Schoenburg the expressionist

At first, Pierrot Lunaire sounded confusing, erratic, and eerie.  Schoenburg’s peice is also rhythmless, and it also combines that atonality. This creates completely dissonant, alien, and illogical sounds, and this conveys a deep and memorable dysphoric emotion. I think this music perfectly captures the anxiety and turmoil in reaction to the nationalism and militarism in the early 20th century, leading up to the First World War. In a stream of consciousness, the Pierrot Lunaire depicts small vignettes that show the decrepitude of modern life. Music, up to this point, has mostly had organized structure based on a pattern or the lyrics (such as recitative opera). An exception could be made for chants, which flows according to the words of the chant. Because Schoenburg was an expressionist, we can safely assume that the entire structure of his pieces are dictated by the emotions. He frees himself from conventional expectations of music and explores the most primal and chaotic emotions.

I loved the 4th poem about the chlorotic laundry maid. In comparison to the rest of the piece, it is relatively calm, and at times it is carried out in a whisper-like fashion. It seems pretty clear the lyrics evoke images of purity: the maiden, her silver paleness, the white sheets she has washed. However, the scene depicted has an obscene modern twist. (If we are to trust the resource page’s translation,) Cholera contaminates the entire scene. With the discovery of the microbe model of disease, clean and white no longer meant purity and safety. Therefore, the scene of the maiden is transformed into eerie and sickly. This twisted scene is what is depicted in the music.

25 thoughts on “Schoenburg the expressionist

  1. Leonard D. House

    Schoenberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire” is definitely unsettling! The dissonance really captures the pre-WWI anxiety. I agree, the “laundry maid” poem is striking – a twisted purity. It’s like the musical equivalent of a messed-up Retro bowl team: chaotic but somehow effective. Did Schoenberg ever consider composing for video games?

    Reply
  2. Rose‑OP

    안양오피를 경험하고 싶다면 rose-op anyang이 정답입니다. 전문 인력과 쾌적한 시설이 완비된 저희는 고객님의 다양한 요구를 만족시키기 위해 맞춤형 서비스를 제공합니다. 프라이버시 보호에 철저하며 안전한 환경에서 누구나 안심하고 즐길 수 있습니다. 합리적인 가격으로 최상의 서비스를 누릴 수 있으며, 방문하는 모든 분께 만족과 편안함을 선사합니다. 안양op 중 신뢰받는 rose-op anyang과 함께 특별한 시간을 만들어 보세요. 안양op

    Reply
  3. Emily Clark

    Your description of Pierrot Lunaire really captures how art can express complex emotions and social realities. It’s interesting how certain pieces of music, like Schoenberg’s, create an “acquired taste” — similar to how certain unique dishes or flavors challenge our expectations at first but leave a lasting impression. I explore that idea a lot, though from the perspective of food culture and breakfast traditions, here: mcd-breakfast-menu.com

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *