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A century and a half ago, on September 13, 1874, in Vienna, Arnold Schönberg, one of the most revolutionary musicians of the twentieth century, was born. Schönberg, born to a modest Jewish merchant, emerged as an innovative genius destined to transform the musical landscape of his time.
His early works puzzled the Austrian composer and conductor Gustav Mahler (†1911), who remarked: “I don’t understand his music, but he is young; perhaps he is right. I am old, and perhaps do not have the ear for his music any more.”[1]
Beginning as a self-taught musician and influenced by the artistry of Richard Wagner (†1883), Schönberg forged a distinct aesthetic vision that prompted him to forsake the tonal system in favor of atonality and embrace the 12-tone method. This innovative technique, based on a sequence known as a series comprising all twelve notes of the tempered chromatic scale, found its way into a diverse array of compositions. From piano pieces to the Five Orchestral Pieces, the Accompaniment to a Film Scene, the drama with music The Hand of Fate, and the string sextet Transfigured Night, Schönberg’s oeuvre reflected his bold departure from traditional tonality. Notably, his 1912 masterpiece Pierrot lunaire, featuring declamatory melodies accompanied by six solo instruments, captured widespread attention. We also mention four string quartets, a chamber symphony for sixteen instruments, the monodrama Expectation, the one-act opera From Today to Tomorrow,a violin concerto, and a string trio. Despite his codification of the serial method, Schönberg did not rigidly adhere to it in his compositions.
In 1922, Schönberg shared his religious convictions in a letter to his friend, the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky (†1944), confessing: “In these years religion has been my only support—I confess that here for the first time.”[2] Shortly after, this constant spiritual support was accompanied by the torment of anti-Semitism. During that period, Schönberg was labeled a “converted Jew,” a phenomenon not uncommon in Vienna at the time, as evidenced by the baptisms of prominent figures like Gustav Mahler or the Austrian writer Karl Kraus (†1936). Despite Schönberg’s conversion to Lutheranism in 1898 upon marrying Mathilde (†1923), it’s crucial to note that in the eyes of anti-Semites, a “baptized Jew” remained a Jew. When Nazism rose to power with Hitler in 1933, Schönberg was residing in France. Prior to immigrating to the United States of America, he participated in a solemn ceremony at the synagogue in Paris, signifying a profound reconnection with his Jewish identity.
Freely adapting the narrative from the Book of Exodus, Schönberg’s three-act opera Moses and Aaron, composed to his own libretto with remarkable speed between July 17, 1930, and March 10, 1932, as per Schönberg’s own records, delves into the biblical concept of God. Although left incomplete after the first two acts, it premiered at the Stadttheater in Zurich on June 6, 1957, six years following the composer’s passing in Los Angeles in 1951.
In the first act, we are presented with Moses’ divine calling as God speaks to him from the burning bush that does not consume (Exodus 3:2). This scene is followed by Moses’ encounter with his brother Aaron in the desert. The tension-filled dynamic between them is integral to the opera’s narrative. Moses, who is considered the mediator between the “one, eternal, omnipresent, | invisible, and unimaginable God” (our translation), as he himself declares at the outset of the opera, and Israel, feels unable to communicate with the people. Meanwhile, Aaron, tasked with conveying the divine message, proves to be an unreliable conduit. Moses comes to realize that the divine message becomes distorted the moment it is passed on to Aaron. In the second act, the dramatic climax unfolds with the story of the golden calf, dominating the scene as Moses converses with God atop Mount Sinai for forty days. The third act, though musically unfinished, depicts Moses’s harsh condemnation of Aaron. Upon Aaron’s death, Moses concludes with the assertion, “But in the desert you are invincible | and will reach the goal: | united with God.”
Schönberg portrays two conflicting theologies at Sinai, as articulated by Aaron, chained and nearing death, at the beginning of the third act: “I should speak in images, | where you speak in concepts; | to the heart, where you address the mind.” On one side, Aaron’s religion, centered on the worship of the golden calf, is depicted as charming and appealing; on the other side, Moses’s religion is founded on the Word, commitment, and the absolute purity of God. Aaron’s singing, with a tenor voice in a rich manner, serves to seduce and comfort, while Moses (referred to as “slow of speech and tongue,” according to Exodus 4:10), employing Sprechgesang—a recitative vocal technique first employed in Pierrot lunaire—presents the naked divine Word with a stark recitative, thereby accentuating its power. Schönberg aims to underscore life’s profound choices: embracing a pleasant idol or embracing a stern yet redeeming God. Despite not personally leading the people to the promised land, Moses will serve as their guide through the Word of God.
Through this remarkable opera, which may initially pose challenges for the listener, Schönberg seems to delve into his spiritual roots, providing valuable insights for contemplating life’s obstacles and navigating the array of spiritual journeys available to us.
[1] H. H. Stuckenschmidt, Schönberg: his life, world and work, Oneworld Classics, United Kingdom, 2011, p. 105.
[2] K. H. Wörner, Schönberg’s Moses and Aaron, Faber and Faber, London 1963, p. 21.