Rahul Puar 549831035 Arnold Schoenbergs Transition into the Free Atonal and Twel e!

tone Periods

Rahul Puar Page 2 of 15

The idea o" thin#ing outside the bo$ artisticall% is not a new &heno'enon( ) er% generation o" artist loo#s to their en iron'ent as well as the &ast in ho&es o" resha&ing the "uture o" their cra"t( Radical ideas get &assed down

"ro' generation to generation o" co'&oser and widen the i'agination o" what is &ossible( *n the case o" the

twentieth centur% co'&oser Arnold Schoenberg+ thin#ing outside the bo$ was still too con"ining+ so he did awa% with the bo$ entirel%( *nheriting the ,er'an lineage o"

classical co'&osition "ro' co'&osers li#e -ach+ .o/art+ and 0agner+ Schoenbergs daring inno ations &a ed the wa% "or a new generation o" co'&osers to subse1uentl% e$&and on this tradition o" 'usic( -eginning his sonic e$&eri'entation in o%age which would

1908+ Schoenberg e'bar#ed on his atonal

co'e to &ort in 1922 as he ushered in the twel e!tone &eriod( Schoenbergs earl% e$&eri'ental 3"ree atonalit%

was introduced in a "lash "lood o" inno ati e co'&ositional &roducti it%( The end o" his atonal &eriod was not nearl%

as &roducti e co'&ositionall%( 4owe er des&ite co'&ositional inacti it%+ Schoenberg &ressed "orward and solidi"ied a highl% structured and 'ature 'usical language #nown as the twel e!tone techni1ue( Schoenbergs li"e and

co'&ositions went through a great shi"t "ro' his earlier

Rahul Puar Page 3 of 15 instinctuall%!led atonal &eriod to when he had co'&leted his "irst twel e!tone wor#s( * intend to loo# at and

co'&are Arnold Schoenbergs in"luences and wor#s during his transition into the 3"ree atonal &eriod and his in"luences and wor#s during his transition into his twel e!tone &eriod( Schoenbergs &re!atonal wor#s were in a late Ro'antic st%le and in"luenced b% co'&osers li#e 0agner+ .ahler and -rah's+ who had been 'o ing awa% "ro' traditional "or's o" tonalit% and e$&eri'enting with e$tended chro'aticis'( *t

was not until 1908 and the co'&osition o" his Second String 5uartet that the co'&oser began to &la% hea il% with 'usic oid o" a tonal center( 6.uch o" the 1uartet is based u&on triadic har'onic language+ but it is &resented in the conte$t o" a er% "ast har'onic rh%th'789ther inter'ediar% &assages are so chro'atic+ so &ol%rh%th'ic+ and so re'o ed+ tonall%+ "ro' the tonic+ that it is di""icult i" not i'&ossible to &lace the &ortions within a #e% sche'e:( 1 The 1uartet has a #e% signature and other ele'ents o" tonal 'usic+ but the wor# signals the transition "ro' Schoenbergs 'ature tonal wor#s into his atonal &eriod( The wor# was dedicated to his wi"e des&ite the dra'a that ensued during its co'&letion(

Bailey, Walter. Schoenbergs Tonal Beginnings. The Arnold Schoenberg Companion. !". Walter B. Bailey. #onnecticut$ %reen&oo" Press, 1''(. )*. Print.

Rahul Puar Page + of 15 Schoenberg had also begun other artistic endea ors in 1908+ using &ainting as an added 'eans o" e$&ressing hi'sel"( The %ear 'ar#ed a turning &oint in Schoenbergs

li"e and 'usic when he was introduced to the )$&ressionist &ainter+ Richard ,erstle( 6*n that %ear+ ,ertle 'o ed into the sa'e building as the Schoenbergs a&art'ent( 4e &ainted &ictures o" Schoenberg+ .athilde+ and their "a'il%8*n an unantici&ated e ent that roc#ed the Schoenberg circle+ .athilde acted on her strong reaction to ,erstle and le"t her "a'il% to li e with hi' that su''er( She returned to Schoenberg and their children onl% a"ter 'an% re1uests deli ered b% Schoenbergs students+ &ri'aril% 0ebern( Soon a"ter .athilde returned to Schoenberg+ ,erstle co''itted suicide:( 2 ;es&ite the e'otional unrest caused b% his 'arital &roble's+ Schoenberg had a &rodigious %ear artisticall%( *n "act+ 69" his si$t% "i e can ases+ two thirds were &ainted between 1908 and 1910:(
3

