if she ever sang either of Berg's hapless heroines on stage in the UK, I would beat a path to the opera-house door." (Gramophone Magazine)
"The main orchestra works come off extremely well here...the orchestral suites from Wozzeck and Lulu have both intensity and atmosphere. The Three Pieces, Op. 6 have more warmth here than usual, though the finale has a fine sense of impending doom." (Penguin Music Guide)
Isabelle van Keulen,violin
Geraldine McGreevy, soprano
Robert Murray, tenor
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Mario Venzago, conductor
Isabelle van Keulen
Since her breakthrough in 1984 winning the Eurovision Young Musician of the Year, a competition that was broadcast all over Europe and watched live on television by millions, Isabelle van Keulen can now look back on many years of musical diversity. Not only is it always vital for her to approach the musical score with honesty and with an extremely consious approach to interpretation, she also strives to communicate with her audiences and musical partners, allowing her to perform in an inspirational, lively and enthusiastic manner.
Her versatility lies in the fact that she not only plays the violin, but as well viola with the same energy, performing chamber music in any thinkable combination and directing chamber orchestra performances. Whether in the over 20 year intense collaboration with the Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam, concerts with mezzo Christianne Stotijn, performing/directing the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, combining violin and viola in one appearance, founding a chamber music festival – from 1997 until 2006 Isabelle van Keulen was Artistic Director of the Delft Chamber Music Festival – giving masterclasses or being a soloist with orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic or NHK Tokyo. Above all, being faithful to the music is her highest priority.
She has over the course of her career engaged works written by contemporary composers. She had many concertos written especially for her (Theo Loevendie, Erkki-Sven Tüür) and has many other 20th and 21st century works in her repertoire: Concertos by Henri Dutilleux, John Adams, Lera Auerbach, Oliver Knussen and Brett Dean. She also likes to perform less known works by Colin Matthews and Concertos by Krenek, Pettersson and Busoni.
Isabelle van Keulen has made many recordings in the past decades, the most recent ones are Berg Violin Concerto (Chandos), a CD of violin-piano sonatas by Strauss, Nino Rota and Respighi (Channel Classics), Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet with Sharon Kam (Berlin Classics) , Bach’s Goldberg Variations with the Leopold String Trio (Hyperion) and Prokofiev Complete Works for violin and piano with Ronald Brautigam (Challenge, December 2012). In May 2013 a high profile CD with music by Astor Piazzolla was released on Challenge Records, Tango!, combined with DVD/Bluray and documentary, with the Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble.
Since autumn 2012 she is professor for violin, viola and chamber music at the Luzern University of Arts.
This album contains no booklet.