Making Sense of Schoenberg
Soundcheck | May 3, 2010
Host John Schaefer explores the challenging works of idiosyncratic 20th century composer Arnold Schoenberg. Author Allen Shawn discusses Arnold Schoenberg’s Journey, his appraisal of the controversial artist's life. Conductor-composer Pierre Boulez ruminates on why Schoenberg's compositions rarely get a listening, while Studio 360’s Kurt Andersen comments on why contemporary composers don’t get much respect. And WNYC’s George Preston reviews the most recent recording of Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder.
On his way to becoming one of the most misunderstood composers of the last century, Arnold Schoenberg converted from Judaism to Protestantism, taught harmony at the Stern conservatory in Berlin, befriended Gustav Mahler, and never did get around to finishing that Fugue for String Quartet in D Minor.
On his way to becoming one of the most misunderstood composers of the last century, Arnold Schoenberg converted from Judaism to Protestantism, taught harmony at the Stern conservatory in Berlin, befriended Gustav Mahler, and never did get around to finishing that Fugue for String Quartet in D Minor.
More about Arnold Schoenberg
More about the new EMI Classics recording of Gurrelieder
08/04/2002 New York Times review of the EMI Gurrelieder (New York Times free registration required)
From Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to music for Spanish harpsichord, to a spate of Schoenberg recordings from the early 1990s, there’s little of the classical repertoire that Pierre Boulez hasn’t mastered.