Also in 1908+ Schoenberg began

wor# on a 'usical &ro<ect that would &ro e to be his "irst co'&letel% atonal acco'&lish'ent and set the stage "or se eral other atonal wor#s to "ollow( The di""iculties

with Schoenbergs 'arital li"e ha e been cited b% 'an% as ha ing s&urred his new artistic growth+ howe er+ so'e scholars theori/e that there are other in"luences(

Bailey, Walter. Biogra,hy. The Arnold Schoenberg Companion. !". Walter B. Bailey. #onnecticut$ %reen&oo" Press, 1''(. 2-. Print.
3

.arrison, Tho/as 0. The Emancipation of Dissonance, 1os 2ngeles$ 3ni4ersity of #alifornia Press, 1''*. 52. Print

Rahul Puar Page 5 of 15 68it is also &ossible that the 'usical changes and sudden interest in &ainting+ as re"lections o" general aesthetic trends that were in the air+ would ha e ha&&ened an%wa%:( 4 The ,er'an artistic ideals o" )$&ressionis' were aestheticall% si'ilar to Schoenbergs new 'usical de elo&'ents( 4is in ol e'ent with the e$&ressionistic

isual artists would beco'e 'ore &ronounced in the u&co'ing %ears( Schoenberg co'&leted 6Das Buch der Hngenden Grten+ 9&( 15: in 1909( &iano and so&rano This "irst trul% atonal wor# was set "or oice(

6Schoenberg ca'e to "eel that a resolution to a tonic was no longer necessar%( *n this at'os&here har'on% no longer had to ser e traditional "unctions and could be organi/ed instead through de elo&ing ariation+ es&eciall% b% using collections o" notes deri ed "ro' 'elodic 'oti es:( 5 The ins&iration "or Das Buch der Hngenden Grten+ 9&( 15 ca'e "ro' the &oetr% o" s%'bolist writer+ Ste"an ,eorge( This was not the "irst use o" ,eorges &oetr%+ as Schoenberg had also based se eral 'o e'ents o" his Second String 5uartet on his erses( The "i"teen songs o" Das

Buch der Hngenden Grten+ 9&( 15 had "ounded a new st%le

+

Bailey, Walter. Biogra,hy. The Arnold Schoenberg Companion. !". Walter B. Bailey. #onnecticut$ %reen&oo" Press, 1''(. 2-. Print.
5

Bur5hol"er, 0. Peter. Schoenberg the Reactionary. Schoenberg and His World. !". Walter 6risch. 7e& 0ersey$ Princeton 3ni4ersity Press, 1'''. 1*(. Print.

Rahul Puar Page * of 15 and &eriod o" 'usic to be "ollowed u& b% Schoenberg b% se eral 'ore "ree atonal wor#s all within the sa'e %ear( .ar#ing his co''it'ent to his new co'&ositional direction+ Schoenberg was also in ol ed in 'entoring his students li#e Anton 0ebern and Alan -erg( Schoenberg would

also "inish writing Three Piano Pieces+ o&( 11+ Fi e 9rchestra Pieces+ o&(1=+ and Erwartung+ o&(1>( in 1909( Schoenberg churned out these wor#s in ra&id succession+ "inishing his one!act o&era Erwartung in less than nine 'onths(= These e$traordinaril% d%na'ic and &roducti e

