Schoenberg: Master and Pupil, Kings Place

This is the first of a fascinating pair of concerts investigating Arnold Schoenberg, the composers who influenced him, and those on whom he exacted his own substantial influence. Schoenberg’s 1912 masterpiece Pierrot Lunaire will be performed alongside works from Nono, Dallapiccola, and Zemlinsky, and this cracking programme is complemented by Giora Bernstein conducting a star-studded lineup of Jane Manning, Rohan de Saram, Alberto Portugheis, Benjamin Baker, David Campbell, Julian Jacobson and Susan Milan. 

If this isn’t enough to whet the appetite, Nuria Schoenberg-Nono, widow of Luigi Nono and granddaughter of Schoenberg himself, joins as guest speaker.

Pierrot Lunaire is regarded as one of the greatest chamber pieces of the twentieth century, and it’s always a joy to see performed live. The piece is scored for solo voice and small ensemble, and is a setting of twenty-one poems of Albert Giraud’s cycle of the same name. The dramatic power of the piece - underlined by the composer’s use of sprechstimme, an expressive vocal technique that falls somewhere between song and speech – is remarkable. 

But given the demands of the score and the nature of the vocals it’s a taxing job for the singer, and literally nobody takes better command of the role than Jane Manning, who performs Pierrot Lunaire for the 100th time on this occasion. Manning’s interpretation of the piece has come to be regarded by many as definitive, and for this reason alone we’re tripping over ourselves to book a ticket.

Another highlight is Luigi Nono’s profound piece for solo piano and electronics, ‘...sofferte onde serene...’. It was composed for (and indeed premièred by) Nono’s great friend Maurizio Pollini, following tragic deaths in both Pollini’s and Nono’s families. The piece, which in part recalls the soundscape of the composer’s native Venice, is an unforgettably moving experience.

If you can only make it to one chamber music recital in March, this is the one to go to. It is a rare opportunity to see some of the finest performers of our time engaging with the pieces that they were born to perform.