According to Alex Ross, author of the very interesting blog (and book) on contemporary classical music entitled The Rest Is Noise, Monday 17^th of December could be regarded as Worldwide Atonality Day.

Ross argues that the publication of Arnold Schoenberg’s Ich darf nicht dankend (scroll down to Zwei Lieder für Gesag und Klavier op. 14) marks the beginnings of his straying from tonality. Tonal and atonal are Int 2 Music Listening concepts which you can look up by following the links (audio illustration and explanation provided courtesy of LTS).

The fact that these pupils are expected to be familiar with these concepts is proof that knowledge of them exists in schools. But performance of atonal music in concerts is almost completely unknown for the simple reason that most people (myself excluded) don’t seem to like it. I have stated here, in lessons, on reports and at parents evenings that musical concepts are better understood when heard than read about, and best of all when pupils have played them - have held them in their hands. Yet, it could be claimed that I rob pupils of the true experience of atonality by avoiding it for the simple reason that its appearance results in laughter, complaint and disengagement. The idea of extended rehearsal and performance of an atonal guitar ensemble work at a school concert seems almost unthinkable.

It’s strange that, as we consider how best to prepare pupils for the 21^st century, much of the music of the 20^th century still seems too avant garde. Or did the Western European classical tradition simply take a wrong turning there from which we have recovered? Why is that that pupils would respond more readily and with more intuitive understanding to music from, say Africa or Japan than to music whose origins lie 100 years ago in their own culture? I’d be very interested to know if other aesthetic subjects experience similar situations.

There are many films of Schoenberg conducting his own works on YouTube. You can also hear the voice of Schoenberg here paying tribute to George Gershwin - a composer with an unmistakable love for a sense of key.

Pic: Schoenberg

Categories: Music