Techniques of Opposition in the Choral Music of Anton

TECHNIQUES OF OPPOSITION IN

THE CHORAL MUSIC OF ANTON WEBERN

by

THOMAS FREDRICK PETROWITZ

B. Mus., University of British Columbia9 1966

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF MUSIC

in the Department

of

MUSIC

W© accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard*

THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

APRIL, 1971 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study.

I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission.

Department of ^/ 'J&t&ttf'

The University of British Columbia Vancouver 8, Canada

pate fipuy g$>t /*r?/ ... I understand the word 'Art' as meaning the faculty of presenting a thought in the clearest, simplest form, that is, the most "graspable" form ...

That is my view of art. And that is why I have never understood the meaning of 'Classical', 'Romantic1 and the rest, and I have never placed myself in opposition to the masters of the past but have always tried to do just like them: to say what it is given to me to say with the utmost clarity

Anton Webern

1 Anton Webern, Letters to Hildeqard Jone and Joseph Humplik. (Bryn Mawr: Theodore Presser Company, 1967), p. 36. ABSTRACT

The purpose of this.thesis is to investigate the compositional changes, similarities and innovations that occur in the choral music of Anton Webern. The study is significant in that the five pieces to be discussed cover the span of his creative life. Only the free atonal period which includes Op. 3 to Op. 17 has no representative choral music.

Each composition, or where applicable, each movement within that composition is studied in a similar manner:

1. Outward organization, form, compositional and pre-compositional devices, treatment of the twelve-note series (after Op. 19).

2. Text, treatment of words with regard to contour, natural inflection and rhythm.

3. Instruments and their role in the last four choral pieces.

From the study, the author concludes that the composi• tional techniques in Anton Webern1s choral music are based primarily on a continual metamorphosis and consolidation of five basic elements: form, text, melody, harmony and instrumentation. The classical model which is used as the basis for

Op. 2 is replaced in Op. 19 by a structure dependent on the length and divisions of the text. In the last three pieces, form is dependent on the possibilities and restrictions

inherent in the dodecaphonic technique.

Texts with regular meters and simple rhythms are

used in Op. 2 and Op. 19. After the Zwei Lieder Webern chooses blank verse poems and shifts his attentions to the

singling out of particular words and expands on their

inherent musical and timbral qualities.

The melodic contours which Webern perceived in the poem "Entflieht auf leichten. Kahnen..." are reflected in his musical lines. Vertical expansion by regular stages to vocal extremes occurs in the succeeding works returning, in the final movement of Op. 31 to the gentle contours and poetic considerations that were characteristic of Op. 2.

In the last four pieces melodic variation occurs as a result

of Webern's manipulation of a recurring four-note motive which is regarded as the composer's "signature phrase."

In Op. 2, Webern1s approach to harmony is based on

romantic models although most of the vertical structures of

this piece have multiple interpretations. As his command

over the twelve-tone technique becomes more refined, his vertical structures evolve from a random ordering of one

series to a homorhythmic realization of four series within the framework of one or more pitch canons.

-Webern uses instruments in his choral pieces to

provide continuity between the vocal sections and to intro•

duce, continue, or end a particular mood. Choral sections

are rarely accompanied and the composer prefers to use the.

instruments as voices in canon with the solo lines rather

than as accompaniments. Instruments are chosen usually for

their proximity to vocal timbre and for their percussive

qualities. The use of Klangfarbenmelodie or melody of timbres becomes increasingly evident throughout Webern's

compositional career.

In conclusion, it is seen that these five aspects,

combined in varying degrees, result in five compositions

that are unique in musical history, works that are at the

same time intricate, economic and transparent.' Finally, the

study is intended to provide the reader with some small

measure of understanding and approachability to the choral

music of Anton Webern.

April, 1971 Supervisor Chapter Page

Abstract ii

Introduction vi

I. Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen... Opus 2 1

II. Zwei Lieder, Opus 19 12

III. Das Augenlicht, Opus 26 27

IV. First Cantata, Opus 29 41

V. Second Cantata, Opus 31 66

Conclusion 94 .

Appendix 97

Bibliography 102 INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the compositional changes, similarities and innovations that occur in the choral works of Anton Webern.

The study is significant in that the five works to be discussed range from the tonal to the adoption of the

Schoenberg twelve-tone technique and beyond to the personal refinement found in the Second Cantata, his last published work.

