Brussels Philharmonic | Schönberg: a visionary's struggle

Schönberg: a visionary's struggle

How One Becomes Lonely

On October 10 and 12, the Brussels Philharmonic and Flagey celebrate the 150th anniversary of Arnold Schönberg, a musical visionary who captured the unique spirit of his time. Rooted in Romanticism, his innovative musical ideas continue to be a vital source of inspiration in the 20th-century repertoire. His path of innovation was not without resistance. In How One Becomes Lonely, he elaborates on this in rich detail, offering plenty of juicy insights:
"I had had to fight for every new work; I had been offended in the most outrageous manner by criticism; I had lost friends and I had completely lost any belief in the judgment of friends. And I stood alone against a world of enemies."
read the full article How One Becomes Lonely by Arnold Schönberg
"My Verklärte Nacht, written before the beginning of this century–hence a work of my first period, has made me a kind of reputation. [...] a part from Verklärte Nacht which, at the time of the first performance of this work (1901) sounded so rough that people said: 'It sounds as if an orchestra playing Wagner's 'Tristan and Isolde had become confused and mixed up.' [...] And so the first performance of my Verklärte Nacht ended in a riot and in actual fights. And not only did some persons in the audience utter their opinions with their fists, but critics also used their fists instead of their pens. So one wrote: 'This sextet seemed to me like a calf with six feet, such as one secs often at a fair.' Six feet, he said, because there were six players. But he forgot that six players possess twelve feet. And he also forgot that in this piece there also appeared parts of which everyone, even at this time, could have approved–as, for example."
- Arnold Schönberg

SCHÖNBERG Marc Pennartz P1155981 Dx O CROP

Shades of Schönberg · 10.10.2024 · Flagey

Even after a century and a half, the name Arnold Schönberg still inspires fear in some people. The festival Aimez-vous Schönberg celebrates his jubilee year and will probably help you break free of that phobia. Because although we generally associate the man with his sometimes somewhat calculated twelve-tone technique, there is a wealth of repertoire that is rarely heard because the dodecaphony hangs over Arnold’s head like the sword of Damocles. It turns out that the younger Arnold could just as easily look over his shoulder romantically or be inspired by the art movements around him. This weekend with Pierrot lunaire and Verklärte Nacht is all about his connection with symbolism… and therefore with Claude Debussy, too.

SCHÖNBERG Marc Pennartz P1155981 Dx O CROP

Schönberg: Pierrot lunaire · 12.10.2024 · Flagey

"Pierrot lunaire is for a small orchestra and a singer who sings and half-speaks. 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

Schoenberg Spraypaint P G

Arnold. Schönberg. Are you starting to shiver?

The majority of Schönberg’s music is now more than a century old. In 2024, we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth. And yet his name alone still tends to elicit visceral reactions. It is something that Schönberg had always faced. In his lifetime, he received many extremely nasty reactions from the audience. Why is that?

Pierrot lunaire 1924 klee

between singing and spoken word

Pierrot lunaire is based on poems by Belgian poet Albert Giraud, later adapted by Otto Erich Hartleben and set to music by Arnold Schönberg. Commissioned by Albertine Zehme, known for blending poetry and music, Schönberg’s iconic work became the first composition written entirely for Sprechgesang, a unique style that sits between singing and spoken word. Read the poems and translation!

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Schönberg: the painter

from scores to brushes: we know Arnold Schönberg as a groundbreaking composer, educator, and theorist, but also as a painter - find out more

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