This composer DITCHED Nazis & became an AMERICAN BADASS
This composer DITCHED Nazis & became an AMERICAN BADASS
💬 "Raw & Real: GenZ with Ellie
In this episode Ellie discusses Arnold Schoenberg. She is a student journalist with us on a placement organised by the Oxford University Career Services. This article was edited using ChatGPT.
Arnold Schoenberg stands as a pivotal figure in 20th-century music. Born in Vienna in 1874, he founded and led the Second Viennese School, introducing groundbreaking musical techniques. His life in Austria was marred by the rise of the Nazis, who targeted him due to his Jewish heritage. This persecution forced him to emigrate to the United States in 1933. He became an American citizen in 1941 and lived there until his death in 1951.
Schoenberg was largely self-taught, starting his career orchestrating operettas. His compositions gained rapid acclaim, drawing the support of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. Mahler, in particular, took him under his wing. Schoenberg, in turn, mentored many students in the Second Viennese School, who later became notable musicians. Besides music, he was a prolific artist and poet, associated with the expressionist movement. Expressionism sought to convey emotional experiences through distorted realism and was linked to challenging traditional societal norms.
In 1898, Schoenberg converted to Lutheran Christianity, aiming to strengthen his ties to Western European culture and protect himself during a time of rising anti-Semitism. However, this did not shield him from Nazi persecution. The Nazis banned his works, labeling them as "degenerate music." This censorship was part of a broader effort by the Nazis to control culture and silence Jewish and jazz composers, many of whom, like Schoenberg, were forced into exile.
After unsuccessful attempts to emigrate to Britain, Schoenberg moved to the United States with his family. Before leaving, he formally returned to Judaism in Paris, acknowledging his heritage as inescapable. He continued to identify as Jewish for the rest of his life.
Thank you for reading a A4R 🎨 Post.
Don’t forget to visit our gifts shop here.
Every purchase scales our impact and pays our bills.
