Schoenberg Piano Music

[polar_pawz]

Hi,
I want to start playing some Schoenberg, but I'm not sure where to start.Do you have any suggestions on which piano pieces to start with and possible how to go about learning.
I'm not sure what would be the best place to start with his works.
I was also going to look at whichever work I start with analytically, and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for books or ways of analyzing his music to better understand it, and to complement the playing of it.
Also which recordings (artists) would you suggest to listen to.

Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks.

[pianomx]

You could start with the Op. 19. Is nice and not so hard technically, but requires a lot of expression and an excellent sound control. BTW Glenn Gould has a really cool recording of this cycle.

[pies]

Intermezzo from Suite for piano op. 25

[webern78]

Also which recordings (artists) would you suggest to listen to.

I really like the Paul Jacobs recording, much better then Gould which is quirky and pretentious to an irritating degree. Jacobs playing is so natural and unassuming it's almost as if he was improvising these works on the spot, which considering the nature of the music it's a remarkable feat.

[healdie]

the Op. 19 is good and so is the Op. 23 i think either of these would be a good introduction

[ahinton]

As a place to start, it almost has to be the Op. 19 - although it has to be said that Schönberg and the piano were even at the best of times hardly the most companionable of bedfellows (and I myself say that as an ardent admirer of Schönberg).

Best,

Alistair

[iumonito]

After Op. 19, I would suggest Op. 11 (number 3 the more challenging of the set, number 2 the most accessible).  It may be to your benefit to play Brahms intermezzi too; I find the language very similar, even though naturally Schoenberg's is so much more concentrated and extreme in its expression and feelings (or loss).

Then, before doing Op. 25, do a survey of the suites of Bach, particularly the Overture in the French manner (the companion piece of the Italian Concerto.

Op. 23 and 33 may be best to leave for later.

[communist]

why would you want to  play Schoenberg             

no but really op.19

[healdie]

although it has to be said that Schönberg and the piano were even at the best of times hardly the most companionable of bedfellows (and I myself say that as an ardent admirer of Schönberg).

Yeah Schoenberg was hardly the most pianistic of writiers Berg and Weberns works fall under the hands of a pianist better

[ahinton]

Yeah Schoenberg was hardly the most pianistic of writiers Berg and Weberns works fall under the hands of a pianist better

I'm not so sure that Webern's necessarily does, though the early Sonata, the piano parts to the songs and the solo part in the double concerto of Berg undoubtedly have their pianistic credentials...

Best,

Alistair