In another post, I mentioned what beautiful words Schoenberg chose for this eulogy. I think the phrase "...the deplorable loss to music." is both startling and moving.
Love Schoenberg's appraisal of Gershwin here. Also love the Schoenberg String Quartet # 4 being performed here with Gershwin's footage of his famous teacher-composer. Thanks, as always, Mr. Gibbons for posting this. Indeed, your presentation is excellent.
Thanks very much for your kind comment. By the way, I'm not aware Gershwin studied with Schoenberg. There were just friends who lived near to each other at that moment (1936/7), and of course were deeply curious (I think that's the right word!) about each other's music.
I am a lifelong fan and student of the Gershwin phenomena. So pleased to see this clip and commentaries. Thank you for sharing with the public and music community.
A heartwarming video,even if i've seen the filmed part in another context.Schônberg's tribute to Gershwin is very moving & spontaneous.This is a wonderful example of attraction of(maybe not so)opposites.Gershwin may well have developed into a futuristic composer himself if time had permitted;in any case there was so much more to come from him -music's great loss.
Given this film clip and the comment by Schoenberg on the loss of his friend, Gershwin, it amazes me that there are very famous people who write in a different style who claim that Schoenberg was without humor or interest in popular music, that his music is devoid of humanity or warmth, or that his intent was the development of a purely mathematical music written to confound and alienate the listening public. It boggles the mind!
Extraordinary document of this musical friendship, with Schoenberg baring his heart, and offering the ultimate accolade "There is no doubt he was a great composer..."
1937 was the year GG died - horribly, of a brain tumor. By this time he was having symptoms on and off, blinding headaches and weird behaviour which was written off as "hysteria".
Varese, Schoenberg has even composed songs in cabaret style. A genius cannot be dogmatic. When he came up with the 12-tone style he never thought of it as a new style of composing, nor taught his students to write in that style. Then after a period of atonal music he went back to writing tonal music again. It was the far lesser composers following him, who thought that by copying Shoenberg's compositional technique they would also turn out worthy music. Most of them were miserably wrong! :-)
@Yergahan Oh, geniuses can be VERY dogmatic, but I don't believe that Schoenberg was, though he did believe very strongly in what he did. And he did not really "go back" to writing tonal music. He wrote both tonal and "atonal" music as he wished. As to the later serialists, very few of them "copied" Schoenberg. Most of them carried Webern's approach to extremes, including the total serialization of all aspects of music, a technique which had been pioneered by Messiaen, who later denounced it.
In another post, I mentioned what beautiful words Schoenberg chose for this eulogy. I think the phrase "...the deplorable loss to music." is both startling and moving.
Love Schoenberg's appraisal of Gershwin here. Also love the Schoenberg String Quartet # 4 being performed here with Gershwin's footage of his famous teacher-composer. Thanks, as always, Mr. Gibbons for posting this. Indeed, your presentation is excellent.
Thanks very much for your kind comment. By the way, I'm not aware Gershwin studied with Schoenberg. There were just friends who lived near to each other at that moment (1936/7), and of course were deeply curious (I think that's the right word!) about each other's music.
I am a lifelong fan and student of the Gershwin phenomena. So pleased to see this clip and commentaries. Thank you for sharing with the public and music community.
A heartwarming video,even if i've seen the filmed part in another context.Schônberg's tribute to Gershwin is very moving & spontaneous.This is a wonderful example of attraction of(maybe not so)opposites.Gershwin may well have developed into a futuristic composer himself if time had permitted;in any case there was so much more to come from him -music's great loss.
Given this film clip and the comment by Schoenberg on the loss of his friend, Gershwin, it amazes me that there are very famous people who write in a different style who claim that Schoenberg was without humor or interest in popular music, that his music is devoid of humanity or warmth, or that his intent was the development of a purely mathematical music written to confound and alienate the listening public. It boggles the mind!
This is precious. Thank you so much for posting this....
Extraordinary document of this musical friendship, with Schoenberg baring his heart, and offering the ultimate accolade "There is no doubt he was a great composer..."
Schoenberg also taught Oscar Levant. On the first lesson he told him, "I can see through walls."
Beautiful
This film was probably shot by Ira, since we see George in most of the film winding his movie camera.
Thank you so much for posting this. As others have commented, this footage is so precious and unique.
1937 was the year GG died - horribly, of a brain tumor. By this time he was having symptoms on and off, blinding headaches and weird behaviour which was written off as "hysteria".
unique. thanks a million for uploading this !
Two great geniuses.
Very nice. Many talented people have talent in other areas of the arts as well.
There were lesser ones, who followed Schönberg, but we don't know them any more. We only know the great ones who followed him.
Fantastic to see this!
THANK YOU A LOT!
"Solo il genio può comprendere il genio", scrisse Robert Schumann. Vedendo questo filmato, queste parole continuano a risuonare.
andreafrancesco17 Wonderful words by Schumann - “Only the genius can understand the genius.”
Varese, Schoenberg has even composed songs in cabaret style. A genius cannot be dogmatic. When he came up with the 12-tone style he never thought of it as a new style of composing, nor taught his students to write in that style. Then after a period of atonal music he went back to writing tonal music again. It was the far lesser composers following him, who thought that by copying Shoenberg's compositional technique they would also turn out worthy music. Most of them were miserably wrong! :-)
Assolutamente commovente e molto istruttivo! Dove sono le barriere della musica del '900?
so we could safely say that the fill could be called "Ira Gershwin films George Gershwin filming Schoenberg"? lol
à l'amitié à la musique !
めっちゃいいウップ!
@Yergahan
Oh, geniuses can be VERY dogmatic, but I don't believe that Schoenberg was, though he did believe very strongly in what he did. And he did not really "go back" to writing tonal music. He wrote both tonal and "atonal" music as he wished. As to the later serialists, very few of them "copied" Schoenberg. Most of them carried Webern's approach to extremes, including
the total serialization of all aspects of music, a technique which had been pioneered by Messiaen, who later denounced it.
@maxreger100 Very nice comment.