1. Arnold Schoenberg
Father of Serialism

3. Childhood Born in Leopoldstadt, Vienna on September 13, 1874.
Father, Samuel, was a shopkeeper
Mother, Pauline, was a piano teacher.
At age 8 he began to play violin and remained self-taught until his late teens.
His first composition was completed before he turned 9 years old.

4. Formal Teaching
Schoenberg received some training in his early teens on violin.
At the age of 17 he formally studied with Alexander von Zemlinsky.
Zemlinsky was only three years older than Schoenberg causing the two men to become lifelong friends.

6. The Missing Link
Schoenberg completed his first significant composition in 1899, a tone poem entitled “Verklärte Nacht” opus #4. It was composed of string sextet.
This piece was base on Richard Dehmel poem of the same name.
“Verklärte Nacht” is the bridge from Romanticism to Impressionism in music.

8. Evolution Continues
Schoenberg’s next major work was “Pelleas und Melisande” opus #5. Completed in April of 1903.
This piece continues in the impressionistic style and is composed for full orchestra.
Based on the play of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck and is greatly influenced by the tone poems of Strauss, Wagner and Mahler.

9. 1903 Continued One of Schoenberg’s busiest years musically.
Composes many song pieces. “das Wappenschild” and “Natur”: Ochesterlieder. Arranges “Barber of Seville” and “Rosamunde” for two and four hand piano performance. Schoenberg also transcribes several of Wagner’s tone poems and Mahler’s symphonies.

10. Vienna Schule
Schoenberg is part of the second “Vienna school” at the Schwarzwald Schule and begins teaching here in fall of 1904.
His two main pupils were Anton Werbern and Alban Berg.

11. Art Work
1907 sought to expand his expression through painting and diligently worked on perfecting it.
Mostly painted self-portraits but also attempted realistic landscapes, impressionism, surrealism, and stage layouts.
Later used his artwork to invent and innovate: portable music stand, chairs, card games, chess sets, 4 player chess games, tram tickets, and a musical notation type-writer.

26. Second String Quartet, Opus 10
Started in spring of 1907 and completed in July of 1908 this piece is the first to use serialism and twelve-tone composition.
This style of composition will become the trademark of Schoenberg and create the Expressionist movement in music.

27. The Basics
Music is divided into 12 tones. Generally, 8 tones a grouped in scales. The notes are relative to themselves with regards to tension.
Chords are 3 or more tones play simultaneously to create harmony. Chords are relative to each other with regards to dissonance.

28. Understanding 12 Tone Composition
Schoenberg wanted to use each tone equally and throw away the convention of scales and chords.
He devised “tone rows”, a grouping of 12 notes in sequence.

29. Rules of Serialism Each note MUST be played in succession.
Each voice (instrument) may work independently from one another or together in any combination.
Tone Rows may be used to create harmony and can be inverted, truncated, or augmented.

30. Books and Mentors
In 1911, Schoenberg’s mentor and friend Gustav Mahler passed away.
“Theory of Harmony” was completed by Schoenberg in July and dedicated to Mahler.
For the next several years Schoenberg took many conducting jobs performing the works of his mentor.

31. …In the Army Now
The Austrian army drafted Schoenberg into service in 1916.
He is declared unfit for duty because he has difficulty breathing.
Schoenberg resumes conducting and teaching in 1918.

32. Bauhaus
Wassily Kandinsky invites Schoenberg to teach at the Bauhaus school of music in 1923.
Schoenberg declines the Weimar’s invitation due to anti-Semitic sentiments from the administration AND Kandinsky.

33. Post-Bauhaus
As if to assert his authority in teaching, Schoenberg releases two books on composing and harmony.
He then begins work on his piano works, Opus #23-25.
Schoenberg resumes teaching in Austria, Prussia, and Germany.

34. Anti-Semitism
For the next 9 years Schoenberg performs his works regularly, each time with more anti-Semitic protest.
In 1933 he travels to Paris for a few months then moves to New York.
Here Schoenberg teaches at the Malkin Conservatory.

35. City of Angels
Arrives in Los Angeles in 1934 and remains here for the rest of his life.
Here he takes on an American pupil, John Cage and befriends George Gershwin.
Schoenberg is granted on honorary professorship at UCLA, where he teaches and conducts.
Gives lectures at University of Chicago.

36. My Evolution
Schoenberg gives his famous “My Evolution” lecture at University of Chicago in 1949.
Sensing the end of his life Schoenberg composes Psalm 130, and Modern Psalm in 1950.
Dies in 1951 in L.A.