Each choral composition, or where applicable each movement within that composition, is studied in a similar manner: firstly, the outward and physical organization such as form, compositional and pre-compositional devices and, after Op. 19, the treatment of the twelve- note series; secondly, the text and the treatment of the words with regard to contour, natural inflection and rhythm; finally, the instruments and their role in the last four choral works.

From the study, the author hopes to show that the choral techniques of Anton Webern are based on a continual metamorphosis; the phasing out of certain aspects in order to accentuate others. CHAPTER I

Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen ... Op. 2

Of his thirty-one compositions with Opus numbers,

only five of Anton Webern's works are for chorus.

Written between 1908 and 1943, these five pieces cover

the span of his creative life. Only the free atonal

period which includes Op. 3 to Op. 17 has no representative

choral music.

The Passacaqlia for Orchestra, Op. 1 (1908) and

Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen ... Op. 2 (1908) for a capella

mixed chorus"'- are the only compositions of his entire output

that have key signatures. Although they are quite different

in style from his later works, they do contain several

elements that become characteristic of his later style.

Op. 2 is a setting of the poem with the same title by

Stefan George. The piece falls into three sections

The indication in the score, Universal Editions No. 6643, is for a capella mixed chorus. There is, however, reference to an unpublished instrumental accompaniment to this work in Anton Webern: Perspectives, compiled by Hans Moldenhauer (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1966) p. 125.

^One of the "Mournful Dances" from his "The Year of the Soul," written in 1897, published in Stefan George Werke in Zwei Banden, (Munich: Helmut Kupper Vormals Georg Bondi, 1958, p. 161. (A-B-A'-Coda) and is canonic throughout. The first section is constructed so that each of its two canonic voices is doubled at either the third or sixth below.

The melodic material of the first canon is very chromatic in a closely knit construction with most of the motion by seconds, either major or minor. There is here also the first use of a four-note motive, a construction that becomes increasingly important in Webern's later writings.

Example 1

Op. 2 mm I Op. iqf*) mm if

>j ft J> 1 J J*-1 > 1$ * *J*-^ Xff 1 Of.Zb mm 8-9 Op. 31-* mm f7-28

At the centre of the first canon (measure five) there is the repeated interval of a minor sixth in the Soprano and

Alto (b^ and d')^ and a temporary reversal of melodic direction, hinting at the arch form that becomes an important compositional device of Webern's later works.

The temporary reversal idea becomes more significant when

it is noticed that the centre of the following canon

receives a similar treatment.

Example 2

Op. 2 mm 5" mm D k tj 'P P 'P 'F 9

The high points of the first canon, the e'', f'1 and f#''

in measures two, four and six respectively are structurally

placed so that they complement the arch form indicated

above.

The first canonic entry of the opening section is

the soprano which is paralleled by the alto at the third

below. The imitating voices, bass and tenor respectively,

follow at the distance of one measure, the tenor in the

same octave as the alto and the bass an octave below the

soprano. At the beginning of the third measure, however, the bass and tenor interchange parts so that the bass

follows the alto, and the tenor, the soprano. In

measures three also, the first four notes of the alto

line are altered so that they do not parallel the soprano.

A similar alteration occurs later in measures seven and

eight.

Example 3

Op Z mm 3 mm 7- 8 t r n T i

These alterations are structurally placed so that an

ambiguous tonality, resulting from a series of similar

harmonic intervals surrounds them. The first four

intervals between the soprano and alto have a changing

quality - minor, major, minor, major - from which one

may deduce a harmonic progression of I-IV-I in G major,

or V-I-V in C major. However, after these first four,

the quality of the succeeding intervals remains constant

for several consecutive notes so that the following pattern emerges - seven major thirds, altered section, four minor thirds, six minor sixths, two major thirds, four minor sixths, altered section. In traditional canonic writing it was the practise to compose melodic

lines so that they would fit together in an acceptable harmonic pattern, depending on the harmonic direction,

resolutions, degree dissonance permitted, etc. In the

present instance, by keeping this quality the same Webern

avoids establishing a tonal centre. Thus, although the work starts and ends in G major, the tonal centre remains

ambiguous throughout.

The second section of the work, measures nine through seventeen, is a four-part canon with the alto as the first voice. The soprano answers one-half bar later

at the fourth above. The bass enters in measure ten an

octave below the alto and the tenor, one half measure

after the bass, an octave below the soprano. The syncopated

figure at the beginning of the canonic theme occurs first

at measure eight in the soprano on the repeated word

entqelten. resulting in an interesting overlap and connection between the two sections.

