Schoenberg: Variations for Orchestra, Op. 31 (Chicago Symphony/Barenboim LIVE) Introduction (0:01) The music starts with 10 ticks over an eerie chord, emerges out of the mists, accompanied by fluttering trills on the wind instruments. (m.9 something urgent) It rises to a congested climax where different forces seem to be contending, then relaxes into stasis, equilibrium. Following a massive climax, the trombone intones four notes, passing hints at (B♭-A-C-B♮), the BACH theme in German musical notation, which is to be so important in the finale. Theme (1:50). In its mid-range, cello-dominated sound, it forms a monochrome image from which pictures of riotous color. Using an elegiac, arching melody played by the cellos and surrounded only by slow chords, ending with poco rit (gradually faster). The theme uses three mirror versions of the 12-tone scheme (retrograde, inverted, and retrograde inverted), as well as in several transpositions. For an analysis of the Theme Schoenberg's Variations for Orchestra see: www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1517-75992016000300002 Variation 1: Moderato 72 bpm (2:52) nervous, emotional, and jumpy; ending in a calando tempo= a gradual decrease in both the tempo and volume of a song Variation 2: Adagio (Langsam = fairly slow 56 bpm) (4:00) m.82 mysterious, calm, canonic, and chamber-like in texture; ending in a poco calando tempo Variation 3: Moderately (Mässig) 88 bpm (5:40) m.106 Stormy bright, rhythmically incisive, brassy, as if depicting a busy urban street, with an abrupt end and pause. Variation 4: Waltz 144 bpm (6:20) m.130 elegant and waltz, dance-like tempo, with notable contributions from woodwinds and solo violin; flowing sounds contrasted with percussive rhythms. Variation 5: Emotional (Bewegt) 112 bpm (7:32) m.178 pulsing rhythm, forceful and marching, floating sounds in flutes; m.195 Anfang = slow as in the beginning; m.190 Ruhig = in a calm and peaceful manner; m.200 steigernd = swelling; finishing off with powerful percussive blasts; Variation 6: Andante 60 bpm (9:30) m.202 fragile and gentle, with slightly agitated solo work; contrasting interplay of instruments. Variation 7: Langsam = fairly slow 60 bpm (11:00) m.238 elegant and calm, underpinned by strong bassoon and oboe tone giving a ethereal beginning, turning into a brooding sounding with rich interplay of instruments; m. bell like percussive sound leading us to an eerie passage and abrupt high notes finish. Variation 8: Very quickly (Sehr rasch) 50 bpm (13:20) m.262 a scurrying, hard, frantic, percussive movement and ending with an industrial clatter of percussion; Variation 9: Same tempo 44 bpm (L'istesso tempo) (13:50) m.286 butterfly-like flutes, adventurous wildlife themes, with a shadowy mirror canon. Finale/Coda moderately fast (mäßig schell) 120 bpm (14:50) m.310 in 3/4 time, gets under way with a misty statement of the BACH theme, (B♭-A-C-B♮) in German musical notation m.344 grazioso=graceful, smooth, or elegant in style m.354 steigernd=increasing or swelling. Grazioso (17:04) m.378 As it develops, that theme is stated repeatedly. Near the close, the music halts, and we hear a reminiscence of the variation theme. Viel rascher (much faster) 160 bpm m.420 Variation theme Presto (18:35) m.435 now clothed in gentle, ruminative orchestration, as if meditating on the turbulent events it has passed through. Noch rascher (Even faster) (19:00) m.472 ends holding on a complex chord Adagio 3/4 time 92 bpm (19:30) m.502 misty, calm like variation 7 Coda presto 2/4 time (20:00) m.508 This gives way to a brief, crashing coda. (20:15) m.520 ======

@utopiabirdsintheastroworld4445

4 жыл бұрын

thanks for doing my music homework ^^

@occiditris8790

3 жыл бұрын

Wow

Thank you for posting it! Great performance!

Sometimes I wonder if the reason Arnold Schoenberg inspires so much hatred in some is, at least in part, because they associate him with certain later serialists. This composition is incredibly musical.

@joshsussman9432

3 жыл бұрын

Yes! He is such a great composer, horribly and so unfortunately misunderstood. One of my very favorite composers of all time.

