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The documents, many previously unpublished or untranslated, reveal the relationships between various aspects of Schoenberg’s activities in composition, music theory, criticism, painting, performance,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 nineteen-fifties Los Angeles.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780300127126 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Yale University Press |
| Publication date: | 10/01/2008 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Sales rank: | 767,532 |
| File size: | 6 MB |
Read an Excerpt
A Schoenberg Reader
Documents of a LifeBy Joseph Auner
Yale University Press
Copyright © 2003 Yale UniversityAll right reserved.
ISBN: 0-300-09540-6
Chapter One
Early Years in Vienna and Berlin: 1874-1906Autobiographical Documents and Reminiscences
Schoenberg's Resume, c. 1944
1.1 "Arnold Schoenberg, composer, teacher of musical composition."
Prepared around 1944, following his retirement from UCLA, this version of Schoenberg's resume includes biographical events up to 1941, publications up 1942, and works up to 1943; the addenda of later writings was added c. 1950. Perhaps most striking about this account of Schoenberg's first seventy years is the list of works still to come before his death in 1951, including: Prelude to the Genesis Suite, Op. 44 (1945); String Rio, Op. 45 (1946); A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46 (1947); Three Folksongs, for Mixed Chorus, Op. 49 (1948); Phantasy for Violin with Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47 (1949); Three Songs for Low Voice, Op. 48 (composed 1933, published 1952); Dreimal tausend Jahre, Op. 50A (1949); De profundis, Psalm 130, Op. 50B (1950); and the Modern Psalm No. 1, Op. 50C (1950). Editorial additions and corrections to the dates are indicated in brackets.
Arnold Schoenberg, composer, teacher of musical composition. Professor emeritus of Music at the University of California at Los Angeles. Residence: 116 N. Rockingham Avenue, Los Angeles 24, California. Date and Place of Birth: Vienna (Austria), September 13, 1874. Parents: Samuel Schoenberg (d. 1890) Pauline Nachod (d. 1921). Education: Volkschule and Realschule in Vienna.
In music at first autodidact; later 1895/96 studied with Alexander von Zemlinsky.
Married first [in 1901] to Mathilde von Zemlinsky (died 1923); children, Gertrud Greissle (1902), Georg Schoenberg (1906) 1924: second marriage: Gertrud Kolisch (1898); children: Dorothea Nuria (1932), Rudolf Ronald (1937), Lawrence Adam (1941).
Started composing at the age of eight years; started musical career as a cellist and teacher of composition.
1902 [1901-1902]: conductor at Wolzogen's "Buntes Theater" in Berlin; taught musical theory at Sternsches Konservatorium.
1904: returned to Vienna [1903], private teaching of composition. Pupils among them: Anton von Webern, Alban Berg (composer of Wozzeck) and many others.
1911-1915: in Berlin, private teaching, conducting own works in Amsterdam, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Leipzig, Dresden, Vienna, etc. Touring with Pierrot Lunaire, composed 1912, conducting Gurrelieder in Leipzig, lecturing about Gustav Mahler in Prague, Stettin, Vienna and many other places.
1915 [1915-1916,1917]: Austrian Army.
1919: Vienna, teaching; founded Verein fur Musikalische Privatauffuhrungen Moderner Musik [Society for Private Musical Performances]. Pupils at this time: Rudolf Kolisch, primarius of the Kolisch Quartet, Eduard Steuer mann, concert pianist, Hanns Eisler, composer, Karl Rankl, conductor, director of the opera in Graz, later in the same position in Prague.
1920: in Holland; conducting ten concerts with own works and teaching.
1926-1933: in Berlin, appointed Professor of Musical Composition at the Akademie der Kiinste zu Berlin.
1933: October: Malkin Conservatory in Boston, Mass.
1934: Hollywood, private teaching, conducting, also conducting in New York, Boston, Mass., and Chicago, Ill.
1935/6: conducting also in Los Angeles. Lecturing: Princeton, 1934; Chicago, 1934; Los Angeles, 1935; Denver, 1937; Kansas City, 1939.
1935: Professor of Music at the University of Southern California.
1936: Professor of Music at the University of California at Los Angeles.
1940 [1941]: Annual Research Lecture on "Composition with Twelve Tones" at the University of California at Los Angeles.
Member of: Music Teachers National Association; American Society for Aesthetics, American Society of Composers (ASCAP).
Honorary member of the Academy Santa Cecilia at Rome, Italy; of the Music Teachers Association of California; formerly of several musical and artistic societies in Germany.
