First Full-Scale Account of Schoenberg's Early Tonal Works

This is the first full-scale account of Schoenberg's early tonal works, a rich repertory that music historians have tended to neglect or view as transitional to a mature atonal style. Between 1893 and 1908, Schoenberg created many genuine masterworks in the genres of Lieder, chamber music, and symphonic music.

This book includes detailed critical analyses of such widely admired and performed compositions as Verklärte Nacht, Gurrelieder, and the First Chamber Symphony, as well as discussions of little-known but important songs and instrumental works from the earlier years. Drawing on original manuscript sources, on Schoenberg's musical environment, on a range of analytical methods, and on Schoenberg's own theories, Frisch traces the development of technique and aesthetic across this critical fifteen-year period of the composer's career.