@stueystuey1962

Жыл бұрын

He should be associated with many of the later serialists. This piece in particular influenced any number of later composers especially those categorized as serialists. As for the hatred I think that rests with Schoenberg himself for having the courage to "invent" and then theorize new methods of musical composition. He is to modern music what The Beatles are to rock. The source, the stream, the impetus, the inspiration and the reason for much that came later.

@pwnedd11

10 ай бұрын

No, that's not why. This type of music really doesn't sound good to people who don't yet "get" atonal music. Trust me. This piece used to sound horrible to me. So, the people complaining really mean it. The only reason I never complained was this: I trusted people who said that I just didn't understand Schoenberg yet. And now... I love his work! But believe people when they have an opinion that doesn't make sense to you.

@DalcoXY

10 ай бұрын

Well…some people perceive pain as sexually pleasurable stimuli. Some people may even learn to love BDSM. Seems like for most people (including myself) this is like being whipped and consonantly, ehm, CONSTANTLY hurt in a myriad of manners. There is no denying the amazing creativity of the torture devices developed by the Spanish Inquisition. Astonishingly horrific things the human mind is capable of creating. Fortunately hearing this music requires consent.

@DalcoXY

10 ай бұрын

To be fair, we learn to love other noxious yet beneficial stimuli like exercise, meditation or stretching. We also learn to love toxic noxious stimuli like alcohol, cigarettes and complex depressing philosophical writings…

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to combine the score with the work. It's an amazing work, and a very interesting performance.

According to Leonard Bernstein, this is an incredibly difficult work to play and one that is rarely performed. Thank you, Mr. Bartmans!

@peterczipott6854

3 жыл бұрын

Not even the Chicago Symphony can play sections of it at the intended tempi!

@MegaFortinbras

2 жыл бұрын

I can give you another reason it's seldom played: It's butt-ugly.

@vonBottorff

Жыл бұрын

Anything "modern" demands excellent sight reading skills as the player doesn't have a recognizable "tune" to go by. Someone theorized that's where modern classical gets its popularity, i.e., from the musicians who love a challenge.

@vonBottorff

Жыл бұрын

@@MegaFortinbras But Hollywood put it in many films -- when they wanted a dead-serious to hectic out to disturbing mood. As always YMMV.

@injacreatives9680

Жыл бұрын

I adore Bernstein but I am not sure of Schoenberg is so much complex as damn awkward to play,as Michael Caine says in the movie Blue Ice..."I like everything, referring to classical music, expect Schoenberg,he is a bit of a wanker"

What a genius!!! Love Arnold!!!

Thank you!

It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.

1:50 - Theme 9:30 - Variation VI

@lilia1997

5 жыл бұрын

Toda :D

beautiful.

Its an incredible romantic work, everything pushed to the max across the course of the piece, unfortunately there aren't too many pieces this energized in his usually very tender output

@mysteriev7071

5 жыл бұрын

"Romantic work"

@koinu5811

4 жыл бұрын

You’re delusional old man

@PhilipDaniel

4 жыл бұрын

@@koinu5811 The Expressionism of the Second Viennese School, in some sense, is the hyperchromatic Late Romanticism of Mahler, Reger, and Strauss taken to an absolute extreme.

@segmentsAndCurves

2 жыл бұрын

@@mysteriev7071 Yes, and?

@dianablackman4528

Жыл бұрын

It is nihilist BS.

• «Интродукция» • «Тема» - серия из 12 звуков. (1:50) • Инверсия у скрипок в высоком регистре, завершающая раздел «Тема» (2:31) • «Финал» начало (14:52) 19:32 - «реприза» темы и инверсии

I was asked to analyze this work as a student. I brought a cassette with me to my maternal grandparents who over-heard me listening to this piece. My grandmother raised her eyebrows. 40 years later I am still baffled and perplexed by this wonderfully written and instrumentated work, but I still don’t know, at the age of 59, what on Earth is going on ?! ... variations on or over what ? The series may be incorporated into the work, but if the average listener is unable to perceive it in its original form, and then in its variants, what is the point ? It sounds good, but then so does the run-of-the-mill pop tune.

@slavden

4 жыл бұрын

1:50 - Theme 9:30 - Variation :)

@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist

Жыл бұрын

You might prefer the Carter Variations for Orchestra ( unusually sensual for this composer ) or Stravinsky’s Variations for Aldous Huxley ( almost choreographic in the gestures) ? Schoenberg isn’t for everyone because it’s so intense/ hectoring. I’m fond of it though.

