Kammerkonzert / Klaviersonate Op.1 / 4 Stücke Für Klarinette Und Klavier Op.5

Released in 1985 on the Deutsche Grammophon label, this compilation gathers essential chamber works by the Austrian composer Alban Berg. The recording brings together the talents of conductor Pierre Boulez and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, featuring soloists Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, and Antony Pay. These performances serve as a comprehensive survey of Berg's stylistic evolution, spanning from the dense late-Romanticism of the Piano Sonata to the stark, innovative atonality of the Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano.

The album is noted for its clinical precision and intellectual rigor, hallmarks of Pierre Boulez’s approach to Second Viennese School repertoire. The design aesthetic follows the classic, minimalist Deutsche Grammophon template of the mid-1980s, prioritizing archival clarity and academic documentation. Critics at the time praised the release for its technical excellence, as the ensemble navigated the complex, disjointed structures of Berg’s work with a cohesion that helped demystify the composer’s often challenging atonal language for a contemporary audience.