The Philharmonics - Waltzes by Johann Strauss arranged by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg & Anton Webern

Completely charming and captivating
This selection of mostly waltzes arranged by largely the Second Viennese School of Berg, Schoenberg and Webern is very easy listening and would appeal to anyone who warms to the New Year's Day concerts of the VPO.

The arrangements were written by Berg, Schoenberg and Webern in 1921 as part of a fund raising venture to support their 'Society for Private Musical Performances' and do not sound like the Second Viennese School as most listeners would expect. On the contrary they exude genuine Viennese atmosphere which would be associated with the Strauss era and which has been scaled down and tastefully adapted for a Viennese café scenario.

Other arrangers featured on this delightful disc are Godowsky, Kreisler and Kovac, none of whom were involved in the Society. What all six have in common is an obvious delight in the music that they have arranged and the desire to share this with a different public in a less formal setting than a ballroom. The playing from...

Pleasant hour at a Viennese Café
The tittle of this Blu-Ray disc doesn't properly describe it contents. This is chamber music in a café in Vienna. It is not the super-orchestrated Strauss's waltzes, and that by itself is a great treat. Serve yourself a cappuccino (mélange in Vienna) and you feel yourself in that Café. A very `different' experience. For those who have visited Vienna, it also brings some good memories of the city and his famous cafes.
Musically, the whole hour is very interesting and not overly saturated with the typical waltzes. The Bonus material explains the source of the arrangements, in itself a very interesting musical anecdote. In addition to Strauss's waltzes and Kreisler's music, it includes an arrangement by Tobor Kovak that greatly surprised me. Track number 9 is called "Yiddische Mame". You wouldn't expect such a tittle in a Viennese music recording. In fact, it is a Potpourri that starts with Mahler, and includes various Yiddish tunes beautifully arranged and...



Click to Editorial Reviews