Born:
February 9, 1885
Birthplace:
Vienna, Austria
Died:
December 24, 1935 in Vienna
Also Known As:
Austrian composer who adapted the atonal style, teacher of composition, he is also referred to as the "classicist of modern music."
Type of Compositions:
Influence:
He was influenced musically by his father and his older brother. Around 1904, he became the pupil of Arnold Schoenberg. Berg also looked up to two famous composers; Gustav Mahler and Richard Wagner.
Musical Work:
Among his famous compositions are; "Lulu," "Wozzeck," "Five Orchestral Songs," "String Quartet," "Lyric Suite," "Chamber Concerto, Opus 8" and the "Violin Concerto." The latter was a Requiem written for Manon Gropius, Alma Schindler's daughter, who died of polio.
Interesting Facts:
He married Helene Nahowski in 1911 but is said to have had an affair with a married woman named Hanna Fuchs-Robettin. Hanna is said to have inspired Berg's "Lyric Suite." When Berg died, his opera "Lulu" was left unfinished. It would later be completed by Friedrich Cerha and in 1979 the said opera premiered in Paris.
Further Reading:
Related Video:
Listen to Alban Berg's "Wozzeck (Act 1, Scene 1)" courtesy of YouTube.