Published books: Harmonielehre (out of Universal Edition 1911 print) Texte (a collection of poems on which Universal Edition 1926 my compositions are based) Die Jakobsleiter, Oratorio. Universal Edition 1917 Models for Beginners in Composition G. Schirmer Inc. New York, 1942 Unpublished: Moses and Aaron, an opera. Der Biblische Weg, a drama.
Published in magazines and newspapers a great number of essays, mostly on musical and theoretical subjects.
Unpublished a great number of lectures, also on musical subjects. A collection of them will be published sometime.
I am writing at present a textbook on counterpoint, three volumes: I. Preliminary Exercises; II. Multiple Counterpoint; III. Counterpoint in 19th and 20th Century Music. Besides a textbook Fundamentals of Musical Composition (unfinished).
A Partial List of my Musical Works
A) Symphonic and other Orchestral Works composed 1st performance published
Gurrelieder 1899+1902 1913 1912 Pelleas and Melisande 1902 [1903] 1905 1920 [1911] Five Orchestral Pieces 1908 [1909] 1914 [1912] 1913 [1912] Variations for Orchestra 1928 1928 1929 Lichtspielmusik 1930 1930 1930 Concerto for Violoncello and 1932 [1933] 1936 [1935] 1935 Orch. (Monn) Concerto for String Quartet 1933 1937 [1934] 1935 and Orch. (Handel) Suite for String Orchestra 1934 1935 1935 Violin Concerto 1936 1941 [1940] 1939 Piano Concerto 1942 1944 1943 [1944] Chamber Symphony, No. 1, 1937 Version for Orch. Second Chamber Symphony 1940 [1939] 1940 Transcriptions of Bach, Preludes and Prelude and Fugue in E flat Transcriptions of Brahms Piano Quartet and others.
B) Operas Erwartung, Monodrama, 1909 1924 1916 [1917] Op. 17 Die gluckliche Hand, Op. 18 1913 1924 1924 [1917] Von heute auf morgen, Op. 32 1929 1930 1930 Moses and Aaron, unfinished, second act finished in 1932
(Under A) by mistake these works have been omitted: Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte 1942 (version for String Orchestra) Variations for Wind Band 1943 [1942] The same, Version for Full Orchestra 1943 [1942]
C) Chamber Music
String Quartets, Op. 7 (1904) [1905], Op. 10 (1907) [1908], Op. 30 (1930) [1927], Op. 37 (1939) [1936]
String Sextet Verklarte Nacht (1899), I. Chamber Symphony, Op. 9 (1906) Pierrot Lunaire, Melodramas, (1912); Serenade (1923); Wind Quintet (1924); Septet Suite (1927) [1926]; Herzgewachse (1915) [1911]; Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte, recitation with piano quintet (1942)
D) Piano Solo: Op. 11, Op. 19, Op. 23, Op. 25, Op. 33 A/B
E) Songs with Orchestra: Op. 8 (1904); Op. 22 (1914-1915) [1913-1916]
F) Choral Works: Peace on Earth, Op. 13 (1907); Four Pieces for Mixed Choir, Op. 27 (1926) [1925]; Three Satires for Mixed Choir, Op. 28 (1926) [1925]; Six Pieces for Male Choir, Op. 35 (1930); Three German Folk Songs, transcriptions for mixed choir [1928]; Kol Nidre, with choir and orchestra (1938)
G) Songs with piano: Op. 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 14, 15: Four German Folk Songs (transcriptions)
ADDENDA Structural Functions of the Harmony [1948] Models for Orchestra Collection of Essays under the Title of Style and Idea (Philosophical Library) [1950]
Key Terms of a Life
1.2 Notes Zbward a Biography (c. 1949)
A biographical summary of selected events in Schoenberg's life up to his seventy-fifth birthday, probably dictated to his wife Gertrud.
vaccination certificate grade cards from school milkman downstairs his first love: a horse water outside only bathtub on Saturday evenings playing funerals with a violin case
big impression of the French teacher: such as telling him that a nice boy should not part his hair in the middle
"Last Rose of Summer": heard it once, and could remember it all
He was on either the top or the bottom in the scale of school grades
Fighting: (1) hole in the knees of his pants a sign of victory (2) winning a fight (3) drinking his coffee with the spoon in it
German grammar teacher: first one who made him realize the inadequacy of his home surroundings-such as how they talked in his home
His friends: D. J. Bach, Zemlinsky, Adler
His bank experience: he was told that his brother was much better than he; gave all he earned to his mother
His father's death: influenza, for which the doctor gave the wrong prescription on Dec. 31; the next day his father died. The doctor asked to have the prescription back, saying he would take care of the children.
