Schoenberg Piano Concerto op. 42 (1/3)

Movements 1,2.

The Piano Concerto, written in 1942, is a strict 12-tone work. Schoenberg shows his mastery of technique, form, and substance in this sardonic composition, written in America after Schoenberg fled Nazi Europe in 1933, when Hitler rose to power.

Schoenberg wrote mottos before each of the 4 movements: 1. Life was so easy. 2. Suddenly hatred broke out. 3. A grave situation was created. 4. But life goes on.

All artwork was executed by Schoenberg. (He painted and drew dozens of self-portraits!)

Bryan Balkwill conducts.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Schoenberg
• Schonberg
• concerto
• 12-tone
• dodecaphonic
• 1942
• piano
• serial
• contemporary
• new music.

[dalecampbl5]

wow...this isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

[camaysar222]

@dalecampbl5 Hahaha.... high praise indeed! Glad you liked this great piece.

[IZZYIZZO2001]

This piano concerto is sick. I've never heard the whole thing. Schoenberg was a fantastic composer, who was not also self-taught, but taught others. 12 tone music is very meticulous. It's not just banging out notes, there is a hell of a lot more to it. Try writing music like this. It gives a whole new perspective. Not all 12 tone music sounds scary or loud. Take a look at Berg or Dallapiccola. Some of their melodies are very lyrical and beautiful.

[camaysar222]

@IZZYIZZO2001 Hi. I think the opening music here is also quite lyrical - almost like some kind of ghostly waltz. Btw, I take it your use of the word "sick" expresses its new meaning of "very cool"! :)

[IZZYIZZO2001]

@camaysar222 Yes, I do mean very cool! I can see (or hear) what you mean with the ghostly waltz. It's in triple meter. I'm also very glad you appreciate this type of music! I'm taking a class on 20th century music theory and harmony. It's very fascinating! I have to write a paper on a piece and I chose a piece you might like called, "From My Diary" by Roger Sessions.

[camaysar222]

@IZZYIZZO2001 Good choice. The somewhat "craggy" From My Diary is an attractive suite. My fav Sessions work is his early orchestral Suite from The Black Maskers. It took up a good deal of my adolescent listening! You know Sessions wrote a good book on Harmony. Don't know if it's still used. If you like Sessions' piano music, give Stefan Wolpe a try.

[NevinJarek]

@MademoiselleChopin If you find this lacking in emotion you should hear total serialsim. Point music feels way more dry of emotions than this, you cant even find symmetry, or melody. the whole concept is about making every note stand in itself, and schonberg tried to remove tonal functions, not melody. After hearing a little Stockhausen this sounds as a german Scriabin or something like that.

[camaysar222]

@lunaboomboom I welcome negative comments, and yours is not the first. You may represent a new socio-cultural low here, but others dislike this piece as much as you do. I'll bet your 2 year old daughter will grow up to be a great Schoenberg fan!

[IZZYIZZO2001]

@camaysar222 I found that book in my school's library! I don't know if it's any good. It didn't have to do much with what I was writing about. I have heard his 1st Symphony, but other than that, not really anything else. I know he was a giant and very good. He had a lot of students and taught at Yale.

[MaestroTJS]

@darkmarcus428 His music was already "chaotic" about the same time as Hitler was being rejected for art school (i.e., before 1910), so escaping Nazism really isn't a factor.

[MjoEm32]

@jsbachbwv543 Are you under the illusion that you're funny?

[darkmarcus428]

@lunaboomboom is a freakin numbskull. It shows you when all you do is listen to blink 182 and Rebecca Black, how did you even end up on this video and why do you care? Schoenberg is quite an amazing composer. If your daughter could bang out a piece like this and notate it correctly, I'm sure she's already famous. Go suck your husbands nuts, who cares if you like it. This guy escaped Nazism so his music is chaotic. If your entire sense of decency was corrupted you'd probably be worthless.