Type: Lecture
Language: Greek
Year of Publication: 1970
Description:
This lecture by Yorgos Sicilianos, titled “Schoenberg and His School,” is the second in a series of five, given between April 8 and May 22, 1970, at the American College of Girls’ Senior College. It focuses on Arnold Schoenberg’s twelve-tone technique and its implications for modern music.
Sicilianos begins by discussing how Schoenberg’s twelve-tone system, or dodecaphonic technique, revolutionized musical composition by abandoning the traditional tonal system in favour of using all twelve notes of the chromatic scale in a specific sequence. This sequence, or “row,” can be used both melodically and harmonically, ensuring no note is repeated until all others have been played, thus creating a new form of musical structure.
He explains the key aspects of this system:
1. Dodecaphonic Series: This series replaces traditional major and minor scales.
2. Autonomy of Tones: Each note in the series retains its independence, eliminating the traditional consonance and dissonance relationships.
3. Unity of Time and Space: Schoenberg viewed melody and harmony as interconnected, allowing them to be developed simultaneously.
Sicilianos emphasizes that Schoenberg’s approach was a logical extension of the musical tradition, not a complete break from it. He notes that Schoenberg aimed to create a continuous musical evolution, avoiding repetition and instead focusing on constant variation.
Schoenberg’s disciples, Alban Berg and Anton Webern, expanded on these ideas. Berg, though deeply influenced by Schoenberg, integrated the twelve-tone system with a dramatic, expressive style. His works often combined serialism with traditional forms, creating music rich in emotional depth and complexity. Berg’s notable works include the “Lyric Suite” and “Violin Concerto,” the latter dedicated to the memory of Manon Gropius, which integrates a chorale by Bach, symbolizing a spiritual farewell.
Webern, in contrast, took Schoenberg’s ideas to more radical conclusions. His music is characterized by extreme brevity and concentration, often employing the twelve-tone technique to create highly structured yet expressive compositions. Webern’s work is noted for its intricate counterpoint and use of Klangfarbenmelodie (tone colour melody), where the timbre of instruments is as important as the notes they play.
Sicilianos concludes by highlighting how both Berg and Webern, while students of Schoenberg, developed distinct musical voices that influenced future generations. Webern’s minimalist approach, in particular, laid the groundwork for many contemporary music movements, illustrating the enduring legacy of Schoenberg’s innovations.