This is one of the paintings for my ongoing project of calendar of composers.
Arnold Schoenberg is perhaps the most important composer of the 20th century. He expanded the horizons of music composition by creating new methods of composition: serialism , 12-tone row . These methods created works that were atonal, not pleasant to the ear of the common listener. However, these methods opened the gates to modern and contemporary music. The most successful composers of all industries; classical, commercial, pop-music, etc. have studied Schoenberg’s works that he compiled into his Harmonielehre - Theory of Harmony - a book that remains to be the most influential work on music theory to date.
Transfigured Night ( Verklärte Nacht )
This is a piece for a string sextet composed of two violins, two violas, and two cellos. Schoenberg was inspired by a poem of the same name written by Richard Dehmel. The piece is written in five parts, to follow the flow of the poem. Each part depicts the corresponding events in the poem, making the “Transfigured Night” a program music piece. Much like the composer, I was inspired to paint a scene from the poem - it’s starting lines: Two people are walking through a bare, cold wood; the moon keeps pace with them and draws their gaze.
Listen to the piece on YouTube: Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht, Op.4 - Boulez. - YouTube