%ears "or Schoenberg would continue as he ca'e in contact with the )$&ressionist &ainter+ 0assil% ?andins#%( Three

o" Shoenbergs &aintings were e$hibited at ?andins#%s 6-lue Rider: e$hibit in 1911(> 6The "act is that both ?andins#% and Schoenberg were 3outsiders struggling to "ind their indi idual oices in a hostile en iron'ent( @o wonder the% were drawn to one another( @o wonder the% sought to transcend their en iron'ents b% si'ilar 'eans+ rel%ing on that inner s&ringboard o" the hu'an s&irit ?andins#% called 3inner necessit%:( 8

Stein, 1eonar". The 2tonal Perio" in Schoenbergs 8usic. The Arnold Schoenberg Companion. !". Walter B. Bailey. #onnecticut$ %reen&oo" Press, 1''(. (5. Print.
)

8c#oy, 8arilyn. 2 Schoenberg #hronology. Schoenberg and His World. !". Walter 6risch. 7e& 0ersey$ Princeton 3ni4ersity Press, 1'''. 5. Print.
(

Weiss, Peg. !4ol4ing Perce,tions of 9an"ins5y an" Schoenberg$ To&ar" the !thnic Roots of the :;utsi"er. Constructive Dissonance: Arnold Schoenberg and the Transformations of Twentieth Centur! Culture. !"s. 0uliane Bran" an" #hristo,her .ailey. Ber5eley an" 1os 2ngeles$ 3ni4ersity of #alifornia Press, 1''). 3'. Print.

Rahul Puar Page ) of 15 *n this sa'e %ear+ Schoenberg co'&leted his boo# on 'usic theor%+ Harmonielehre. A& to 1914, Schoenberg would

continue his co'&ositional strea# "inishing Gurreilieder and co'&osing Pierre Lunaire and Die Gluckliche Hand( Seeing 1915 as the 'idwa% &oint in the "ourteen %ear atonal &eriod+ we can see a distinct shi"t in Schoenbergs 'usical out&ut and co'&ositional ta#e on atonalit%( The co''ence'ent o" 0orld 0ar * 'ar#ed a turning &oint in Schoenbergs 3"ree atonal &eriod( 6Arnold Schoenberg+ who "or %ears "ollowed this a&&roach with success"ul and interesting results+ was also aware that 3"ree atonalit% neither a'ounted to a s%ste'atic 'ethod nor &ro ided a general+ uni ersal alternati e to "unctional tonalit% as a 'eans to organi/e &itch( Fro' 191= to 1923+ Schoenberg did not co'&ose an% co'&lete wor#+ de oting hi'sel" instead to writing+ teaching+ and e$&eri'enting with and de elo&ing a new 'ethod o" co'&osition( The result was what we now #now as the twel e!tone or dodeca&honic 'ethod:( 9 *n 1915+ Schoenberg olunteered "or the Austrian ar'% a"ter

'a#ing his 'o e bac# to Bienna( 4e also began wor# on Die Jakobsleiter+ which would &ro e to be a transitional wor# awa% "ro' 3"ree atonalit% into Schoenbergs 'ore structured twel e!tone 'ethod( The oratorio o&ens with a re&eated he$achord structure that "oreshadows the twel e! tone 'ethod(
'

Roig, 6rancoli. "nderstanding #ost Tonal $usic. 7e& <or5$ 8c%ra&=.ill, 2--(. 15'. Print

Rahul Puar Page ( of 15 6Schoenbergs conce&t is signi"icant in that it 'ar#s a radical de&arture "ro' the e$&ressionist outburst o" 1909+ re&resented b% Three Piano Pieces+ o&(11+ Fi e Pieces "or 9rchestra+ o&(1=+ and Erwartung+ o&(1>( *n "act+ the unco'&leted conce&t would ha e been a "ar 'ore radical de&arture than that o" the co'&leted and &ublished wor#sC Si$ Dittle Piano Pieces+ o&(19+ Herzgewachse+ o&( 20+ and Pierre lunaire+ o& 21:( 10 This was to be a large scale oratorio on the sub<ect o" religion+ though it would be le"t inco'&lete( ;uring

