Do you know what contradictions were represented by the composer Arnold Schoenberg?

Schoenberg – an innovator, Schoenberg – a brave walker on new paths, Schoenberg – a pioneer of contemporary music … But is this picture complete? Here are some facts to consider!

Arnolds Schoenbergs, who was talented and active in the visual arts as well as the sound arts, served both muses. Other similar cases are also known in history, for example, age, Lithuanian composer and painter Mikalojs Konstantins Čurlionis (1875–1911). However, in the case of Schoenberg, attention is drawn to history – the period of his most intense activity as a painter (from 1914 to 1922) coincides with a period of silence in music, for eight years he did not nothing big Therefore, visual art does not so harmoniously and organically complement the creative nature of the musician (as it is for Schoenberg’s colleagues), because it compensates the music for the author , which has reached a creative dead end, created by the seemingly free atonal chaos. harmony at the beginning of the 20th century.

After finding a way out – a new solution for arranging sounds (dodecaphony) – the master returns to music with scuba, and painting is again still in the background.

The development of Schoenberg’s modern style in his youth begins with late romanticism. No wonder, because several of their contemporaries made their debut in the same way: for example, Claude Debussy, Béla Bartok, Karols Šimanovskis, also one of Schoenberg’s most distinguished students, Albans Berg (1885– 1935). But in Schoenberg’s case, the contradictions manifest themselves in his later attitude towards the romantic works of his youth. Sometimes, mostly in public statements, the author does not distance himself at all from his early work, which was loved by the public (and not famous with fame!). However, in others

especially in the thoughts expressed in private letters, one can feel a painful, even sharp regret that the new modernist works do not receive nearly as much of attention to the early ones – the poem for the series “Explained Night” or the cantata “Songs of Gurre”. “.

Another aspect is the relationship between emotions and intellect in art. Expressionism, as a stylistic current, stands out for being higher, often even extreme emotion. In contrast, Schoenberg’s greatest innovation, the dodecaphony, is a highly intuitive technique that allows even the mechanical construction of compositions without the slightest prompting. Therefore

the master’s concern that, due to the practice of untalented and careless followers, dodecaphony can lead to worthless games of the pure mind and to a musical crisis, diminishing even the art of the day, is well understood. today in the public eye.

There is pride in one’s discovery and fear of its consequences – yes, such a combination ironically seems very emotional!

But this is also the next contradiction. In Schoenberg’s instructions to his students (also mature artists), concerns and criticisms about the usual use of dodecaphony are also directed at two of his favorites – Berg and Anton Webern (1883-1945) who were already mentioned. How could Schoenberg, a wise pedagogue and familiar with the characteristics of style, not appreciate the excellence and high moral responsibility of these two desires for the creation of art, how could he not trust them? In addition, Berg’s music, unlike his colleagues, does not look avant-garde at all, but has a substantial connection with traditions, including even tonality.

Schoenberg’s own attitude towards tonal music is also controversial. By giving tonality, the composer understands the power of its influence at the same time, therefore, in the second half of his life, he is increasingly inclined to compare between the two methods, tonal and atonal (including dodecaphone). Especially in large works, where differences are essential to renew the drama. However, even in such situations, the scale of values ​​turns out to be very variable.

In the opera “Mozus and Aaron” (1930-1932, unfinished), the positive character Moses, bearer of spirituality, is characterized by dodecaphonic music, while the negative acquaintance, Aaron is characterized by tone old-fashioned: what is an obvious step in the direction of modernity!

However, ten years later, in the poem “Ode to Napoleon” (1941), a completely different perspective can be observed: the new method, the dodecaphony that seems advanced now marks the person – the use of evil power, Napoleon Bonaparte, and vice versa, the noble hero, the Duke of Wellington, represented in a clear simajor tonality.

Perhaps Schoenberg was driven to contradictions with life itself? Destiny?

While he writes contemporary music in his creative work, in his long-term practice as a harmony pedagogy, he presents thoroughly classical values ​​grounded in tradition (among other things, inter- Latvian classical music professor Jāzeps Vītols translated Šeenberg’s textbook “Harmonija” into Russian shortly before the First World War on behalf of the St. Petersburg Conservatory).

Emphasizing his closeness to the German cultural spirit in his youth, in the second half of his life Schoenberg painfully experienced forced emigration from Europe and the tragedy of the Holocaust of his ethnic contemporaries (yes this can be seen strongly in the poem “Surviving Witness from Warsaw”, 1946).

Schoenberg has changed both his religious beliefs (Christianity and Judaism), his citizenship (Austria-Hungary-Austria and the United States), and even the spelling of his surname (German Schoenberg with umlaut and English in international Schoenberg).

Befriended personally by a wide circle of the most brilliant intellectuals of his time and admired by patrons of contemporary art, at the end of his life the master engages in a tragic conflict with his fellow -ages, the German genius Thomas Mann (1875- 1955).

After all, even the authenticity of Schoenberg as the creator of dodecaphony can be disputed.

A similar technology was already used five years earlier by the little-known Austrian Joseph Matthias Hauer (1883-1959), but even 20 years earlier (!) – indeed, completely sporadically – by the American Charles Ives (1874-1954) who was always amazing. . It is true that both of them, unlike Schoenberg, did not register their invention in the patent office…

Will we be so confused by everything that was said to the group of American students in the late 1940’s? They might have expected a wonderful dodecaphony recipe from the famous professor Schoenberg, but they were surprised to hear from the distinguished old man: Dear, if you only knew how much wonderful music can be made in a key C major!

More

Report a bug