Twelve-Tone Purity – Schoenberg’s Liberation of the Dissonance
A Musical Revolution
Bela Bartok, Alban Berg and Anton Webern all followed in Arnold Schoenberg’s footsteps when he abandoned tonality to create atonality, twelve-tone music. But what led him to break free from such a long-standing tradition?
The Twelfth Note
A New Musical Language
In his treatise Harmonielehre (Theory of Harmony), Arnold Schoenberg wrote: “the composer must think in terms of intervals, not in terms of chords.” This was a radical departure from the traditional harmonic practice of thinking in chord progressions.
Schoenberg’s 12-tone series
The 12-Note Series
Schoenberg’s 12-note series is based on the idea that every note has an equal chance of occurring in any order. The composer would then arrange these notes in a specific pattern to create the melody and harmony of a piece.
Serialism
This new musical language, based on the 12-tone series, became known as serialism. It was used by many composers after Schoenberg, including his pupils Bela Bartok, Alban Berg and Anton Webern.
Bela Bartok
“The new tonality is not a reality – it does not exist.” – Arnold Schoenberg
Effects of Serialism
Serialism brought about several changes in the way music was composed. The composer had complete control over the final product, and each note had an equal importance.
Serialism led to a greater sense of order and coherence than traditional tonality, and the composer could explore a wider range of harmonies and melodic shapes.
Alban Berg
Anton Webern
The Legacy of Twelve-Tone Music
Although serialism fell out of favor after World War II, its influence can still be heard in many contemporary classical music compositions. Many modern composers continue to use elements of twelve-tone technique in their music.
Arnold Schoenberg is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20th century, and his work continues to inspire and challenge listeners around the world.
Arnold Schoenberg
For more information about Arnold Schoenberg’s life and work see Wikipedia or the Arnold Schonberg Archiv.