Schoenbergs 1915 ar'% ser ice+ he was discharged a"ter he began to e$&erience health &roble's in the "or' o" asth'a( Resu'ing wor# on Jakobsleiter+ Schoenberg was dra"ted bac# into the war des&ite his 'edical condition( A"ter "inall%

being discharged in 191>+ Schoenberg atte'&ted to co'&lete the oratorio but his stride had been bro#en b% the war( Schoenberg was also in ol ed in lecturing during this &eriod( *n the s&ace between 'ilitar% ser ice and

subse1uentl% a"ter 0orld 0ar * ended+ Schoenberg lectured at the Schwart/wad School in Bienna( This "inanciall%

di""icult &eriod caused hi' to acce&t charit% "ro' students and colleagues( ;es&ite these harsh ti'es he had se eral students and was lecturing o"ten( *n 1918 he "ounded this

Societ% "or Pri ate .usical Per"or'ances which was a ste&

1-

8aegaar", 0an. Schoenbergs >nco/,lete Wor5s an" 6rag/ents. Constructive Dissonance: Arnold Schoenberg and the Transformations of Twentieth Centur! Culture. !"s. 0uliane Bran" an" #hristo,her .ailey. Ber5eley an" 1os 2ngeles$ 3ni4ersity of #alifornia Press, 1''). 1+1. Print.

Rahul Puar Page ' of 15 towards a wider acce&tance o" 'odern 'usical wor#s( 6The new societ% and new &ri ate students too# 'ost o" Schoenbergs ti'e+ lea ing little energ% "or co'&osition:(11 Eontinuing to chi& awa% at the te$t o" Jakobsleiter and then at the 'usic+ the &ro<ect was "inall% le"t un"inished a"ter se eral %ears o" s&oradic wor#( The oratorio was

co'&leted b% a student onl% a"ter Schoenbergs death( 6;uring the "ollowing %ears+ until 1922+ he 'anaged to co'&ose onl% a "urther one hundred bars+ which e$tended to the end o" &art 1 and the beginning &art o" an interlude( *t is readil% a&&arent that Schoenberg was unable to continue wor# on the co'&osition at the sa'e ti'e that the 3'ethod o" co'&osing with twel e tones onl% related to one another was being born in a series o" new wor#s(12 Fa#osleiter is an e$a'&le o" how the latter &art o" the 3"ree atonal &eriod was 'ore di""icult co'&ositionall% "or Schoenberg( 6The sea'less transition that he had achie ed in 190> and 1908 and the burst o" creati it% that the new st%le had &ro o#ed totall% eluded Schoenberg as he a&&roached the twel e tone 'ethod:( 13

11

Bailey, Walter. Biogra,hy. The Arnold Schoenberg Companion. !". Walter B. Bailey. #onnecticut$ %reen&oo" Press, 1''(. 2). Print.
12

8aegaar", 0an. Schoenbergs >nco/,lete Wor5s an" 6rag/ents. Constructive Dissonance: Arnold Schoenberg and the Transformations of Twentieth Centur! Culture. !"s. 0uliane Bran" an" #hristo,her .ailey. Ber5eley an" 1os 2ngeles$ 3ni4ersity of #alifornia Press, 1''). 1+2. Print.
13

Si//s, Bryan R. The Atonal $usic of Arnold Schoenberg% &'() &'*+. 7e& <or5$ ;?for", 2---. 1(). Print.

