A Schoenberg Reader: Documents of a Life
Language: English
Pages: 475
ISBN: B00177VC8E
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Arnold Schoenberg's close involvement with many of the principal developments of 20th-century music, most importantly the break with tonality and the creation of 12-tone composition, generated controversy from the time of his earliest works to the 21st century. This collection of Schoenberg's essays, letters, literary writings, musical sketches, paintings, and drawings offers fresh insights into the composer's life, work, and thought. The documents, many previously unpublished or untranslated, reveal the relationships between various aspects of Schoenberg's activities in composition, music theory, criticism, painting, performance, and teaching. They also show the significance of events in his personal and family life, his evolving Jewish identity, his political concerns, and his close interactions with such figures as Gustav and Alma Mahler, Alban Berg, Wassily Kandinsky, and Thomas Mann. Extensive commentary by Joseph Auner places the documents and materials in context and traces important themes throughout Schoenberg's career from turn-of-century Vienna to Weimar Berlin to 1950s Los Angeles.
Vienna’s musical life, very little attention is given to the works of contemporary composers, especially Viennese ones. As a rule, new works are heard in Vienna only after doing the rounds of Germany’s many musically active towns, great and small—and even then they usually meet with little interest, indeed, with hostility. There is a crass contrast between this state of affairs and Vienna’s musical Reforming Concert Life 43 past, when she used to set the tone; the usual explanation is that.
Believed her. For had I not believed her would she have been with me for so long? Wrong! She did not lie to me. For my wife does not lie. The soul of my wife is so at one with my soul that I know everything about her. Therefore she didn’t lie; but she was not my wife. That’s how it is. The soul of my wife was so foreign to mine that I could not have entered into either a truthful or a deceitful relationship with her. We have never even really spoken to each other, that is, communicated, we only.
Musician’’ from unnecessarily cracking a tooth on them, without reaching the core. A rejection of my work by you would hurt me with Universal Edition, which has certainly done things for me, but which unfortunately is somewhat timid. Therefore, I want perhaps first to send you the music, and then approach Universal Edition and attempt to be released. I ask you now to let me know: I. should I send you the first three works indicated above? II. should I then attempt to be released by Universal.
Canceled the concert! Change of repertory. She is singing on Sunday afternoon. Great embarassment. Petri is leaving for London on the 29th for five weeks. Therefore have to find another pianist for the piano pieces, George, and older songs. [ . . . ] proposition to compose a cycle Pierrot lunaire for Dr. Zehme’s intended recital. Holds out the prospect of a large fee (1,000 marks). Have read the preface, looked at the poems, am enthusiastic. Brilliant idea, absolutely to my liking. Would want to do.
Wants to be taken seriously in a still different way from that; this demands spiritual devotion! (Heightening; excited; reluctantly offering resistance.) The only thing that one appears to be, although one does not know it for certain. (Energetic, strong.) One is not willing to give that! Not at any price. Let loose! Give freedom, independence! Indifference! Laughter! (Large increase.) You shall have nothing, nothing. You glutton; you insatiable one. Ah! Oh! How it lashes, pierces, tortures,.