Schoenberg: "String Quartet No. 5" (Fragments)

Arnold Schoenberg: String Quartet No. 5 (1949) (unfinished fragments). Performed by the Rangzen String Quartet. This work appears on the OgreOgress recording of Schoenberg's Early and Unknown String Works. Please visit http://ogreogress.com for more details.

These are fragmentary sketches for the beginning of each of the four movements of a fifth string quartet by Arnold Schoenberg. All the movements are dated June 1, 1949 except for the 4th movement which is mistakenly dated June 1, 1948. The 1st movement consists of only the 1st 18 bars in condensed score format. The 2nd movement consists of only the 1st 11 bars in short score. The 3rd movement consists of only the 1st 14 bars in score format. The 4th movement consists of 29 bars of a single line melody. There are also two large sheets with 6 printed staves written in pencil. One contains a fragmentary draft of the 1st 12 bars of the 4th movement in short score. The other contains row sketches on 4 staves.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• twelve
• 12
• tone
• serial
• serialism
• avant
• garde
• atonal
• Schoenberg
• manuscripts

[kzoorock]

i love how this is presented with the manuscript... it feels like you're there when he composed it!

[LevMysh68]

What a loss for mankind that this was not completed! One could say that in his final years, Schoenberg couldn't keep up with new music -- particularly the innovations of Webern -- but I think, innovative or not, this music sounds fresh and young.

[C0NTR4B455]

Interesting but not a patch on op.45..Thanks.

[alexie28]

although it takes a while to get used to (it is an acquired taste), this musical has a lot of beauty...

[Twardyziom]

it is dodekafonia? :D

[MusicaRicercata]

What a masterful quartet this would have been.

[Enantiodromialist]

@questions613 Thank you for the suggestion. I just got Malcolm MacDonald’s new revised “ Schoenberg ” from the library – I enjoy his scholarship and viewpoint ( I have all 3 vols. of his Havergal Brian ) and look for ward to reading it ( he covers every work in depth ).

It’s not late period, but I’ve been drawn to Der Jakobsleiter and need to study it more.

[questions613]

@Enantiodromialist check out trio op 45 see if that "draws" you

[BachRocks314]

This is so interesting. Sounds like he was drawing upon the textures of Webern at times.

[johnnynoirman]

I enjoy it immensely.