Observations placeholder
Schoenberg, Arnold - Pelleas und Melisande 1903
Identifier
021093
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
In October 1901, Schoenberg married Mathilde Zemlinsky, the sister of the conductor and composer Alexander von Zemlinsky, with whom Schoenberg had been studying since about 1894.
He and Mathilde had two children, Gertrud (1902–1947) and Georg (1906–1974). Gertrud would marry Schoenberg's pupil Felix Greissle in 1921 (Neighbour 2001).
During the summer of 1908, his wife Mathilde left him for several months for a young Austrian painter, Richard Gerstl.
This time is thus greatly troubling a strange mixture of happiness at his marriage, the birth of his first child and angst at having to give up his faith because of the anti-semitism and seeing his wife drift towards another man.
The tone poem Pelleas und Melisande at last earned him some acclaim at its Berlin performance in 1907.
A description of the experience
Arnold Schönberg: Pélleas und Melisande op.5 (1903)
Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951): Pélleas und Melisande, poema sinfonico op.5 (1903) -- Sinfonie-Orchester des Südwestfunks Baden-Baden diretta da Bruno Maderna (dal vivo: Baden-Baden 5 maggio 1960) --
I. Anfang
II. Heftig
III. Lebhaft
IV. Sehr rasch
V. Ein wening bewegter
VI. Langsam
VII. Ein wening bewegter
VIII. Sehr langsam
IX. Etwas bewegter
X. In gehender Bewegung
XI. Breit