2024 is an anniversary year for Schoenberg and this is something to be celebrated! We do this not only through his works, but also through those of contemporary composers.
This year it will have been 150 years since Arnold Schoenberg was born – in Vienna. After extensive exploration he achieved a monumental breakthrough in 1909: atonal music, marking a revolution in twentieth-century music. Some followed him in this revolution, others resolutely rejected it, resulting in them, ironically and unwillingly, being influenced by Schoenberg. Schoenberg was always the benchmark amidst the intense discussions and rapidly changing trends. Top of Form
The Hear and Now Festival wishes to honour Schoenberg. There is just one tiny problem: Schoenberg, who died in 1951, is not a contemporary composer, and this festival is all about living, contemporary composers. So, they decided to link Schoenberg with contemporary Dutch Composers in this year’s edition of the festival.
In today’s episode of Contemporary Music we will do the same. We will pair Schoenberg-classics Chamber Symphony Opus 9 and Suite for Piano Opus 25 with the works of Mathilde Wantenaar, Karmit Fadael and Thomas Beijer.
We could cautiously conclude that Schoenberg’s music is not in vogue in 2024. These days, composers write tonal music and prefer to draw inspiration from jazz music. However, in the end, we can’t overlook his influence.
Playlist
- Arnold Schönberg – Kammersinfonie opus 9
2. Mathilde Wantenaar – Sprookjes 1-3
3. Karmit Fadael – Vereende
4. Mathilde Wantenaar – La canzone del piccolo ucellino
5. Thomas Beijer – Motion games
6. Arnold Schönberg – Suite for piano opus 25
