Alexander L. Ringer untersucht Arnold Schönbergs Entwicklung von den spätromantischen Anfängen zur Zwölftonlehre. Der Autor beleuchtet Schönbergs Auseinandersetzung mit Dichtung, Malerei, Religion und Pädagogik und verknüpft Zeit- und Individualgeschichte sowie ästhetische und formale Aspekte. Ein Lebenschronik und Werkverzeichnis runden den Band ab.
Schoenberg was preoccupied with Judaism and biblical themes all his life, despite his conversion to Protestantism in 1898. These essays are a comprehensive attempt to shed light on the work and personality of the composer in this pertinent yet neglected context.
A new feature of this paperback is the addition of a chronicle of contemporary events - such as the birth of Hitler - which put Schoenberg's life into its historical context and help significantly in understanding his music. The essays collected in this volume, now including corrections, represent a comprehensive attempt to shed light on the work and personality of Schoenberg in the pertinent yet unaccountably neglected context of his preoccupation with Judaism and biblical themes.