1987 recording of Wozzeck by the Vienna State Opera with Claudio Abbado conducting. Based upon Georg Büchner's 1837 play, Alban Berg's Wozzeck details the harsh existence of the title character, a former soldier in the German army who has to struggle mightily to make a living, even as others around him prosper.
Pollini plays flawlessly, with the greatest finesse and sensitivity, very much in tune with each composer's personal style. His performances are exemplary in every respect. The video and audio are quite acceptable, given their 1970s vintage. Böhm and Abbado are at home in this repertoire, and the Wiener Philharmoniker in excellent form, notwithstanding a few strange noises coming from the horns.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt directs the Concentus Musicus Wien and Toelzer Knabenchor in Bach's masterwork. Featured soloists are Peter Schreier and Robert Holl. The performance was filmed in 1982 at the Stiftskirche in Waldhause, Austria.