Rahul Puar Page 1- of 15 0hile on acation in Traun#irchen in 1920+ Schoenberg 4e

once again began to sto#e his co'&ositional "ire(

started wor# on &ieces that he co'&leted in 1923!1924C Fi e Piano Pieces o&( 23+ the Serenade+ o&( 24+ and the Suite "or Piano o&( 25( 6Two wor#s that Schoenberg co'&osed in

1923 are &artiall% based on the twel e tone 'ethod+ and his "irst Twel e tone &iece is the Suite o&( 25+ o" 1924:(14 The re olutionar% twel e tone based Suite o&(25 was interestingl% "or'atted within the con"ines o" the historical structure o" a 3suite and e en e'&lo%ed re&eated sections( 6According to the techni1ues code e er% twel e!tone co'&osition is centered on a so Gcalled 3tone row( This row is a series o" twel e notes built "ro' the notes o" the chro'atic scale+ the order o" which is "reel% chosen b% the co'&oser according to his indi idual intentions in the s&eci"ic co'&osition( The course o" the whole co'&osition or a section o" it+ then+ is "or'ed b% a constant reiteration o" the row78*n the "irst &lace+ the row can a&&ear wither in a hori/ontal or in a ertical &osition or in a co'bination o" both( Secondl%+ the row can be introduced directl% or in 'irror "or's and also in all trans&ositions(:15 Schoenberg used the &itches o" -!A!E!4H- "latIin the "irst retrograde tetrachord in the &relude o" o&(25+ an ho'age to Fohann Sebastian -ach who wrote 'an% -aro1ue suites( The 'usic o" o&(25 e'braced the "or'al ele'ents o" twel e!tone
1+

Roig, 6rancoli. "nderstanding #ost Tonal $usic. 7e& <or5$ 8c%ra&=.ill, 2--(. 1*-. Print Reti, 0ean. Tonalit!% Atonalit!% and #antonalit!, #onnecticut$ %reen&oo" Press, 1'5(. +3=++. Print

15

Rahul Puar Page 11 of 15 'usic while adhering to older 'usical "or's such as the &relude+ 'inuet+ and canon(1= Schoenberg had success"ull%

'ade the shi"t "ro' a 'ore intuiti e and "ree "or' o" atonalit% to one that had structure and organi/ation( 4e "ound wa%s o" uniting a &iece o" 'usic other than the traditional 'eans o" creating a hierarch% o" tones in a scale( Schoenberg would continue to co'&ose and wor# on

the twel e!tone 'ethod using these earl% &ieces as a starting &oint( The sel" &roclai'ed 6)'anci&ator o" ;issonance: acco'&lished what he had set out to doC "ree dissonance "ro' the need to be resol ed( Schoenberg understood that

'usic was destined to undergo the re olution o" which he was such a central &art( 6Princi&les such as co'&ound

tertial har'on% and chro'atic alteration harbor an innate tendenc% to e$&and+ causing the' ulti'atel% to sel" destruct:(1> Acting u&on the necessit% to "ree 'usic "ro'

the relationshi&s o" traditional har'on%+ Schoenberg bro#e into his atonal &eriod with "ull "orce( *t was a dissonant

ti'e in Schoenbergs 'artial li"e+ but the &re!war )$&ressionist 'o e'ent and his in ol e'ent with isual art

1*

Bur5hol"er, 0. Peter an" #lau"e @. Palisca. ,orton Antholog! of Western $usic: -olume +% Twentieth Centur! 7e& <or5 an" 1on"on$ W.W. 7orton an" #o., 2-1-. Print
1)

Aahlhaus, #arl. ,ineteenth Centur! $usic 1os 2ngeles$ 3ni4ersity of #alifornia Press, 1'('. 3)'. Print

Rahul Puar Page 12 of 15 'a% ha e all &la%ed a &art in his 'usical brea#throughs( The 'usic created b% Schoenberg during these earl% atonal %ears is that o" a "ree "or' use o" atonalit%( This is a

star# contrast to what Schoenberg was atte'&ting to do during the latter &art o" his 3"ree atonal &eriod( Searching "or a wa% to unite atonalit% into a "or'al 'ethod+ Schoenberg was not nearl% as &roducti e co'&ositionall%( 4is ser ice in 0orld 0ar * bro#e his

