"Pierrot lunaire is for a small ensemble and a singer who sings and half-speaks ('Sprechgesang'). Based on 21 selected poems from the Belgian Symbolist poet Albert Giraud, Schönberg’s music invites you to a one-of-a-kind experience: sometimes beautiful, sometimes grotesque, and sometimes both at the same time – you might be surprised!" – Kazushi Ono

-----

This iconic work from 1912 embodies the quest for new forms of expression at the beginning of the twentieth century. Schönberg captures that zeitgeist in a musical melodrama, using 'Sprechgesang' for the first time. It is, among other things, this verse by the Belgian poet Albert Giraud that inspired Schönberg's Pierrot lunaire:

"Pierrot wanders restlessly
Stares with a broad gesture
Upon the moon, like a white scimitar
Upon a black ornate cushion"

Pierrot lunaire can be seen as a sad clown or a naive fool, but it also serves as a metaphor for the Symbolist artists and the opposition they faced, much like Schönberg himself. With its surprising and deeply expressive sounds, Schönberg brings Pierrot lunaire to life—sometimes refined, sometimes harsh, distorted, or grotesque—thanks to the innovative use of 'Sprechgesang.'