Several compositional elements combine in this second

section in such a way that the result is an intensifying of

musical expression. Firstly, the canonic entries are now three beats apart instead of six, as is the case in the opening section. Secondly, there is a syncopated and tied figure over the strong beat which temporarily suspends the 6/8 meter that Webern was so careful to preserve in the "A" section. This new rhythmic ambiguity combines with a rapid melodic movement to produce a much more excited musical atmosphere. Thirdly, the rhythmic unifor• mity of the first part has been replaced by melodic simplicity and repetition. The melodic contour is presen• ted as a reversal of that of the previous section, rising abruptly in the soprano to a g'' in measure thirteen and tapering off gradually, but not chromatically this time, to a d'' in measure sixteen. Paralleling this melodic contour are the quickly increasing and slowly decreasing tempo indications in measures nine, eleven, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen.

The last beat of measure seventeen marks the return

of the "A" section. The return is exact for three measures after which there is an expansion by a sequential figure of thematic material drawn from the second and third measures of the first canon. After measure twenty- two, the rigid canonic writing dissolves into fragmentation but the mpdd prevails through the strict imitation of fragments. The shape of the melodic contour is the same as that of the opening section with the highest note of the piece, a'', occurring in the corresponding location, measure twenty-three. At the coda, which begins in measure twenty-five, the bass line divides, the lower part maintaining a pedal G while the upper continues in the familiar thirds and sixths with the tenor. The upper voices are treated in a manner similar to that of measures six and seven while the lower parts present a much diminuted version of the overall melodic contour of the "B" section.

Analytically, it is difficult to treat this chorus by any of the conventional methods of dealing with traditional harmony. Although there is a hint of G major

indicated by the key signature, by the opening intervals

of each section and by the pedal G and the strongly sub- dominant penultimate chord in the coda, the extreme chromati• cism created by the twisting canonic texture and the out-of phase quality created by the accented dissonances makes a meaningful analysis of the chords upon which the piece is

built an unrewarding task. Webern uses chromaticism to

dominate the diatonic structure to the point where most

of the chords have multiple interpretations. When the

non-harmonic tones occur in accented situations, ambiguity

of function becomes a prominent part of the music. Foundations of the tonal structure lie in the nineteenth century. At critical structural points the tonic and dominant play major roles. • The expansion of the sonorities through the superposition of additional thirds and the sound ideal of the chord of nature have tended to give most chords a dominant function in relation to the succeeding chord.4

The text for the work was written by Stefan George

(1863-1933).

... a German lyric poet who was chiefly responsible for the revival of German poetry at the turn of the nineteenth century. At one time he was associated with Mallarme and the Symbolists in Paris and the Pre-Raphaelites in London. His aim was to impose a new classicism on German poetry, avoiding impure rhymes and metrical irregularities. The formal perfectionism of his poems is accompanied by a coolness of tone, a self contained quality which at times seems to contradict the words. Vowels and consonants were arranged with precision to achieve an inner harmony and to show clearly his poetic ideals, a protest against the debasement of his language, materialism and naturalism. His collected works fill eighteen volumes and show his development from early doubts and self examination to an assurance of his mystical role as a seer in a new society based on the humanism first preached by the Greeks.^

4 Merrill K. Bradshaw, "Tonal Structure in the Early Works of Anton Webern" (unpublished Ph. D. thesis, University of Illinois, 1962), p. 45.

Hans Seigbert Reiss, "Stefan George" in Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1963, x, p. 193. was written in three, four-line verses and set by Webern in three parts: "A," nine measures; "B," nine measures and "A'11 plus Coda, eleven measures. The relationship of the text to the rhythm and melody of the music is not as pronounced in this instance as in Webern's later works.

Owing to the rapid movement of the middle section and to the composer's sense of proportion regarding this section, he is obliged to include (the first) two lines from the last verse in order to have enough words for his music.

Subsequently, to accommodate an almost exact return of the beginning section, he is further obliged to extend the text through the following repetitions:

Es sie die stille Trauer die diesen Fruhling Fulle es sie die stille Trauer die stille Trauer die stille Trauer die diesen Fruhling fulle diesen Fruhling diesen Fruhling fulle.6

This repetition is not altogether unreasonable, however, as George himself uses an echo effect at the end of his stanzas. Webern's treatment of one such echo is particularly effective in measures eight and nine. The beginning of the

The published version of these last two lines is: "Es sie die stille trauer Die diesen fruhling fulle." third stanza of the poem in measure thirteen, (Das

nicht ...) is also treated in a special manner, by a

ritard and a change of dynamics, and is followed by a

considerably slower tempo indication at the middle of

measure fourteen.