Beautiful

TwoSet: Mentions piece I've never heard before Me: Immediately looks it up Also me: 😅

It reminds me of the swooping of some great bird, or a strong wind, blowing through a deserted farm.

Lovely

Just totally love Variation #VIII!! But entire composition is awesome!!

Devastating. I am completely in awe. I believe Gerard stated this is the first work of pure dodecaphony? Or maybe not the first work but rather the one most studied in order to explore the methodology of dodecaphony. Screamin' good work. Just saw a bird fly by with 12 wings. I thought the doda bird was extinct. Glorious work. And truthfully underappreciated by me until a few days ago even though I had listened to it some 20 times or more previously. What i don't get and this is a true statement: how do you musicologists appreciate so.ething of this magnitude with only one or two listens. Takes me a long time. The "pitter patter" meandering structure has the feel of EC's Symphonia. Kinda twists and turns with random outbursts. I have listened to select pieces by Sch and Webern enough so that I I am aware of certain modes of composition like recapitulation, codas, aba(x) structure. This piece does appear to move note by note without any repetition whatsoever, an aspect of serial music that blows my mind. I'm probably dead wrong about all of this. But I write with conviction and determination which makes it true yeah?

very good recording here, props to the chicago symphony

Bart, the score has been marked up with written pitches above the cello tenor clef! (Check out 2:24 for one of the examples.)

Une des oeuvres les plus originales du XXème siècle. Elle crée, comme quasi partout chez Schoenberg, une confrontation avec l'inquiétante étrangeté, la fluctuation permanente du minuscule et de l'énorme, la perte de repères mélodiques, la finesse des timbres. Cette oeuvre m'a impressionné dès la première écoute et n'a jamais cessé d'exercer sa magie.

Arnold Schönberg:Variációk Zenekarra Op.31 Bevezetés:Moderato, silenzioso - Qualcosa di urgente - migliorando - pesante - ritenuto Tempo I, calmo di nuovo 00:00 Téma: Molto moderato 01:52 1.Variáció:Moderato 02:52 2.Variáció:Adagio 04:04 3.Variáció:Moderamente 05:43 4.Variáció:Tempo di valse 06:19 5.Variáció:Allegro - Tranquillo - Come all'inizio - Tranquillo - migliorando - ritenuto pesante 07:33 6.Variáció:Andante 09:30 7.Variáció:Lento 10:55 8.Variáció: Molto veloce 13:21 9.Variáció: L'istesso tempo,ma un poco piú lento - Poco sostenuto - Tempo I - Poco sostenuto 13:56 Finálé: Moderamente veloce - ritenuto qualcosa di gratuito - a tempo - Poco pesante - Un poco piú veloce - migliorando - ritenuto - Molto ritenuto - a tempo - accelerando poco a poco - Poco pesante ritenuto - Grazioso - migliorando - a tempo - ritenuto a tempo - Grazioso - ritenuto - migliorando - Pesante - accelerando - Poco pesante - a tempo - Molto più veloce - ritenuto - Pesante - Presto - Pesante - Ancora piú veloce - Pesante - Adagio - ritenuto - Presto - Pesante 14:52 Chicagói Szimfonikus Zenekar Vezényel:Daniel Barenboim

Mother! Oh God, mother! Blood! Blood!

Are there other arrangements of this, with smaller orchestration or for chamber music?

He makes it make musical sense. It is a great interpretation. It doesn't seem to be on cd.

Arnold Schoenberg. II. Theme. Variations for Orchestra, Op. 31. 1928 4:04 - 5:42

The early modernists certainly knew what they were doing ...

0:00 is a good place to start. ....Schoenberg's music overall measures at 658 IBUs.

4:04 II. Theme.

compacta desintegración.

FINALE: 14:50

Theodore Adorno (1903-1969), German musicologist, critic, composer, philosopher, sociologist, psychologist ranks this work as "the masterwork of modernism!"

