Arnold Schoenberg and Joaquin Turina: Composers’ Legacies
Arnold Schoenberg (1871-1951)
Vienna. A key composer of the 20th century, representing a bridge between late Romantic language and the cerebral, atonal aesthetic of the new century. Largely self-taught, Schoenberg, along with Alban Berg and Anton Webern, developed the twelve-tone technique, forming the Second Viennese School. He was later exiled to the USA.
Schoenberg’s Four Periods
Tonal Period (1898-1908)
Early works with Romantic influences include:
- Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
- Gurre-Lieder: A large-scale oratorio for 3 choirs, 5 soloists, 1 reciter, and orchestra.
- Pelleas und Melisande: An impressionistic and symbolist symphonic poem pushing the limits of tonality and contrapuntal effects. This work raises questions that form the basis of his atonal aesthetic.
Atonal Period
Also known as the Expressionist period, this movement reflects the internal experiences of 20th-century individuals, lost and isolated. Schoenberg completely abandoned tonal composition and used 12 non-hierarchical notes (constant use of all 12 notes on a regular and cyclic basis, contrapuntal writing, and emphasis on timbre). This period highlights a change in the course of 20th-century music.
- Erwartung: A monodrama for soprano and orchestra. A woman expects her lover in the forest and finds his corpse.
- Pierrot Lunaire (1912): For voice and chamber ensemble, formed by three cycles of 7 poems each. Features spectral moons, provocative and dreamlike visions, demonic visions, and sentimental aesthetics. Each poem has 13 free verse lines (4+4+5). This work is best characterized by the use of Sprechstimme, a vocal technique between speech and song.
Twelve-Tone Period (1923-1933)
Schoenberg developed a method for composing with twelve tones related only to each other. Works from this period are characterized by:
- Use of a series of 12 tones as a constructive element.
- Small-scale compositions with carefully crafted, brilliant textures.
- Contrapuntal writing.
- Use of Baroque and Renaissance forms.
Notable works include:
- Suite for Piano
- Chamber Symphony
- Variations for Orchestra
- The unfinished opera Moses und Aron
American Period (1933-1951)
Driven to the USA by his Jewish heritage, Schoenberg worked as a teacher to survive. He returned to tonality in some works and introduced sets of 12-tone concertos.
Joaquin Turina (1882-1949)
The Generation of Masters
Born in 1882, Turina trained as a pianist and gave numerous concerts in his native city and in Madrid. In 1905, after premiering his opera Sulamita, he moved to Paris, where he formed a close friendship with Albéniz. Influenced by both Spain and France, Turina became an important interpreter. Like other composers, the Great War led him to leave Paris and settle in Madrid, where he composed a large number of works and taught as a Professor of Composition. His declining health led to his death in 1949.
Turina’s Compositions
Turina composed works in all genres. Notable works include:
- Jardín de Oriente: A theatrical work premiered in 1923 at the Teatro Real de Madrid.
- Symphonic works: Danzas fantásticas (1919), later arranged for piano.
- Sinfonía Sevillana: Considered one of his most ambitious works for orchestra.
- La Oración del Torero (The Bullfighter’s Prayer): Written by Turina in three different instrumental versions.
Turina’s chamber music is also noteworthy, but his name is unquestionably associated with writing for piano, for which he composed a great quantity of pieces, not all of the same quality. Across his piano works, Turina imprinted his own style, marked with traces of lyricism and evocative folklore, and a nationalism that clearly marked Spanish musical creation in the first half of the 20th century.
Among those highlighted are the two series of pieces called Danzas Gitanas (Gypsy Dances).