What is Atonality? Alban Berg April 23, 1930 A radio talk given by Alban Berg on the Vienna Rundfunk, 23 April 1930, and, printed under the title “Was ist atonal?” in 23, the music magazine edited by Willi Reich, No. 26/27, Vienna, 8 June 1936. Interlocutor: Well, my dear Herr Berg, let’s begin! considered music. Alban Berg: You begin, then. I’d rather have the last Int.: Aha, a reproach! And a fair one, I confess. But word. now tell me yourself, Herr Berg, does not such a Int.: Are you so sure of your ground? distinction indeed exist, and does not the negation of relationship to a given tonic lead in fact to the Berg: As sure as anyone can be who for a quarter- collapse of the whole edifice of music? century has taken part in the development of a new art — sure, that is, not only through understanding Berg: Before I answer that, I would like to say this: and experience, but — what is more — through Even if this so-called atonal music cannot, har- faith. monically speaking, be brought into relation with a major/minor harmonic system — still, surely, Int.: Fine! It will be simplest, then, to start at once with there was music even before that system in its turn the title of our dialogue: What is atonality? came into existence. Berg: It is not so easy to answer that question with a for- Int.: . and what a beautiful and imaginative music! mula that would also serve as a definition. When this expression was used for the first time — prob- Berg: . so it doesn’t follow that there may not (at ably in some newspaper criticism — it could nat- least considering the chromatic scale and the new urally only have been, as the word plainly says, to chord-forms arising out of it) be discovered in the describe a kind of music the harmonic course of “atonal” compositions of the last quarter-century which did not correspond to the laws of tonality a harmonic center which would naturally not be previously recognized. identical with the old tonic . We already have today in the “composition in twelve tones related Int.: Which means: In the beginning was the Word, or only to each other” which Schoenberg has been the rather, a word, which should compensate for the first to practice, a system that yields nothing in or- helplessness with which people faced a new phe- ganization and control of material to the old har- nomenon. monic order. Berg: Yes, that, but more too: This designation of Int.: You mean the so-called twelve-tone rows? Won’t “atonal” was doubtless intended to disparage, as you tell us something more about them in this con- were words like arhythmic, amelodic, asymmet- nection? ric, which came up at the same time. But while these words were merely convenient designations Berg: Not now; it would lead too far afield. Let us con- for specific cases, the word “atonal” — I must add, fine ourselves to this notion of “atonality.” unfortunately — came to stand collectively for Int.: Agreed. But you have not yet answered my ques- music of which it was assumed not only that it had tion whether there does not indeed exist a distinc- no harmonic center (to use tonality in Rameau’s tion such as that implied in the word between ear- sense), but was also devoid of all other musical at- lier music and that of today, and so whether the tributes such as melos, rhythm, form in part and giving up of relationship to a keynote, a tonic, has whole; so that today the designation as good as sig- not indeed unsettled the whole structure of music? nifies a music that is no music, and is used to im- Berg: Now that we have agreed that the negation of ma- ply the exact opposite of what has heretofore been Alban Berg 1 What is Atonality? jor and minor tonality does not necessarily bring above all — to begin with the most important — about harmonic anarchy, I can answer that ques- that in this music, as in any other, the melody, the tion much more easily. Even if certain harmonic principal voice, the theme, is fundamental, that the possibilities are lost through abandonment of ma- course of the music is in a sense determined by it. jor and minor, all the other qualities we demand of Int.: But is melody in the traditional sense at all possible a true and genuine music still remain. in atonal music? Int.: Which, for instance? Berg: Yes, of course, even vocal melody. Berg: They are not to be so quickly listed, and I would Int.: Well, so far as song is concerned, Herr Berg, atonal like to go into that more closely — indeed, I must music surely does follow a new path. There is cer- do so, because the point in question is to show that tainly something in it that has never been heard this idea of atonality, which originally related quite before, I would almost like to say, something tem- exclusively to the harmonic aspect, has now be- porarily shocking. come, as aforesaid, a collective expression for mu- Berg: Only as concerns harmony: on that we agree. But sic that is no music. it is quite wrong to regard this new melodic line as Int.: No music? I find that expression too strong; nor laking a path entirely new, as you declare, in com- have I heard it before. I believe that what the op- parison with the usual characteristics of melodic ponents of atonal music are most concerned with procedure, or even as never before hearto and is to emphasize the implied antithesis to so-called shocking. Nor is this true of a vocal line, even if “beautiful” music. it is marked with what someone recently described Berg: That view you take from me. Anyhow, this col- as intervals of an instrumental chromaticism, dis- lective term “atonality” is intended to repudiate ev- torted, jagged, wide-spaced; nor that it thereby erything that has heretofore made up the content totally disregards the requirements of the human of music. I have already mentioned such words as voice. arhythmic, amelodic, asymmetric, and could name Int.: I never said that, but I cannot help feeling that vo- a dozen more expressions derogatory of modern cal melody and melody in general does seem never music: like cacophony and manufactured music, to have been treated like that before. which are already half-forgotten, or the more re- Berg: That is just what I am objecting to. I maintain on cent ones like linear music, constructivism, the the contrary that vocal melody, even as described, new factuality, polytonality, machine music, etc. yes, caricatured, in these terms, has always ex- These terms, which may perhaps properly apply in isted, especially in German music; and I further individual special instances, have all been brought maintain that this so-called atonal music, at least in under one hat to give today the illusory concept of so far as it has emanated from Vienna, has also in an “atonal” music, to which those who admit no this respect naturally adhered to the masterworks justification for this music cling with great persis- of German music and not — with all due respect tence, purposing in this single word to deny to the — to Italian bel-canto opera. Melody that is linked new music everything that, as we said, has hereto- with harmony rich in progressions, which is almost fore constituted music, and hence its right to exist the same thing as being bold, may naturally, so at all. long as one doesn’t understand the harmonic im- Int.: You take too black a view, Herr Berg! You might plications, seem “distorted” — which is no less have been entirely justified in that statement of the the case with a thoroughly chromatic style of writ- case of a while ago. But today people know that ing, and for which there are hundreds of examples atonal music for its own sake can be fascinating, in Wagner. But take rather a melody of Schubert, inevitably in some cases where there is true art! from the famous song Letzte Hoffnung. Is that dis- Our problem is only to show whether atonal mu- torted enough for you? sic may really be called musical in the same sense as all earlier music. That is, to show, as you have [Berg here gives further examples — from said, whether if only the harmonic foundation has Schubert: Wasserfluth, bars 11–12, Der changed, all the other elements of former music sturmische¨ Morgen, bars 4–8, 15–18; and are still present in the new. from Mozart, Don Juan in particular to show Berg: That I declare they are, and I could prove it to that even in the classics vocal melody may be you in every measure of a modern score. Prove constantly on the move, expressive in all reg- Alban Berg 2 What is Atonality? isters, “animated and yet capable of decla- in them melody in the truest sense of the word. mation — indeed, an ideal instrument.”] Int.: . and perhaps even find them beautiful. But you will also see by these examples from Berg: Quite right! But let us go on: This freedom the classics that it has nothing to do with atonal- of melodic construction is naturally accompanied ity if a melody, even in opera-music, departs from by freedom of rhythmic organization. Because the voluptuous tenderness of Italian cantilena — the rhythm of this music has undergone a loos- an element you will furthermore seek in vain in ening process — let us say through contraction, Bach, whose melodic potency nobody will deny.