Composer

:

Arnold Schoenberg

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1898

Average_duration

:

15:45

Movement_count

:

2

Movement ....

Arnold Schoenberg's 'Songs (2) for voice & piano, Op. 1' is a seminal work in the composer's oeuvre, marking the beginning of his journey towards atonality and the development of his twelve-tone technique. The songs were composed in 1899, when Schoenberg was just 25 years old, and were premiered in Vienna in 1900. The first song, 'Ertwartung' (Expectation), is a setting of a poem by Richard Dehmel. It is a haunting and atmospheric piece, with a sparse piano accompaniment that creates a sense of unease and tension. The vocal line is angular and dissonant, with Schoenberg using chromaticism and unconventional harmonies to convey the sense of longing and anticipation in the text. The song is in a modified strophic form, with the same music repeated for each verse but with subtle variations in the vocal line and accompaniment. The second song, 'Schenk mir deinen goldenen Kamm' (Give me your golden comb), is a setting of a poem by Gustav Falke. It is a more lyrical and expressive piece than the first song, with a flowing piano accompaniment that supports the soaring vocal line. The harmonies are more conventional than in 'Ertwartung', but Schoenberg still uses chromaticism and unexpected modulations to create a sense of emotional intensity. The song is in a through-composed form, with no repetition of music and a constantly evolving vocal line that reflects the shifting moods of the text. Overall, the 'Songs (2) for voice & piano, Op. 1' are characterized by their innovative use of harmony and chromaticism, as well as their expressive and emotional vocal lines. They mark the beginning of Schoenberg's journey towards atonality and his rejection of traditional tonal structures, and are an important milestone in the development of modernist music.

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