Association for private musical performances

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The association for private musical performances , founded in Mödling near Vienna in November 1918 and dissolved again in 1921, was initiated by the Austrian composer Arnold Schönberg .

The aim of the association was "to provide artists and art lovers with a real and precise knowledge of modern music ". This should take place in the context of non-public concerts, only in front of paying club members. Schönberg himself took over the presidency and program selection, supported by a 19-member board from among his friends and students. An important intention of soon known as "Schoenberg Club" company it was to keep unpopular press representatives of performances (concerts and premieres of the previous years ended several times as scandals with appropriate newspaper reviews, particularly famous was the led by Schoenberg scandal or slaps concert of 31 March 1913). So, regulated in extensive statutes, not only demonstrations of applause and disapproval, but also press conferences were prohibited. To ensure a regular visit, programs were not announced in advance. The programs were rehearsed intensively and often repeated several times for didactic reasons.

In the 3 years of existence, 117 concerts were held, at which 154 contemporary compositions were performed. Rehearsals and concerts took place. a. in the Wiener Konzerthaus , Wiener Musikverein or the ballroom of the Kaufmännischer Verein. The composers listed included Gustav Mahler , Richard Strauss , Ferruccio Busoni , Max Reger , Claude Debussy , Erik Satie , Igor Stravinsky , Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Anton Webern . It was not until 1920 that Schönberg's own work was added to the program. Most of the performers were Schoenberg students. Since there was no orchestra available, arrangements were made for chamber music ensembles, for example Schönberg's Five Orchestral Pieces op. 16, Bruckner's 7th Symphony , Mahler's 4th Symphony or Debussy's Prelude à l'après-midi d'un faune .

Before the association had to be dissolved in December 1921 due to lack of money due to inflation in Austria, Schönberg tried to raise money through an Extraordinary Evening : On May 27, 1921, a concert with four waltzes by Johann Strauss Sohn took place, which was performed by Arnold Schönberg (“ Roses from the South ”,“ Lagunen-Waltz ”), Alban Berg (“ Wine, Woman and Song ”) and Anton von Webern (“ Treasure Waltz ”from Der Zigeunerbaron ) were arranged for string quartet, piano and harmonium, which became autographs subsequently auctioned.

literature

  • Eberhard Friday: Arnold Schönberg . Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, Reinbek, 1973, ISBN 3-499-50202-X
  • Walter Szmolyan : Schönberg's Vienna Association for Private Musical Performances . In: Arnold Schönberg. Memorial exhibition 1974 . Editor Ernst Hilmar . Universal Edition, Vienna 1974, pp. 71–82.
  • Reinhard Kapp: Schönberg's “Association” and the crisis of the musical public . In: Rudolf Flotzinger (Ed.): Strangeness in der Moderne (= Studies on Modernism 3), Vienna 1999 (published 1998), p. 23ff.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Alban Berg : Prospectus of the “Association for Private Musical Performances”, September 1919