Free Atonality!

Second Viennese School!

Alban Berg

Arnold Schnberg (1874-1951) "

(1885-1935) "

Anton Webern
(1882-1945) "

L-R: Louis Savant (horn), Fritz Kreisler (violin), Arnold Schnberg (cello),
Eduard Gartner (violin), Karl Redlich (flageolet); c. 1895. "
Ensemble with Schnberg and Kreisler

Arnold Schnberg: Early Works (1899-1912)

This period is characterized by a gradual transformation from post-Wagnerian chromaticism

to free atonality (pantonality) and the development of an Expressionist aesthetic."

n Verklrte

Nacht (1899): strong Wagner influence."

n Bretl-Lieder

(1901): cabaret songs (popular style)."

n Kammersymphonie,

Op. 9 (1906): strong Brahms

influence; use of quartal/quintal harmonies anticipates
Paul Hindemith."
n Fnf

Orchesterstcke, Op. 16 (1909): introduction of

klangfarbenmelodie."
n Pierrot

Lunaire, Op. 21 (1912): epitome of

expressionistic style; introduction of sprechstimme."

After 1912, Schnberg took a decade-long hiatus

from composition as he developed the method of
composing with 12-tones related only to themselves."

Arnold Schnberg: Kammersymphonie, Op. 9 (1906)"

Arnold Schnberg:
Fnf Orchesterstcke,
Op. 16 (1909)III"

Klangfarbenmelodie
(tone-color melody)!

Arnold Schnberg:
Fnf Orchesterstcke,
Op. 16 (1909)III"

Arnold Schnberg:
Fnf Orchesterstcke,
Op. 16 (1909)III"

Arnold Schnberg:
Fnf Orchesterstcke,
Op. 16 (1909)III"

Expressionism: Characteristics and Themes!

n Turn-of-the-century

movement in literature, painting, sculpture, cinema, and music."

n Angst-filled

aesthetic achieved through distortion of reality."

n Associated

primarily with Germanic countries."

n Rejection

of immediate perception (I.e., impressionism) in favor of complex psychic

structures, subjective interpretation, and vivid emotional reactions."
n Common

expressionist themes include:"

n Dreams

(nightmares) and the subconscious"

n Inebriation"
n Insanity"
n Moon (=lunacy)"
n Darkness, night, blackness"
n Blood, death"

ExpressionismPrecedents!
Sigmund Freud:
The Interpretation of Dreams (1899) "

Edvard Munch: The Scream (1893)"

ExpressionismCinema!
Robert Weine: "
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)"

F.W. Murnau: Nosferatu (1922) "

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 1

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits "

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 2

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 3

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 4"

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 5

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 6

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 7"

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 8"

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 9

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 10

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 11"

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 12"

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 13"

Arnold Schnberg: Self-Portraits!

Schnberg: Self-Portrait 14"

Arnold Schnberg: Pierrot Lunaire (1912) !

Background "
n Based

on Pierrot Lunaire (1884), a collection of 50 poems by Belgian poet Albert Giraud;

Schnberg used the German translation by Otto Erich Hartleben (1892)."
clown character (from 16th-century commedia dellarte) in vogue around the turn
of the 19th century: e.g., Pierrot (France), Petrouchka (Russia), Pulcinella (Italy), Punch
(England)."
n Pathetic

n Intensity

increased through poems reiterative rondeau form: a b x x x x a b x x x x a."

n Expressionist

imagery: death, blood, darkness, night, moon (=lunacy), inebriation."

n Structure

of Schnbergs cycle reflects his obsession with numerology: 21 of the 50 poems

are selected, arranged in three sets of seven poems each."
nComposed

as a melodrama for actress-singer Albertine Zehme; introduction of

sprechstimme as a vocal technique."
n Unique

instrumentation of accompanying ensemble: flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet

(doubling bass clarinet), violin (doubling viola), violoncello, and piano. With the addition of
percussion, this ensemble became standardized later in the twentieth century ( Pierrot
Ensemble)."

Pablo Picasso:
Leaning Harlequin (1901)"

Pablo Picasso: Harlequin Sitting

on a Red Couch (1905)"

Caricature of Schnberg at premiere of Pierrot Lunaire.!

