Thomas Nordquist

Due: February 17, 2021

Schoenberg: Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, Op. 15, No. 1

Summary of the composition (WC: 550)

This composition begins with a descending disjunct interval, followed by an ascending disjunct interval,
which then moves in conjunct motion, all in a syncopated rhythm in quarter notes and eighth notes.
Another disjunct interval is played to a half note, then ends the phrase with a quarter note that moved in
descending conjunct motion. The opening disjunct intervals are repeated, followed by quarter notes
moving in disjunct motion, then cuts off. Then quarter notes are played, in a syncopated rhythm, starting
with a conjunct interval, then moving with disjunct motion, as the right-hand then sustains an E. The
left-hand enters, two beats after the right-hand sustains the note, with the opening disjunct interval
pattern, in half notes, sustaining the third note of the pattern. The vocalist then enters repeating eighth
notes, then moving in disjunct motion and conjunct motion, as the right-hand adds an octave E above the
E already sustaining, then moves in a disjunct dotted eighth-sixteenth note pattern, followed by a
sustained quarter note and half note. The vocalist then moves in conjunct motion, in eighth notes, then
sings the dotted eighth-sixteenth patter, in disjunct motion, followed by eighth notes and quarter notes in
descending conjunct motion. The left-hand in the piano then moves in ascending thirty-second notes,
followed by an eight note in disjunct motion, then the pattern in played in the right-hand, followed by a
quarter note and sixteenth notes in conjunct motion, then thirty-second notes in descending disjunct
motion. The vocalist enters with a disjunct interval from a quarter note to an eighth note, then moves in
conjunct motion in sixteenth notes and eighth notes, as the right-hand, in the piano, plays conjunct
eighth notes, leading to a dotted quarter note. The left-hand then moves in descending and ascending
disjunct mooring in thirty-second notes and sixteenth notes, as the right-hand moves in conjunct motion,
in quarter notes and eighth notes, then sustaining a quarter note tied to an eighth note, ending the phrase
on an eighth note chord. The vocalist continues moving in conjunct motion, with occasional disjunct
intervals, in quarter notes, sixteenth notes, and eighth notes. The vocalist then moves in disjunct motion,
with occasional conjunct intervals, in a descending manner, as the right-hand of the piano moves in
quarter notes in descending conjunct motion, then descends in a thirty-second note sixlet to a dotted
quarter note chord in the left-hand. The left-hand then repeats the cord in quarter notes, as the left hand,
moves in conjunct motion in quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes. The vocalist enters with a
quarter note, then moving in conjunct motion followed by disjunct intervals. The vocalist continues with
descending conjunct intervals in sixteenth notes and dotted eighth notes, followed by a disjunct interval
from a dotted quarter note to an eighth note, as the right-hand plays disjunct eighth notes and quarter
notes. The left-hand of the piano then plays the opening disjunct pattern in quarter notes, as the right-
hand sustains a G-sharp, and the vocalist moving in descending motion with disjunct and conjunct
intervals, then cutting off. The left-hand continues, moving in a descending disjunct motion, then
sustaining an E-sharp, as the right-hand plays a half note tied to a quarter note chord, followed by a
dotted half note chord, then cutting off, ending the piece.

Schoenberg: Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, Op. 15, No. 2 (WC: 271)

This composition begins with the left and right hands of the piano sustaining whole note chords, as the
vocalist enters with a dotted quarter note, then moves in descending conjunct motion, in eighth notes,
dotted eighth notes, and sixteenth notes, then ascends in conjunct motion in eighth notes. The left-hand
changes notes, in a disjunct interval, as the right-hand moves in disjunct motion, in quarter notes and
eighth, with sustained half notes. The vocalist then continues in triplets, moving in conjunct motion, as
the left-hand plays quarter notes and the left hand, in conjunct motion, plays eighth note triplets,
sixteenth note sixlets, quarter notes, and sixteenth notes. The piano, then moves in conjunct motion in
eighth notes and repeated sixteenth notes, then the right-hand continues this pattern, as the left-hand
plays sixteenth notes in disjunct motion, then sustaining a dotted half note. The right-hand then sustains
a dotted quarter note tied to an eighth note, then moves in conjunct motion, in quarter notes, with the
left-hand. The left-hand then sustains a half note, as the right-hand continues ascending in conjunct
quarter notes, then sustains half notes, as the left-hand then moves in ascending conjunct quarter notes,
with an occasional disjunct interval. The right-hand then plays ascending eighth notes, followed by
sustained chord in both hands, as the vocalist descends and ascends in eighth notes, then in quarter
notes, ending with a disjunct interval to a quarter note. The piano continues with a sustained chord, and
three quarter notes ascending in conjunct motion, with a disjunct interval from the last two quarter notes,
then sustain a whole note chord, then cutting off.

