2009, 1x Audio-CD + 1x DVD Kenneth Slowik, The Smithsonian Chamber Players Arnold Schönberg: Verklärte Nacht op. 4Kammersymphonie op. 9 This is a disc combination of a CD and DVD: a standard stereo CD of both Schoenberg works plus their complete performances on video with Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0 audio, combined with several extras on the DVD. These include a documentary on Schoenberg, a tour of the Schoenberg Center in Vienna, interviews and discussions with Reinbert de Leeuw, Rene Clemencic, Anner Bylsma, Richard Hoffman and others, narrated by conductor Kenneth Slowik. Das ist Musik, vor allem in opus 4, an der Schwelle zur Moderne, die in dieser Wiedergabe durchaus noch spät-romantisch schwelgen und glühen darf - um im nächsten Moment zum authentischen Ausdruck des 20. Jahrhunderts zu werden. Es gefällt vor allem die Homogenität des Klangbildes, die ein überaus intensives Spiel ermöglicht. (Die Rheinpfalz, 19 Juni 2010) Don't be fooled or put off in any way. It may be intrinsic to this ensemble's basic mission to perform on the historic instruments housed in the Smithsonian, but if you think that deters this from being one of the most gorgeous and best recent versions of the original chamber arrangement of Schoenberg's "Verklaerte Nacht," think again. This is an exceptional disc in every way-- great performance of one of the most powerful of all late-Romantic masterworks and its perennial disk-mate, the Chamber Symphony from only a few years later. The DVD of the Smithsonian performance with commentary by the likes of Reinbert de Leeuw is a splendid addition to it. (The Buffalo News, Jeff Simon, 4 October, 2009)
