Born:
September 13, 1874, his parents were Samuel and Pauline. His brother, Heinrich Schoenberg, and his cousin, Nachod, were both excellent singers.
Birthplace:
Vienna
Died:
July 13, 1951 in Los Angeles
Also Known As:
Austrian-American composer who invented a method called
atonality, composing music using a 12-tone series. He was also a teacher; among his students were
Alban Berg and
Anton Webern. His surname may also be spelled as
Schönberg and his whole name is Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg.
Type of Compositions:
He wrote pieces for string instruments, a symphonic poem, piano pieces, instrumental and orcehstral works, monodrama, melodrama,
oratorio,
cantata and
opera.
Influence:
He learned how to play the violin as a child and at 9 years old was already composing pieces for two violins. He was also influenced by Oskar Adler who encouraged him to play the cello. Alexander von Zemlinsky became his friend and taught him composition,
counterpoint and
harmony.
Notable Works:
Among his most known works are: "String Quartet in D Major," "Verklärte Nacht," "Pelleas und Melisande," "Chamber Symphony in E Major," "Second String Quartet," "Opus 11, No. 1," "Five Orchestral Pieces, Opus 16," "Erwartung,' "Die glückliche Hand," "Gurrelieder," "Moses und Aron," "Third String Quartet, Opus 30," "Violin Concerto, Opus 36," "Piano Concerto, Opus 42" and "Fantasia."
Interesting Fact:
When his father died, he worked as a bank clerk from 1890 to 1895.
Richard Strauss helped him to get a job at Stern Conservatory as a teacher. The composer
Gustav Mahler was also one of his close friends. Schoenberg served in the Army during World War 1. Later on, he will migrate to the U.S. and teach at the University of Southern California and University of California at Los Angeles.
Music Sample:
Several midi samples of Arnold Schoenberg's music available here