Arnold Schnberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 (1912)VIII. Nacht"

Passacaglia subject (=A+B)"

5!

4!
3!

B: descending chromatic line"

2!

A:"
chain of [014] sets"
1!

6!
A (diminution)"

B (inversion/retrograde)"

Arnold Schnberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 (1912)VIII. Nacht"

B:"
A:"

B (with inversion/retrograde)"

A (octave displacements)"

Arnold Schnberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 (1912)VIII. Nacht"

A (8ve displacements)"

A (tremolo)"

A (as chords)"

A (sequential chain with inversion)"

Arnold Schnberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 (1912)VIII. Nacht"

Arnold Schnberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 (1912)VIII. Nacht"

A: recapitulation of opening sequence"

Alban Berg (1885-1935)"

Alban Berg and Anton Webern (1912) "

Alban Berg and Arnold Schnberg (c.

1930) "

Georg Bchner (1813-1837) "

n Bchner

wrote the play Woyzeck, which was in

fragmentary form at his death in 1837."
n Original

play comprised of 25 loosely-organized

scenes."
n Alban

Berg consolidated Bchners 25

episodes into an opera in three acts of five
scenes each, changing the title characters name
to Wozzeck."
n Main

characters include Woyzeck (Wozzeck),

Marie, Andres, the Doctor, the Captain, the Drum
Major, and Margret."

Alban Berg: Wozzeck (1917-1922)Synopsis "

n ACT I Exposition: Introduction of main characters
"
"Form: Five Character Studies
"Scene 1: Wozzeck & Captain (Suite)
"Scene 2: Wozzeck & Andres (Rhapsody on a sequence of three chords)
"Scene 3: Marie, Margret, child, & Wozzeck (Military March & Lullaby)
"Scene 4: Wozzeck & Doctor (Chaconne: theme with 21 variations)
"Scene 5: Marie & Drum Major (Rondo)"
n ACT II Development: Interaction of Wozzeck with other characters
"
"Form: Symphony in Five Movements
"Scene 1: Marie, child, & Wozzeck (Sonata movement)
"Scene 2: Captain, Doctor, & Wozzeck (Fantasy & Fugue on 3 themes)
"Scene 3: Marie & Wozzeck (Largo)
"Scene 4: Andres, Drum Major, Marie, Wozzeck, & tavern dwellers (Scherzo)
"Scene 5: Wozzeck, Andres, Drum Major, & soldiers (Rondo)"
n ACT III Denouement: Catastrophe
"
"Form: Six Inventions
"Scene 1: Marie & child (Invention on a theme7 variations and fugue)
"Scene 2: Wozzeck & Marie [murder] (Invention on one tone)
"Scene 3: Wozzeck, Margret, & tavern dwellers (Invention on a rhythm)
"Scene 4: Wozzeck, Captain, & Doctor (Invention on a chord)
"
"[Orchestral interlude (Invention on a key)]
"Scene 5: Maries child & other children (Invention on a quaver rhythm)"

Alban Berg: Wozzeck (1917-22)

Act III, Scene 3"

Rhythmic motive:"

Original version!
Augmentation!

Alban Berg: Wozzeck (1917-22)

Act III, Scene 3"

Rhythmic motive:"

Unaltered!
Augmentation!
Diminution!

Alban Berg: Wozzeck (1917-22)

Act III, Scene 3"

Rhythmic motive:"

Unaltered!
Augmentation!
Diminution!

Alban Berg: Wozzeck (1917-22)

Act III, Scene 3"

Rhythmic motive:"

Unaltered!
Augmentation!
Diminution!

VIDEO"

Anton Webern
(1882-1945)"

Anton Webern: Fnf Stcke, Op. 10 (1913)Movement IV"

Three textural layers:!

Melody!
Sustained accompaniment!
Rhythmic accompaniment!

Anton Webern:
Fnf Stcke, Op. 10 (1913)III"

Anton Webern:
Fnf Stcke, Op. 10 (1913)III"

Anton Webern:
Fnf Stcke, Op. 10 (1913)III"

Wassily Kandinsky: Composition X (1939)