Composer

:

Arnold Schoenberg

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Sacred music

Compose Date

:

1950

Average_duration

:

4:57

Arnold Schoenberg's 'De Profundis, Op. 50b' is a choral work composed in 1950. It was premiered on October 22, 1950, in Los Angeles, California, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Roger Wagner Chorale, conducted by the composer himself. The work is divided into three movements, each of which is based on a different text. The first movement is based on Psalm 130, "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord." The second movement is based on a text by the composer himself, which he wrote in memory of his friend and fellow composer, Anton Webern, who was killed in 1945. The third movement is based on Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" The work is characterized by Schoenberg's use of his twelve-tone technique, which he developed in the early 1920s. This technique involves the use of a series of twelve pitches, which are arranged in a specific order and used as the basis for the composition. Schoenberg's use of this technique in 'De Profundis' gives the work a sense of unity and coherence, despite the fact that each movement is based on a different text. The first movement begins with a somber, mournful melody in the cellos and basses, which is then taken up by the choir. The melody is then developed and transformed throughout the movement, with the choir singing in a variety of textures and harmonies. The movement ends with a quiet, introspective section, in which the choir sings the text "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait." The second movement is a setting of a text by Schoenberg himself, which he wrote in memory of Anton Webern. The text is a meditation on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. The movement begins with a solo soprano singing the text "I feel the breath of time upon my face," which is then taken up by the choir. The movement is characterized by its use of dissonant harmonies and angular melodies, which give the music a sense of unease and tension. The third movement is based on Psalm 22, which is a lamentation of the suffering of the righteous. The movement begins with a solo soprano singing the text "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" which is then taken up by the choir. The movement is characterized by its use of dramatic contrasts, with the choir singing in both loud, declamatory sections and quiet, introspective sections.

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