@emanuel_soundtrack

3 жыл бұрын

thx very much for the info, but actually I don´t care about him so much, since he reframed Schönberg´s music in a political way that Schönberg himself did no care. Btw he was not psychologist so far as i know

@NovicebutPassionate

3 жыл бұрын

@@emanuel_soundtrack Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, replying to your remark regarding Adorno and Schoenberg's music is beyond the scope of this platform. That aside, Adorno was not a psychologist in the conventional sense, true; however, he did write (indirectly, or at times, directly) on subject matters related to psychology, such as, "Authoritarian Personality," which according to the introduction to the book (by Peter. E. Gordon) "remains a major landmark in political psychology."

@stueystuey1962

2 жыл бұрын

In 1931 or thereabouts yes. At this point in time Schoenberg is regarded as the starting point for much that came after. As for Adorno most of the listeners of Schoenberg are well aware of him as a critic. As for both commenters - whatever. Adorno is a hack compared to other writers by whom he was inspired - Nietsche, Kierkegaard, Husserl. Nothing to see here.

@1:33 just wow….

도입부 1:50

1:52

Right there in the score, Schoenberg's tempo marking is: quarter note = 120. Barenboim's tempo is: quarter note = 72. That is exceedingly SLOW. I'm sure he must have his reasons, but this is not a successful opening of this work.

@muslit

6 жыл бұрын

I don't see why it can't be played moderately and calmly at Schoenberg's metronome marking. I'm NOT a stickler for metronome markings, but this doesn't sound right, therefore not very 'musical' to my ears. 120 and 72 are too many worlds apart.

@nicholasfox966

5 жыл бұрын

If I may also add a thought: By doing it at this tempo, Barenboim imparts a weight, an import, to the introduction that drains it of its introductory character. OF COURSE a performer should never feel constricted by a composer's metronome marking, which is grafted onto a piece in the abstract composer's studio, without benefit of engagement with a specific performer or performers or hearing the piece in a live acoustic. But the structural and expressive import are always the most important things, and by treating the introduction with SUCH ponderousness, the theme itself when played by cellos loses its weight and totemic import. Put simply, what is compromised in Barenboim's performance is the rhetorical sense of introduction followed by theme. It becomes ALL theme.

@rogerparton8572

5 жыл бұрын

@@nicholasfox966 Agreed.

This is a monumental accomplishment in avoiding tonality, at least to my ear. But it is nevertheless a very skillfully constructed work of art. Beautiful in a bizarre way. I doubt that many performers would consider it enjoyable to play. Strangely enough I consider it more academic than inspired or revelatory. Academic virtuosity?

@benschweitzer6307

3 жыл бұрын

I don't understand what's more academic about this than, say, a complex fugal work. There's such a riot of color and emotion in this piece that the technique behind it is rather secondary.

@WilliamJamesRoss

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment; I'll listen again with your insight in mind.@@benschweitzer6307

@emanuel_soundtrack

3 жыл бұрын

yes, it is a music theoretical treatise. Adorno calls it a masterpiece, as someone said in the comments. But Schönberg just did it....

@sarahsapp3673

9 ай бұрын

well said!

1:52 thema 14:50 bach

Although I have great respect for this piece, I've never learned to like it.

1:50 - 7:32

Another work not likely to be played at a Pops Concert :)

@JamesZ32100

5 жыл бұрын

Nor classical concerts, it's kinda rare no?

@joshsussman9432

3 жыл бұрын

Such an outstanding, communicative piece, whether played at concerts or not.

The beggining sounds like an ambient music from The Mandalorian

1:50

0:00 - 6:17

01:50 34마디 원음렬

Cough on 16:09

@bartjebartmans

4 жыл бұрын

well it is a live performance, what do you expect. cough.. sorry. had to.

@aarne1216

4 жыл бұрын

@@bartjebartmans just had to point it out but yes

I can listen to this and not cringe, and actually recognize it as music albeit music of a strain that places you in an uncomfortable mood...

I'll say something incredibly gauche... It sounds like the original score from the movie poltergeist. I don't mean this as an insult. You can clearly hear that modern Cinema has implemented the Schoenberg Webern methodologies.

Whoever decides to put adds in front of such a beautiful piece deserve a special place in hell

@bartjebartmans

Жыл бұрын

If you don't like the adds get KZread premium so you can watch everything without adds.

@pwnedd11

3 ай бұрын

Well, it's better than having the ads in the middle of the piece. Wake up! You are not thinking logically. Study, learn, and grow.