co'&ositional stride lea ing his large wor#+ Fa#obsleiter+ un"inished( ;es&ite being inco'&lete+ the oratorio had

within it the beginnings o" what would co'e to be #nown as the twel e!tone 'ethod( The 'ethod was "inall% reali/ed in

his &iano wor#s o" 1923!1925+ s&eci"icall% his Suite o&(25( Schoenberg &re"aced the twel e!tone &eriod with the 'ore e$&eri'ental 3"ree atonal &eriod to disco er the characteristics o" atonal beha ior( The in estigational

earl% &ieces such as in Das Buch der Hngenden Grten are dissi'ilar aurall% and theoreticall% than the highl% 'ethodical Suite o&(25( -oth Schoenbergs li"e and

co'&ositions went through a 'a<or change o er these inno ati e %ears+ each &ortion rendering a di""erent but necessar% 'usical e olution(

Rahul Puar Page 13 of 15

Bibliography

-aile%+ 0alter( 6-iogra&h%(:

he !rnold "choenberg

#om$anion. )d( 0alter -( -aile%( EonnecticutC ,reenwood Press+ 1998( 11!40( Print( -aile%+ 0alter( 6Schoenbergs Tonal -eginnings(: "choenberg #om$anion. )d( 0alter -( -aile%( EonnecticutC -ur#holder+ F( ,reenwood Press+ 1998( 51!82( Print( Peter o' and Elaude )usic* B( Palisca( ,, %orton wentieth he !rnold

!ntholog&

(estern

+olume

#entur& @ew Jor# and DondonC 0(0( @orton and Eo(+ 2010( Print( -ur#holder+ F( Peter( 6Schoenberg the Reactionar%(: "choenberg and His (orld. )d( 0alter Frisch( @ew Ferse%C Princeton Ani ersit% Press+ 1999( 1=2!194( Print( ;ahlhaus+ Earl( %ineteenth-#entur& )usic Dos AngelesC Ani ersit% o" Eali"ornia Press+ 1989( Print( 4arrison+ Tho'as F( he Emanci$ation o' Dissonance+ Dos

AngelesC Ani ersit% o" Eali"ornia Press+ 199=( Print( .aegaard+ Fan( 6Schoenbergs *nco'&lete 0or#s and Frag'ents(: #onstructi.e Dissonance* !rnold "choenberg

Rahul Puar Page 1+ of 15 and the rans'ormations o' wentieth-#entur& #ulture. )ds( Fuliane -rand and Ehristo&her 4aile%( -er#ele% and Dos AngelesC Ani ersit% o" Eali"ornia Press+ 199>( 131!145( Print( .cEo%+ .aril%n( 6A Schoenberg Ehronolog%(: "choenberg and His (orld. )d( 0alter Frisch( @ew Ferse%C Princeton Ani ersit% Press+ 1999( 1!18( Print( Reti+ Fean( onalit&, !tonalit&, and Pantonalit&+

EonnecticutC ,reenwood Press+ 1958( Print( Roig+ Francoli( /nderstanding Post- onal )usic. @ew Jor#C .c,raw!4ill+ 2008( Print( Si''s+ -r%an R( he !tonal )usic o' !rnold "choenberg,

0123-014,. @ew Jor#C 9$"ord+ 2000( Print( Stein+ Deonard( 6The Atonal Period in Schoenbergs .usic(: he !rnold "choenberg #om$anion. )d( 0alter -( -aile%( EonnecticutC ,reenwood Press+ 1998( 83!100( Print(

0eiss+ Peg( 6) ol ing Perce&tions o" ?andins#% and SchoenbergC Toward the )thnic Roots o" the 39utsider(: #onstructi.e Dissonance* !rnold "choenberg and the rans'ormations o' wentieth#entur& #ulture. )ds( Fuliane -rand and Ehristo&her 4aile%( -er#ele% and Dos AngelesC Ani ersit% o" Eali"ornia Press+ 199>( 35!5>( Print(

Rahul Puar Page 15 of 15