Arnold

Schoenber
g
Father of
Serialism

Childhood

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

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

Schoenberg completed his first

significant composition in 1899, a tone
poem entitled Verklrte Nacht opus
#4. It was composed of string sextet.
This piece was base on Richard
Dehmel poem of the same name.
Verklrte Nacht is the bridge from
Romanticism to Impressionism in
music.

Evolution Continues

Schoenbergs 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

One of Schoenbergs 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
Wagners tone poems and Mahlers
symphonies.

Vienna Schule

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.

Art Work

1907 sought to expand his expression

through painting and diligently worked on
perfecting it.
Mostly painted self-portraits but also
attempted realistic landscapes,
impressionism, surrealism, and stage layouts.
Later used his artwork to invent and
innovate: portable music stand, chairs, card
games, chess sets, 4 player chess games,
tram tickets, and a musical notation typewriter.

Second String Quartet,

Opus 10

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

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

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

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

In 1911, Schoenbergs 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

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

Wassily Kandinsky
invites Schoenberg to
teach at the Bauhaus
school of music in
1923.
Schoenberg declines
the Weimars invitation
due to anti-Semitic
sentiments from the
administration AND
Kandinsky.

Post-Bauhaus

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

For the next 9 years Schoenberg

performs his works regularly, each
time with more anti-Semitic 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

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

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.