Ringtheater fire: 2 cousins brought to stay with them
Mother's pension
Engaged to Bach's sister; Zemlinsky's sister was engaged to a man who left her, and she always took out her spite on Schoenberg.
Schoenberg married Zemlinsky's sister, who said she would kill herself if he would not marry her. She was a friend of Schoenberg's sister.
Schoenberg's sister admired his work very much and really loved him. She showed his work to a composer of light opera in Vienna; Schoenberg stood for a long time waiting to meet this man, who told him that he was talented but should study longer.
Schoenberg left the bank, which later went broke. He said he did not do anything there but write notes all of the time.
When he married Zemlinsky's sister, three different men refused to be the best man. His friends everywhere were not happy about his marriage.
He and his wife went to Berlin where R. Strauss helped him to obtain a teaching position at the Stern Conservatory. Trudie was born there. After he made some money, they had a comfortable place to live.
Von Gutersloh, a writer, became a good friend of his at Uberbrettl. (Check with Alma for the letter from Strauss; look also in Schoenberg's letters why he did not write a birthday letter to Strauss.)
Prater his first love.
His birthdays in the country with his pupils: Klammer, Tonkirchen, Munchen
When he went to his wife in the country and Trude told him that his friend, a painter, was going around with his wife. The friend killed himself afterward. His sister was also involved in this. Later at Berg's house Schoenberg's wife had an affair with someone else.
Invited to Switzerland for the Gurrelieder; wished a peace treaty, wrote to Busoni, and his coming was canceled.
Sued for money; return of money for performing Gurrelieder.
Crazy neighbor who wanted to kill him, forcing him to move.
Malkin did not renew the contract.
No affidavit, first papers for citizenship
Asked Heifetz for $3000; same thing happened with Stravinsky in Italy
When he and his family came to this country on the Ile de France, Bodanzky was on the ship with them. The ship line gave Mr. S 1/2 fare, Mrs. S 1/4 fare, and let Nuria come without charge; only the dog was charged full fare.
Kreisler met the family at customs when they arrived in America, but his wife did not let him talk with the Schoenbergs. (When Kreisler's wife said that he had no Jewish blood, someone said "How anemic!")
Story about the ranger and bringing furniture here
Story about the synagogue in Paris: Einstein, what took place (Kreisler in N.Y.)
Wedding bells not ringing medical papers Letters to (1) Berlin Akademie (2) UCLA 75th Birthday letter envelope of "Biography letters"
Paris: (1) Jewish society (2) E. Toch (3) Kreisler (4) Furtwangler (5) pupil of Schoenberg (6) [the document breaks off here.]
A Life Story in Encounters
1.3 From "Notes for an Autobiography" (1944-1945)
This collection of miscellaneous materials, ranging from lists of names and fragmentary notes to extended essays, grew out of an idea for an autobiography in 1924: "I have for a long time been planning to write my autobiography in such a way that I, to the best of my memory, will present all persons with whom I have been in contact, in so far as their relationship to me is of some interest; I will describe them as they have shown themselves to me and characterize the relationship between them and me. Of course, this is not primarily an act of revenge; rather it is merely a system which I expect will help my memory. As I proceed, the links between different persons and separate events should emerge, and I thus should be able to be as truthful as possible; while I surely would fail if I attempted to write a chronological representation." In 1932 Schoenberg returned to the project, adding the title "Life Story in Encounters." It is likely that the following outline on the first page of the notebook was written at this time:
How I became a Musician How I became a Christian How I became a Brahmsian How I became a Wagnerian Encounters and relationships with: Mahler, Strauss, Reger, Ravel, Debussy, Stravinsky, Mann, Werfel, Loos, Kandinsky, Kokoschka, Kraus.
When he again took up the project in 1944, he began with the same plan, but in a much-expanded form and with some noteworthy differences, as for example with the inclusion of the line "How I became a Jew again." Additional materials from the "Notes for an Autobiography" are given in 7.2.
How I became a Musician How I became a Christian How I became a Jew again How I became a Wagnerian How I became a Brahmsian
* * *
My friendships: Oscar Adler/David Bach/Alexander Zemlinsky /Anton von Webern /Alban Berg/Adolf Loos/Gustav Mahler/Alma Mahler-Werfel/ Steuermann /Erwin Stein /Ratz, Weiss /Dr.
Continues...
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