And to Schoenberg, Webern, Berg, and those 12-tone jokesters. I too love "Verklärte Nacht" but I find "Pierrot Lunaire" interesting, although the vocalist's sprechtstimme is almost hilarious in its hoots and vocal slides. I also find Schonberg's Big Opera, Moses und Aron, a hard listen.
However, I love Alban Berg's two 12-tone operas, Wozzeck and Lulu, and recommend them highly. I cannot put on the CDs and follow a score because I get caught up completely in "how do they know if they played a wrong note?" and the music gets on my nerves. Watching them is a whole different experience, and it's the only way to experience them, IMO.