Centenial Celebration of Two 20th Century Masterworks

There are some anniversaries that have to be celebrated by those who really care. The hundredth anniversary of Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire is one of those. However famous it has become among fans of thorny modernism, it doesn’t rate with most concertgoers and may never. But if you love classical music, it’s a work that will surprise you and might even delight you. (Hint: a lot of it is funny, in a bleak, expressionist sort of way.)

That’s why taking a flyer on the Sounds New Ensemble concert at the Berkeley Arts Festival on Friday is a good idea. They are performing the piece in Ingolf Dahl’s English translation, removing one barrier to the piece. And the musicians, including vocalist Anna Carol Dudley are all well-versed in the style. And if you go, you’ll also hear two very fine pianists, Jerry Kuderna and Miles Graber, perform the piano four-hands version of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, another 1913 modernist bête noire that, unlike poor Pierrot, became an unexpected popular hit.