Berg: Lulu / Stratas, Minton, Schwarz, Mazura, Riegel, Blankenheim, Tear, Pampuch, Boulez

One of the bewitchments of this performance is that Pierre Boulez leaves unreconciled the two conflicting tendencies of Berg's music--on the one hand, grand Romantic opera; on the other, dodecaphony. Their clash is the hinge of Berg's exhilarating composition, and, once perceived correctly, it's a drama of almost unbearable intensity. The dense instrumental texture is brought out in stunning detail. Yes, Teresa Stratas is occasionally unsteady in the title role; but this is the King Lear of opera roles: probably unperformable and altogether unforgettable. --Joshua Cody