The Secret Life of Alban Berg Video (DVD)

The Secret Life of Alban Berg Video(VHS/DVD). How is the outward life of Alban Berg, a doyen of Viennese respectability, to be reconciled with the composer’s inner life that fueled his nightmarish operas? This vintage program explores the dark world beneath Berg’s polished public image, revealing the facts of his dual existence. Soprano Kristine Ciesinki—who sings selections from Wozzeck, Lulu, and Seven Early Songs—travels to Vienna, Prague, Germany, and the U.S. to track down crucial archival documents and to speak with people who knew the composer, highlighting the way in which Berg’s passionate attachments and his interest in astrology find encoded expression in his music. Performances are by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Elgar Howarth, and the McCapra String Quartet. Baritone Norman Bailey takes the parts of the animal tamer and Dr. Sch?n in Lulu. (50 minutes)