Description
Schoenberg: Gurre-Lieder – Zubin Mehta / New York Philharmonic (2CD Set)
- UPC: 8718247711901
- MPN: 8802190
- Brand Name: Newton Classics
Overview
This Newton Classics 2CD edition presents Arnold Schoenberg’s monumental Gurre-Lieder in a landmark performance by Zubin Mehta conducting the New York Philharmonic, featuring a world-class vocal cast including Eva Marton, Gary Lakes, Florence Quivar, and the legendary Hans Hotter as narrator.
Recorded live in May 1991 at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, this performance captures the vast emotional and sonic scope of Schoenberg’s early masterpiece—part Wagnerian drama, part symphonic oratorio—performed by over 300 musicians and singers in one of the most powerful concert experiences of the late 20th century.
Mehta leads a passionate and meticulously balanced interpretation that fully realizes the glowing romanticism and orchestral grandeur of Schoenberg’s pre-atonal masterpiece.
Product Features
- Format: 2CD Set
- Sound: DDD Stereo
- Total Duration: 106′33
- Recording Date: 23–28 May 1991
- Location: Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, USA
- Producer: Steven Epstein
- Engineer: Kevin Boutote
- Music Editor: Grace Row
- Chorus: New York Choral Artists (Chorus Master: Joseph Flummerfelt)
- Publisher: Universal Edition, Vienna
- Original Label: Sony Music Entertainment Inc. (1992)
- Reissue Label: Newton Classics B.V. (2013)
- Country of Manufacture: European Union
- Genre: Classical
- Style: Late Romantic / Choral-Orchestral
Cast & Performers
- Waldemar – Gary Lakes, tenor
- Tove – Eva Marton, soprano
- Wood Dove – Florence Quivar, mezzo-soprano
- Peasant – John Cheek, bass
- Klaus the Jester – Jon Garrison, tenor
- Speaker – Hans Hotter
- New York Philharmonic
- Zubin Mehta, conductor
Interesting Facts
-
Schoenberg’s Monumental Vision: Gurre-Lieder began as a late-Romantic song cycle in 1900 and evolved into one of the largest works ever composed—requiring huge forces of orchestra, soloists, and chorus to depict the tragic legend of King Waldemar and his beloved Tove.
-
Between Wagner and Modernism: Written before Schoenberg’s embrace of atonality, this work stands as a radiant farewell to Romanticism—a dazzling fusion of Tristan-like passion and early 20th-century orchestral color.
-
An All-Star Cast: Eva Marton’s blazing soprano, Gary Lakes’s heroic tenor, and Florence Quivar’s rich contralto lend vocal brilliance, while Hans Hotter—an iconic Wotan of earlier decades—brings gravitas to the closing narration.
-
Zubin Mehta’s Commanding Interpretation: Mehta’s direction combines monumental power with structural clarity, supported by the precision and sonorous strength of the New York Philharmonic and Choral Artists.
-
A Benchmark Recording: The Sony digital original was hailed as one of the most dynamic Gurre-Lieder recordings ever made—later remastered by Newton Classics with pristine detail and balance.
-
Cover Art Tribute: The cover features “Horses in the Storm” (1918) by Russian painter Boris Kustodiev (1878–1927), visually echoing the work’s apocalyptic grandeur.
Track Information
Arnold Schoenberg – Gurre-Lieder (for Soloists, Chorus, and Orchestra) Text by Jens Peter Jacobsen (German translation by Robert Franz Arnold)
Total Duration: 106′33 (2CD Set)
Includes all three parts: The Songs of Waldemar and Tove, The Wild Hunt, and The Resurrection of Nature
Publishers
Sony Music Entertainment Inc. – Original Recordings © 1992 Newton Classics B.V. – Reissue © 2013 Art Direction & Design: Jan Martin Wilschut (BND Amsterdam / Hotsprings) Cover Image: Boris Kustodiev, “Horses in the Storm” (1918) – Courtesy of Lebrecht / HH LC 24605 Manufactured and printed in the EU
We value your feedback! Share your experience with this product to help others make informed decisions. Your review is important to us!
Hashtags
#Schoenberg #GurreLieder #ZubinMehta #NewYorkPhilharmonic #EvaMarton #GaryLakes #FlorenceQuivar #HansHotter #JosephFlummerfelt #SonyClassical #NewtonClassics #RomanticChoralMusic #AustrianComposer #20thCenturyMasterpiece #DDDRecording #ClassicalVocalSymphony
