Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) violin concerto

July 1, 2010 at 2:20 PM

Here Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) violin concerto. Just like Berg vc non-tonal, non-ritmical, non- melodic, non-musical? It makes me think of a frustrated pupil who has problems on its lesson and makes non-tonal noise with the bow on her of his violin because the child is irritated because the piece is too difficult and it does not go as (s)he want it would go. Or a painter who trows paint on the painting. Later in the museum the museumconservator sees the higher art in that painting. This music must be too difficult for me. Hilary Hahn see the high culture of it, while I think Laurie consider it as rubbish and noise. I agree. Even 21th century compers like Brossé (beautiful movie melodies) or Moulijn (beautiful flageolettes in 2th movement) hade more interesting music with more interesting effects. Korngold vc is also more melodic and Stravinsky vc has his typical ritmical interesting things.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on July 1, 2010 at 4:10 PM

Bram - thanks for posting the Schoenberg. I must admit that I much prefer tonal music, but I do not find this vc to be so awful or inaccessible that I want to run in the other direction. That said, it does very little for me. There are other modern, atonal concerti such as Berg's which I prefer, and among the 20th century comoposers, I do prefer the more tonal concerti.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on July 2, 2010 at 1:09 PM

Bram - like you, I am not a great fan of modern, atonal music. However, I did not find this vc to be the kind of sheer noise that makes me want to run as fast as possible away from the CD player. It is accessible to a certain extent although not particularly to my liking. I would not want to listen to it more than once and, even then, only one movement at a time. Thanks for sharing it with us.

From Terez Mertes
Posted on July 2, 2010 at 1:48 PM

I loved the way Hilary Hahn championed this piece of music, so I bought her CD of it, but I have to say, this ranks as the most challenging VC to listen to, in my mind. I consider the listening of it to be an education and little more. But, hey. There's something to be said for that. When I listened to Bartok after this, I found the Bartok to be much more accessible. And now that I've found so much musicality within the Berg VC, I might appreciate this more.

Thanks for making me think about it again, Bram. (Now I suppose I should listen to your link!)

From Laurie Niles
Posted on July 3, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Now you mustn't speak for me, Bram! It's very interesting to listen to it with the visual aid of the music. Some how that makes it a little more accessible. I truly think that if I would just listen to it about 20 more times, I would assimilate it, or it would assimilate me.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on July 3, 2010 at 2:31 PM

i wish Hilary Hahn would record and champion Hindemith's violin music. It is much more interesting and accessible than Schoenberg's or most of the atonal/almost atonal crowd's (Hindemith was also a virtuouso violist and violinist), and there is a good deal of it that has almost never been recorded. Ilya Gringolts recorded some of it, and Stern recorded one sonata, but there really needs to be more attention paid.

From David Johnson
Posted on July 5, 2010 at 12:48 PM

>I . . . think that if I would just listen to it about 20 more times . . . it would assimilate me.

"You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." - A. Schoenborg

Alban Berg wrote a fine article (Why is Schönberg’s Music so Difficult to Understand?:

<http://www.schoenberg.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=478&Itemid=706&lang=en>

Cheers!

- david johnson -

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