@joesicecream6226

3 ай бұрын

@@pwnedd11fair enough actually

@pwnedd11

3 ай бұрын

@@joesicecream6226 Ok, I take back the last part of what I said, then! Sorry! You know how it is dealing with people on the internet. There's some crazies, and you never know who you're speaking with. You're obviously cool, though. So, sorry!

@joesicecream6226

3 ай бұрын

@@pwnedd11 no problem, mad respect to you bro

Kowalok und abi gehen militär

Tread carefully......

It sounds like music that would accompany a black and white twilight zone episode

@stueystuey1962

2 жыл бұрын

There are direct quotations of sch in twilight zone episodes, not to mention that the primary composer of tz acknowledges a great debt to sch though he never studied with him. The background music in Tom and Jerry cartoons were also heavily influenced by sch. In fact the composer Scott Bradley said: "I hope Dr. Schoenberg will forgive me for using his system to produce funny music, but even the boys in the orchestra laughed when we were recording it."[6]

Someone couldn't read tenor clef, lol...

@pwnedd11

3 ай бұрын

Where did the error occur that makes you say that? I'm asking, because I'm genuinely curious! Thanks!

Sounds like music in a scary movie.

I don't find any value in this music. It's not beautiful in any way. Of course, I know nothing of any musical theory that is behind this kind of music. Is this music really only meant for people with advanced musical education?

@bartjebartmans

9 ай бұрын

I think this is a fantastic piece of music, one of Schonberg's finest. To me it sounds like a mix of Expressionistic and High Romantic soundscapes, created with his technique of rows and sets of strict parameters. It demands an openminded listener who is curious and has an impressionable creative mind. It is not for the rigid "tonal" listener. If you study music theory and composition I think it is a must to understand the complexities and use of various techniques. This knowledge actually opens up a whole new Universe hidden from the casual listener and widens the musical horizons. Schonberg was also a Master orchestrator which and as such his scores are pieces of art by themselves. Check Gurrelieder, it dwarfs Mahler, Wagner even Strauss. A marvel of ingenuity.

@MutantsInDisguise

9 ай бұрын

I have musical education at all, but I enjoy this music a lot.

@matteoboglietti4137

3 ай бұрын

The thing you have to know is that all the little changes and big changes in the "traditional" way of composing were always hated and all the people of all the time had never liked the "new" music of their years. Actually we know why bach or Schumann or Chopin composed in that way, and that tipe of sound organization is actually memorized and understood in most of the culture, so that most of the people can enjoy it. Also the music we listen everyday on the radio, the rock, the pop and punk music for example use everything these composers "invented", because actually is easy to think, organise and compose different sounds like this, because composers had done it before and we had all the time to understand and comprehend their choises. But they were pioneers at their respective time, and for people of that time some of their brave choises were illogical or just impossible to think. There's also to say that really often, most of the time, light music like pop and others use these musical innovation in a completely different way, usually with not so much thinking behind, especially beacause of the fact that for the composer the music is often the only way of espression, the pop musician has also the lyrics and use music just like secondary information, just for acconpainment. Obviously this really expressive and complex way of composing (like this one of Schoenberg) is more difficult to understand, the difference between pop music accompainment and composers music is something like an abbreviated text and a poetry piece, not always, but really often. In this case Schoenberg's composition style is derivated from other composers lived before him, composers that everyone actually enjoy, but he started using the twelve tone of our cromatic scale in a new way, and the result can be really dissonant and difficult to follow, like it was for people of the past with other pioneers of music and composition, but i hope with time everyone can Enjoy this kind of music. If you want to try enjoyng it you have to delete all your previous information about what sound good and what sound bad, and then you'll understand that inside this kind of music there's everything you can find in other well composed music, contemporary or not. Another way is to listen often to classical music, following the musical evolution troughout the centuries and then you will surely enjoy this music like you enjoy any other tipe of music! It's always about language, and to understand this language you have to listen to it, to imitate it, to talk it and then you can understand it and also use it for your own personal expression.

I enjoy his pre 12 tone period. This just doesn't do it for me.

@denizdonat5918

4 жыл бұрын

You can't understand the lyrics m8 thats why!!!

@jimmythebold589

3 жыл бұрын

hmmm,i tend to like 'inside' music, but i think this piece is really arresting, oddly pretty

1:50

1:53

1:53

1:56