Overview
“Berg: Lyrische Suite; Streichquartett Op. 3” is an album that contains two string quartets composed by Alban Berg, an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School.
Commentary
Performed by Austrian string quartet Alban Berg Quartett. Recorded in 1991 and 1992, and released by EMI Classics in 1994.
“String Quartet Op. 3” (1910) is a two-movement composition with use of counterpoint and atonality.
“Lyric Suite” (1925–1926) is a six-movement composition with use of twelve-tone technique. The fourth movement has a quotation from the melody of “Lyric Symphony” (1922–1923) by Alexander von Zemlinsky, and the sixth movement has a quotation from the Tristan motif of “Tristan und Isolde” (1857–1859) by Richard Wagner. Theodor W. Adorno called this work “a latent opera”.
Though these two string quartets are based on the atonal style, they are emotional and beautiful compositions including Romantic lyricism.
Alban Berg Quartett re-recorded these two compositions for this album for the first time in 17/18 years.
