Alban Berg: Lulu Suite, The Wine, Lyric Suite (FLAC)

Performer: Judith Blegen, Jessye Norman
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic
Conductor: Pierre Boulez
Composer: Alban Berg
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Sony
Size: 253 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

# Lulu, suite (from the opera), for soprano & orchestra
Composed by Alban Berg
Performed by New York Philharmonic
with Judith Blegen
Conducted by Pierre Boulez

# Der Wein, concert aria for soprano & orchestra
Composed by Alban Berg
Performed by New York Philharmonic
with Jessye Norman
Conducted by Pierre Boulez

# Lyric Suite, for orchestra (arr. from Nos.2-4 of string quartet version)
Composed by Alban Berg
Performed by New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Pierre Boulez

Powerful Expressionism

This is gut-wrenching stuff. Berg’s music may be complex, but the impact of pieces like these is immediate and powerful. This recording of the Lulu-Suite, one of Berg’s last pieces, is particularly startling–those who call Pierre Boulez’ conducting “cold” have probably never heard this disc. I have hardly been more satisfied with any disc of classical music than I have with these performances.