The Second Viennese School: An Introduction

Summary

This video explores the Second Viennese School, focusing on its key composers: Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alban Berg. The movement marked a shift from late Romanticism to atonality, pioneering the twelve-tone technique. While Schoenberg created the system, Webern refined it with a mathematically precise approach, and Berg incorporated traditional elements. The video highlights the profound influence these composers had on 20th-century music, emphasizing that their work continued past traditions while shaping modernism. Their contributions were pivotal in developing atonal and serial music.

Takeaways

• 🎼 The Second Viennese School is most associated with Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils Anton Webern and Alban Berg.
• 🏛️ The school was a vanguard in moving away from late Romanticism towards atonality and later twelve-tone technique.
• 🎵 Schoenberg invented the twelve-tone system, where all twelve chromatic pitches are used equally to avoid establishing a tonal center.
• 🎭 Expressionism is often linked to these composers as their music explored deep psychological themes, but it is not synonymous with their style.
• 🎻 Alban Berg incorporated tradition and accessibility into the twelve-tone system, evident in his works like the Violin Concerto.
• 🔢 Anton Webern, unlike Berg, strictly adhered to the twelve-tone technique, using dense, succinct, and mathematically structured compositions.
• 🌀 Serialism, derived from the twelve-tone method, was further refined and became a dominant style in the following decades.
• 🎶 Though not widely acclaimed in their lifetimes, the Second Viennese School profoundly influenced later composers like Aaron Copland and Igor Stravinsky.
• 📚 Schoenberg's twelve-tone system was seen as a structural solution to the challenges of atonality, continuing the tradition of earlier composers like Brahms and Mozart.
• 🌍 The Second Viennese School extended beyond Schoenberg, Webern, and Berg, influencing other composers who applied their techniques in diverse cultural contexts.

Q & A

What is the Second Viennese School?

The Second Viennese School is a group of composers associated with Arnold Schoenberg and his two major pupils, Anton Webern and Alban Berg. It is known for its transition from late Romanticism to atonality and the development of the twelve-tone technique.

Who were the primary composers of the Second Viennese School?

The primary composers of the Second Viennese School were Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alban Berg.

What is the twelve-tone technique and who invented it?

The twelve-tone technique is a method of composition where all twelve chromatic pitches are arranged in a specific sequence called a tone row. This row can be manipulated in various ways to avoid establishing a tonal center. It was invented by Arnold Schoenberg.

How did Anton Webern and Alban Berg differ in their approach to the twelve-tone technique?

Anton Webern focused on concise, pointillistic compositions, using the twelve-tone technique strictly and exploring its mathematical aspects. Alban Berg, on the other hand, blended the twelve-tone technique with traditional elements, allowing for more flexibility and accessibility in his compositions.

Why is the Second Viennese School important in music history?

The Second Viennese School is important because it marked a major shift away from Romanticism to atonality and provided a structured method for composing atonal music through the twelve-tone technique. This had a significant impact on the direction of 20th-century classical music.

What is the difference between atonality and the twelve-tone technique?

Atonality refers to music that lacks a clear tonal center, while the twelve-tone technique is a specific method of organizing atonal music by using all twelve chromatic pitches in a structured sequence. The twelve-tone technique is a way to give formal design to atonal compositions.

What role did Expressionism play in the Second Viennese School?

Expressionism was a movement that explored the darker aspects of the human psyche. Schoenberg and other composers of the Second Viennese School incorporated elements of Expressionism into their music, using atonality to express intense emotional experiences. However, it is not synonymous with their twelve-tone method.

Why did Schoenberg prefer the term 'pan-tonality' over 'atonality'?

Schoenberg preferred the term 'pan-tonality' because he believed it better described his approach, which treated all twelve pitches equally, without emphasizing any single pitch as a tonal center. He felt this term conveyed a broader and more inclusive concept than 'atonality.'

What impact did the Second Viennese School have on later composers?

The Second Viennese School influenced later composers by providing a framework for atonal composition through the twelve-tone technique. Many composers, such as Aaron Copland and Igor Stravinsky, adopted aspects of this system, contributing to the development of serialism and shaping the direction of modern classical music.

How did Schoenberg's teaching philosophy differ from the strict use of his twelve-tone system?

Schoenberg taught his students to understand the twelve-tone system but did not insist that they use it strictly in their compositions. He believed in the importance of structure but encouraged creative freedom, as evidenced by his students like John Cage, who took different musical directions.