Arnold Schoenberg at 150: a complicated and crucial man

The Music Show

Arnold Schoenberg’s music tore a hole in the fabric of the twentieth century. Over the course of his life, he charted a new course through expressionism, atonality, and ultimately to the invention of twelve tone serialism. As the father of the Second Viennese School, he’s been both cursed and adored (often at the same time) by the people who’ve taken up his scores – you’ll hear quite a lot of the adoration and no small amount of the cursing on this episode of The Music Show. Danaë Killian, who is about to perform his complete solo piano works, and Jeremy Eichler, who wrote about Schoenberg in his prize-winning book Time’s Echo, join Andy, and you’ll hear voices including Pierre Boulez, singers Tabatha McFadyen, Merlyn Quaife and Jane Manning, conductors Simone Young and Roger Benedict, pianist Simon Tedeschi, violinists Jack Liebeck and Michael Barenboim, and author Joy Calico from The Music Show’s archives.

Danaë Killian performs Schoenberg’s complete solo piano music at Tempo Rubato in Naarm/Melbourne on 13 September.

Jeremy Eichler’s Time’s Echo is published by Alfred A. Knopf and Faber, newly in paperback.

Music heard in the show:

1899 - Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4

Artist: Amichai Grosz; Maxim Rysanov; Jens Peter Maintz; Janine Jansen; Boris Brovtsyn; Torleif ThedéenAlbum: Janine Jansen plays Schoenberg & SchubertLabel: Decca 4783551

1905 – String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7

Artist: Julliard String QuartetAlbum: Schoenberg: String Quartet No. 1 Label: Sony G010004560203F

1908 - String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10

Artist: Amaryllis Quartet, Katharina PersickeAlbum: YellowLabel: Genuin GEN16438

1909 - Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11

Artist: Danaë KillianAlbum: Arnold Schoenberg - Complete Works for Piano SoloLabel: Move Records MCD513

1911 - Six Little Pieces for Piano, Op. 19

Artist: Danaë KillianAlbum: Arnold Schoenberg - Complete Works for Piano SoloLabel: Move Records MCD513

1911 - Gurrelieder

Artist: Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, Philharmonia Voices, Esa-Pekka SalonenAlbum: Schoenberg - GurreliederLabel: Signum SIGCD173

1912 - Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21

Artist: Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin/sprechgesang), Meesun Hong (violin), Julia Gallego (flute), Reto Bieri (clarinet), Thomas Kaufmann (cello), Joonas Ahonen (piano), Marko Milenkovic (viola)Album: Schoenberg – Pierrot LunaireLabel: Alpha ALPHA722

Artist: Mary Thomas (soprano/reciter), London Sinfonietta, David AthertonAlbum: Schoenberg – Pierrot Lunaire and SerenadeLabel: Decca 4256262

1923 - Five Pieces for Piano, Op. 23

Artist: Danaë KillianAlbum: Arnold Schoenberg - Complete Works for Piano SoloLabel: Move Records MCD513

1923 - Suite for Piano, Op. 25

Artist: Danaë KillianAlbum: Arnold Schoenberg - Complete Works for Piano SoloLabel: Move Records MCD513

1929/1931 - Two Pieces for Piano, Op. 33

Artist: Danaë KillianAlbum: Arnold Schoenberg - Complete Works for Piano SoloLabel: Move Records MCD513

1930 – Accompaniment to a film scene, Op. 34

Artist: BBC Symphony Orchestra, Pierre BoulezAlbum: Pierre Boulez Edition – Schoenberg ILabel: Sony G010001828334P

1936 - Violin Concerto, Op. 36

Artist: Michael Barenboim, Vienna Philharmonic, Pierre BoulezAlbum: Schoenberg: Violin and Piano ConcertosLabel: Peral 4811613

Artist: Jack Liebeck, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew GourlayAlbum: Schoenberg and Brahms – Violin ConcertosLabel: Orchid Classics ORC100129

1942 - Piano Concerto, Op. 42

Artist: Simon TedeschiPerformed in The Music Show studio

1947 - A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46

Artist: Gunther Reich (speaker), BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Pierre BoulezAlbum: A Survivor from WarsawLabel: Sony M35882

1949 - Phantasy for Violin and Piano, Op. 47

Artist: Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin), Joonas Ahonen (piano)Album: Schoenberg – Pierrot LunaireLabel: Alpha ALPHA722

Interviews heard in the show:

Jeremy EichlerDanaë Killian Simone Young (2024)Tabatha McFadyen (2022)Jane Manning (1996)Merlyn Quaife (2003)Roger Benedict (2024)Pierre Boulez (2001)Michael Barenboim (2014)Jack Liebeck (2022)Joy Calico (2015)

The Music Show is made on Gadigal and Gundungurra Country

Technical production by Bethany Stewart, Nathan Turnbull and Tegan Nicholls