Reviewed by John Irvine

Schoenberg was raised as a Protestant, converted to Catholicism in his early 20s and later converted to Judaism. Perhaps the forgiveness and love found in the piece "Verklarte Nacht" were glaringly absent from the churches he came into contact with. Perhaps he found only a cold heartless form of church-going there which failed to sustain him. This particular recording dates from 1950 and is by a group of musicians who worked in various orchestras in the Hollywood film industry. They were amongst the finest musicians in their field, and the Hollywood Quartet was probably the first American Quartet to gain widespread popularity in Europe as well as America. A measure of their ability is given by the fact that Schoenberg considered this group's interpretation of "Verklarte Nacht" to be definitive. Considering the age of the recordings here, they are in remarkably good condition and the quality of the playing clearly shines through. This is indeed a remarkable performance of "Verklarte Nacht" and worth acquiring for that reason. A release of more than just historical interest.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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