Pierrot lunaire

WERGO's unique "studio reihe" series continues with a rather special CD release:

The present recording of Arnold Schoenberg's "Pierrot lunaire" was the first long-playing record released by the newly founded label WERGO in 1962, which laid the foundation of the label's decades-long story of success. This important recording –with the soprano Helga Pilarczyk and under the direction of Pierre Boulez – has not been available on CD up to now. Now the label releases this highlight from its early days in an excellent sound quality on CD for the first time.

The musical setting of “Three Times Seven Poems from Albert Giraud’s ‘Pierrot lunaire’” for speaking voice, piano, flute (or piccolo), clarinet (or bass clarinet), violin (or viola), and violoncello Op. 21 was composed by Schoenberg in just a few weeks, between 12 March and 30 May 1912, to be precise. The composition was written at the initiative of the actress Albertine Zehme. Schoenberg met her shortly after he had moved to Vienna from Berlin in 1911 and dedicated the piece to her “with heartfelt friendship”.

The recordings were originally published on LP in 1963 (WERGO, WER 60001).