(20) The Second Viennese School: An Introduction

Introduction to the Second Viennese School

• The Second Viennese School is pivotal for understanding 20th-century music.

• Key composers: Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alban Berg.

• They were the first to move away from late Romanticism to embrace outright atonality.

Historical Context

• Related to the First Viennese School (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven), although less coherent as a movement.

• Pioneered free atonality and developed the 12-tone technique:

  • Free Atonality: Negation of pitch centers.

  • 12-tone Technique: Uses a specific sequence of all 12 chromatic pitches (tone row).

12-tone Technique

• Tone row can be manipulated: flipped, inverted, or retrograded.

• Aim: To treat all pitches with equal importance, eliminating the dominance of any single pitch.

• Preferred term: "Pantonal" instead of atonal, as it shows a structured approach to atonality.

Expressionism in Music

• Expressionism emerged in visual arts, focusing on the human psyche's depths.

• Schoenberg and Berg incorporated this into their music, utilizing atonality to express complex ideas.

• Example: Berg's opera portrays a dark narrative that couldn't align with traditional operatic forms.

Diversity and Individuality within the School

• The Second Viennese School lacks unity, as composers had differing approaches:

  • Berg: Incorporated tradition and accessibility within the 12-tone framework, often implying tonal centers.

  • Webern: Adopted a strict, concise, pointillistic style, focusing on the density of musical material.

The Impact and Legacy of the School

• Their music was not widely accepted during their lifetimes but deeply influenced future composers.

• Promoted the idea of structured atonality:

  • Established a method for atonal composition, influencing later composers like Aaron Copland and Igor Stravinsky.

Evolution in Music and Tonality

• Transition from tonal systems to ambiguity in chords, leading to a split between composer and audience.

• Modernist music gained a negative perception for being complex and atonal, associated with ugliness.

• Atonality was broader than just the Second Viennese School, encompassing works from composers like Debussy.

Individual Composers and Their Methods

• Schoenberg: Transitioned from lush tonal music to 12-tone, seeking structure amidst atonality.

• Berg: Flexible use of the 12-tone system, allowing moments reminiscent of tonality as in his Violin Concerto.

• Webern: Extreme refinement of Schoenberg’s theories; known for mathematical precision in composition and serialism.

Expansion Beyond the Main Three

• The Second Viennese School includes other influential composers:

  • Egon Wellesz, Viktor Ullmann, Nikos Skalkottas (who integrated their cultural backgrounds with Schoenberg's ideas).

Modernism and Schoenberg’s Beliefs

• Modernism as a movement acknowledging its historical context in music.

• Schoenberg valued the connection to the past, drawing on traditional forms in his compositions while innovating with the 12-tone system.

• Webern's first opus as a homage to early music: a passacaglia.

Conclusion

• Schoenberg's legacy is complex; he desired to establish a new framework without rigidly enforcing it.

• His impact laid the groundwork for future developments in 20th-century music, advocating for innovation grounded in tradition.