Arnold Schoenberg
Father of Serialism
Childhood
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Born in Leopoldstadt, Vienna on September 13,
1874.
Father, Samuel, was a shopkeeper
Mother, Pauline, was a piano teacher.
At age 8 he began to play violin and remained
self-taught until his late teens.
His first composition was completed before he
turned 9 years old.
Formal Teaching
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Schoenberg received some training in his early
teens on violin.
At the age of 17 he formally studied with
Alexander von Zemlinsky.
Zemlinsky was only three years older than
Schoenberg causing the two men to become
lifelong friends.
The Missing Link
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Schoenberg completed his first significant
composition in 1899, a tone poem entitled
“Verklärte Nacht” opus #4. It was composed of
string sextet.
This piece was base on Richard Dehmel poem
of the same name.
“Verklärte Nacht” is the bridge from Romanticism to
Impressionism in music.
Evolution Continues
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Schoenberg’s next major work was “Pelleas und
Melisande” opus #5. Completed in April of
1903.
This piece continues in the impressionistic style
and is composed for full orchestra.
Based on the play of the same name by Maurice
Maeterlinck and is greatly influenced by the tone
poems of Strauss, Wagner and Mahler.
1903 Continued
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One of Schoenberg’s busiest years musically.
Composes many song pieces. “das
Wappenschild” and “Natur”: Ochesterlieder.
Arranges “Barber of Seville” and “Rosamunde”
for two and four hand piano performance.
Schoenberg also transcribes several of Wagner’s
tone poems and Mahler’s symphonies.
Vienna Schule
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Schoenberg is part of the
second “Vienna school”
at the Schwarzwald
Schule and begins
teaching here in fall of
1904.
His two main pupils were
Anton Werbern and
Alban Berg.
Second String Quartet, Opus 10
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Started in spring of 1907 and completed in July
of 1908 this piece is the first to use serialism and
twelve-tone composition.
This style of composition will become the
trademark of Schoenberg and create the
Expressionist movement in music.
The Basics
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Music is divided into 12 tones. Generally, 8
tones a grouped in scales. The notes are relative
to themselves with regards to tension.
Chords are 3 or more tones play simultaneously
to create harmony. Chords are relative to each
other with regards to dissonance.
Understanding 12 Tone Composition
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Schoenberg wanted to
use each tone equally and
throw away the
convention of scales and
chords.
He devised “tone rows”,
a grouping of 12 notes
in sequence.
Rules of Serialism
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Each note MUST be played in succession.
Each voice (instrument) may work
independently from one another or together in
any combination.
Tone Rows may be used to create harmony and
can be inverted, truncated, or augmented.
Books and Mentors
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In 1911, Schoenberg’s mentor and friend Gustav
Mahler passed away.
“Theory of Harmony” was completed by
Schoenberg in July and dedicated to Mahler.
For the next several years Schoenberg took
many conducting jobs performing the works of
his mentor.
…In the Army Now
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The Austrian army
drafted Schoenberg into
service in 1916.
He is declared unfit for
duty because he has
difficulty breathing.
Schoenberg resumes
conducting and teaching
in 1918.
Bauhaus
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Wassily Kandinsky
invites Schoenberg to
teach at the Bauhaus
school of music in 1923.
Schoenberg declines the
Weimar’s invitation due
to anti-Semitic
sentiments from the
administration AND
Kandinsky.
Post-Bauhaus
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As if to assert his authority in teaching,
Schoenberg releases two books on composing
and harmony.
He then begins work on his piano works, Opus
#23-25.
Schoenberg resumes teaching in Austria, Prussia,
and Germany.
Anti-Semitism
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For the next 9 years Schoenberg performs his
works regularly, each time with more antiSemitic protest.
In 1933 he travels to Paris for a few months
then moves to New York.
Here Schoenberg teaches at the Malkin
Conservatory.
City of Angels
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Arrives in Los Angeles in 1934 and remains here
for the rest of his life.
Here he takes on an American pupil, John Cage
and befriends George Gershwin.
Schoenberg is granted on honorary
professorship at UCLA, where he teaches and
conducts.
Gives lectures at University of Chicago.
My Evolution
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Schoenberg gives his famous “My Evolution”
lecture at University of Chicago in 1949.
Sensing the end of his life Schoenberg
composes Psalm 130, and Modern Psalm in
1950.
Dies in 1951 in L.A.