22 September 2010

The Second Viennese School

The turbulent years of the early part of the 20th century greatly influenced the lives and minds of people, which resulted in a change of the arts. Musical art of the time presents a vivid and heterogeneous picture, with bold experiments of the avant-garde and expressionists.

During this period, to pursue music and art becomes a matter of social and public interest. New national and international associations arise and an increasing number of creative works are heavily influenced by politics.

The Second Viennese School was among them whose star exploded on the musical firmament of Austria making a tangible impact on the development of the world culture. In the works of the heralds of expressionism Arnold Shoenberg (the founder of the Second Viennese School) and his disciples Anton Webern and Alban Berg numerous negative trends in society of that period found their deep reflection. In their compositions one can hear a protest against fascism (Schoenberg’s “A Survivor from Warsaw” a work for narrator, men's chorus, and orchestra), militarism (Berg’s opera “Wozzeck”), and condemnation of social vices (Schoenberg’s opera "Moses and Aron"), along with preaching moral and religious ideals (Webern’s spiritual songs and cantatas). Introducing new musical ideas and methods, the composers succeeded in creating a strong psychological effect in depicting catastrophes and depressive moods.

The creative work of the Second Viennese School’s members was a decisive answer to the call of time. The composers positioned themselves as rebels of the epoch with their efforts to cardinally change the musical language and style and the transition from atonality to dodecaphony.
Even now, more than one hundred years later, the role of the Second Viennese School for the cultural heritage excites intense discussions in the musical circles, because the musical language expressed in the works, being based on a partial or even total denial of the “tonal thinking”, still remains inaccessible for mass audiences.

 

Comments

  Log in to post a comment