Schoenberg: Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, Op. 15, No. 3 (WC: 542)

This composition begins with a dotted quarter note in the left-hand of the piano, moving in disjunct
motion in dotted quarter notes and eighth notes. The vocalist enters moving in conjunct motion in
sixteenth notes and dotted eighth notes, with occasional disjunct intervals, ending the phrase with a
dotted quarter note and an eighth note, as the right-hand, in the piano, plays the same rhythm, moving in
conjunct motion, also playing repeated quarter notes. The left-hand then ascends in eighth notes, then
moving in disjunct motion with the sixteenth note and dotted eighth note pattern, and in quarter noted
and eighth notes. The vocalist then ascends in conjunct motion, with an occasional disjunct interval, in
eighth notes and quarter notes, then descends in conjunct motion, as the right-hand, in the piano, ascends
in conjunct motion. The right-hand then plays eighth notes and quarter notes, along with the left-hand, in
disjunct motion and in different rhythms, then cutting off. The vocalist then enters with a disjunct
interval, then conjunct motion, with an occasional disjunct interval, in eighth notes and dotted quarter
notes. The piano enters with both hands playing different rhythms in quarter notes and eighth notes, the
n the left-hand moves in conjunct motion in eighth notes, as the right-hand continues the syncopated
quarter note and eighth note rhythm. The left-hand on the piano and the vocalist then move in quarter
notes in disjunct motion, as the right-hand plays the sixteenth note and dotted eighth rhythm along with
eighth notes and quarter notes in conjunct motion. The left-hand then moves in conjunct quarter notes
and disjunct eighth notes, as the right-hand and the vocalist sustain a half note, then the right-hand
ascends in eighth notes in conjunct motion. The right-hand then continues with the sixteenth note and
dotted eighth note rhythm in conjunct motion, also with eighth notes and quarter notes in the same
motion, as the left-hand moves in disjunct quarter notes with the vocalist, followed by moving in
conjunct motion. The vocalist then moves in conjunct motion, in eighth notes, quarter notes, and half
notes, with occasional disjunct intervals, as the left hand plays descending quarter notes and eighth notes
in conjunct motion. The left and right hands of the piano then play conjunct eighth notes, with the left-
hand descending and the right hand ascending, as the vocalist moves in disjunct motion, in quarter notes
and eighth notes, then in conjunct motion. The left-hand then plays an eighth note followed by a
sustained chord, as the right-hand descends in disjunct motion in eighth notes. The vocalist then moves
in conjunct motion, with two disjunct intervals, in quarter notes, eighth notes, and half notes, then
cutting off. The right-hand continues, playing the dotted eighth note and sixteenth note rhythm, along
with quarter notes in conjunct motion, as the left-hand plays disjunct eighth notes and quarter notes. The
right-hand moves in conjunct motion in quarter notes, then sustains a half note, as the left-hand descends
in disjunct eighth notes, with the right-hand ascending in eighth notes on the last two beats. Both hands
then play a chord, with the left-hand moving in conjunct motion on beat two and the right-hand moving
in conjunct on beat three, then cutting off after beat four.

Schoenberg: Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, Op. 15, No. 4 (WC: 321)
This composition begins with the vocalist and the right-hand on the piano moving in conjunct motion in
eighth notes and quarter notes, as the left-hand plays dotted quarter notes, quarter notes, and half notes
in conjunct motion, with occasional disjunct intervals. The left-hand then plays descending eighth notes
followed by a half note, as the vocalist and right-hand descend in conjunct motion in dotted quarter
notes and eighth notes. The left-hand continues playing eighth notes in conjunct and disjunct intervals,
as the left-hand plays disjunct quarter notes, with the vocalist joining in two beats later, then descends in
dotted quarter notes and eighth notes with the left-hand. The vocalist cuts off, as the left-hand continues
with conjunct eighth notes and quarter notes, and the left hand playing descending quarter notes and
eighth notes. The vocalist comes back in with sixteenth notes in disjunct motion, with occasional
conjunct intervals. The left-hand then plays conjunct sixteenth notes and quarter notes, as the right-hand
plays conjunct quarter notes and eighth notes, with a disjunct interval from beats one and two. The
vocalist then moves in conjunct motion in quarter notes, as both hand of the piano play a quarter note,
the sustain half notes that move in disjunct motion, with the right-hand also moving in conjunct motion
with the vocalist. The left-hand then plays a half note, as the right-hand moves in conjunct eighth notes
and quarter notes. The vocalist enters with descending quarter notes in conjunct motion, followed by a
half note, as the left-hand d=plays disjunct eighth notes and quarter notes. The vocal then moves in
disjunct motion, in eighth notes and dotted quarter notes, with occasional conjunct intervals, then cuts
off, as the left-hand sustains a dotted half note. The left-hand then moves in disjunct motion in half
notes, as the left-hand moves in disjunct motion. Both hands then play a dotted half note chord then cut
off, ending the piece.

Relevance to the current CH material (WC: 70)

These compositions were a part of a collection that were the start of Schoenberg’s atonal period of
music. This music lacked a clear tonal center, used harmonic dissonances, did not use the traditional
melodic progressions, and if there were any moments of brief tonicization, it was usually short. Instead
of using functional harmonies to shape these works, Schoenberg use developing variations of motific
and thematic materials as his musical structure.

Opinion of the composition (WC: 27)

I really liked these compositions. They sounded weird at first, but after listening to them a few times,
they were really nice and enjoyable to listen to.

Composer biographic information (WC: 49)

Dates: Schoenberg was born on September 13, 1874 in Vienna, Austria, and died on July 13,
1951, in Los Angeles, California.
Country of Origin: Schoenberg was an Austrian composer.
Two famous/representative compositions:
1. Verklärte Nacht (1899)
2. Nachtwandler (1969)
One interesting fact: “After World War I Schoenberg’s music won increasing acclaim, although
his invention of the 12-tone method aroused considerable opposition.” (Kuiper, Kathleen and
Newlin, Dika. "Arnold Schoenberg". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2020,
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arnold-Schoenberg. Accessed 16 February 2021.)

1 2 3 4 5
WCP1 WCP2 P1+P2 WCP3 WCP4 Total WC
>85 >65 >200 20-40 40-100 240-460
1684 70 1754 27 49 1830