Music Group 2026-01 Late Strauss and Early Schönberg

This session, we examine a late work by Richard Strauss and an early work by Arnold Schönberg, both examples of late stage tonality.

Please listen to either version of Verklärte Nacht (string sextet or string orchestra) in its entirety, then select at least some segments from the other version, but preferably in its entirety. You have about an hour of listening. Verklärte Nacht is based on a poem that can be found on the Wikipedia page. The five seamless sections of the work are correlated with each stanza. There is an alternative to the sextet recording. It is a historical recording by the Hollywood String Quartet in 1950. It is considered the "reference recording." If you don't mind monaural 1950 audio, listen to it either instead of or in addition to the one below. Its story is here.

       Schönberg: Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (for string sextet, 1899)

    The string sextet version.

       Schönberg: Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (for string orchestra)

    The string orchestra version. This version, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, is widely considered the reference recording.

       Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings (1945)

    Norwegian Chamber Orchestra.

       Does this chord exist?

    The inverted ninth chord in Verklärte Nacht that was deemed nonexistent! Duration about five minutes.

       Batting 3rd on Metamorphosen (a YouTube short)

    Presumably this guy is playing the 3rd string bass part.