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Arnold Schoenberg Quotes
1874–1951 Austria
Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg [originally Schönberg] (13 September 1874 – 13 July 1951) was an Austrian-born composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century.
Austria Composers Converts to christianity Painters Also known as: Arnold Schönberg, Schoenberg, Schoenberg, Arnold
Random Arnold Schoenberg quote
20 quotes
I was never revolutionary. The only revolutionary in our time was Strauss!"
Now we will throw these mediocre kitsch-mongers into slavery, and teach them to venerate the German spirit and to worship the German God.
There are no more geniuses, only critics.
Those Who Complain about the Decline (1923)
I find above all that the expression, "atonal music," is most unfortunate — it is on a par with calling flying "the art of not falling," or swimming "the art of not drowning."
I believe that he (Strauss) will remain one of the characteristic and outstanding figures in musical history. Works like Salome, Elektra and Intermezzo, and others will not perish.
Arnold Schoenberg (1946)
I have never seen faces, but because I have looked people in the eye, only their gazes.
My work should be judged as it enters the ears and heads of listeners, not as it is described to the eyes of readers.
an interview with José Rodriguez (1936)
I am delighted to add another unplayable work to the repertoire.
An artistic impression is substantially the resultant of two components. One what the work of art gives the onlooker — the other, what he is capable of giving to the work of art.
An Artistic Impression (1909)
Hauer looks for laws. Good. But he looks for them where he will not find them.
If music is frozen architecture, then the potpourri is frozen coffee-table gossip... Potpourri is the art of adding apples to pears…
"My works are 12-tone compositions, not 12-tone compositions
My music is not modern, it is merely badly played
Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value. … Unqualified judgment can at most claim to decide the market-value — a value that can be in inverse proportion to the intrinsic value.
An Artistic Impression (1909)
There is a great Man living in this country — a composer. He has solved the problem how to preserve one's self and to learn. He responds to negligence by contempt. He is not forced to accept praise or blame. His name is Ives.
...if it is art, it is not for all, and if it is for all, it is not art.
Although our "gentle air" cannot improve the way hate and envy look, it does seem not to encourage firmness and decision. All is compromise; caution and refinement are everywhere. Everything has to "make a good impression" — whether or not it is any good: the impression is the main thing.
About Music Criticism (1909)
[Tonality is] the art of combining tones in such successions and such harmonies or successions of harmonies, that the relation of all events to a fundamental tone is made possible.
I have just read your book [On the Spiritual in Art] from cover to cover, and I will read it once more. I find it pleasing to an extraordinary degree, because we agree on nearly all of the main issues..
I see the work as a whole first. Then I compose the details. In working out, I always lose something. This cannot be avoided. There is always some loss when we materialize. But there is compensating gain in vitality.
an interview with José Rodriguez (1936)
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