In this work, the words and the music seem in the

author's opinion, to enter into formal and emotional ties

as a result of Webern's bending of the text to suit his

phrases. As will be seen, this quality of emotional

attachment is noticeably lacking in his later choral

compositions. As the outline of and the approach to this

work are essentially Romantic, there are striking

similarities between the spoken and the musical rhythm.

Example 4

Op. 2 m rn 8- to 4l—+r— LIT E *r d «e - S^n "few- 0

/ LJ }i K J -k 1 T * * J » + 1 J\ =••=fc SeKt - die - s<»r» Taw-

George's poetry itself, with its formal perfection and

emphasis on the smoothly flowing line lends itself

admirably to the regular rhythms that Webern has chosen, especially in the outer sections. Important vowels and dipfchongs are given stress in placement and rhythm.

Example 5

Op. % mm iq t 21

The dynamic markings work in conjunction with the 6/8 meter and the canonic entries to produce gently surging emphases which complement the text. CHAPTER II

Zwei Lieder Op. 19

In his next choral work, Zwei Lieder, Op. 19

(1926), for mixed chorus with accompaniment of celesta, guitar, violin, clarinet and bass clarinet, Webern chose texts from Goethe's Chinesische Jahres und Taqeszeiten.

It was the third work to be written after his adoption of the Schoenberg technique of composing with twelve semitones which are related only to one-another. In his lecture series, The Path to Twelve-Note Composition,"1' Webern reflects on his own early experiments with the "system":

About 1911 I wrote the Bagatelles for String Quartet, Op..9, all very short pieces, lasting a couple of minutes - perhaps the shortest music so far. Here I had the feeling, 'When all twelve notes have gone by, the piece is over.' Much later I discovered that this was part of the necessary development. In my sketch• book I wrote out the chromatic scale and crossed off the individual notes. Why? Because I had convinced myself, 'This note has been there already.' It sounds grotesque, incomprehensible and it was incredibly difficult.. The inner ear had decided quite rightly that the man who crossed off the individual notes was no fool. In short, a rule of law emerged; until all twelve notes have occurred, none of them may occur

Anton Webern, The Path to the New Music. Willi Reich (ed.), (Bryn Mawr: Theodore Presser Company, 1963). again. The most important thing is that each 'run' of twelve notes marked the division within the piece, idea or theme.^ and later, in the same talk, he says:

My Goethe song. Gleich und Gleich (from Four Songs, Op. 12 (1917) ) begins as follows: G sharp - A - D sharp - G, then a four note chord, E - C - B flat - D, then F sharp - B - F -'C sharp. That makes twelve notes: none is repeated. At that time we were not conscious of the law, but had been sensing it for some time. One day Schoenberg intuitively discovered the law that underlies twelve- note composition. An inevitable development of this law was that one gave the succession of twelve notes a particular order.3

The Zwei Lieder marks the end of an eleven year period during which time Webern wrote vocal music exclusively. During this time there was a gradual formulation and development of his unique motivic style, a compositional aspect that will be noted in relation to the remaining choral works. The interior structure of these songs contains the most complex choral writing that

Webern was to produce. In the first song of the group, the thematic material is divided into two parts with the soprano being answered in a traditionally antiphonal manner by the alto, tenor and bass, inclusively. This

Ibid.-, p. 51

Ibid. antiphonal effect is maintained and heightened by the twelve-tone technique, within which the soprano shares one row-form with the first group of instruments, the guitar and celesta, while the other instruments and the three remaining voices have another form of the series.

The violin, clarinet and bass-clarinet parts are in different rhythms from the voice parts and invariably, this echoing occurs just after the vocal sound, thereby merely adding another color or dimension to the sound rather than aiding the chorus in maintaining the correct pitch. When the chorus enters in measures six and seven, the soprano, guitar and celesta have the "0" form while the other three voices have the eighth transposition^ of the Retrograde-inversion. This is the first twelve-tone work in which Webern uses any row transpositions. The ones exclusively employed in this case are a tritone from the basic set, that is, in this instance, the eighth transposition of any given row form. In this piece there are no directly overlapping rows in which the twelfth note of one series becomes the first note of the next, thereby setting up a predetermined series of row forms. Although in one instance in the second song, measure three, there

4 See Appendix number one for illustration of transposition numbering. is a repeated 'g' which marks the end of one row and the beginning of the next, the author does not feel this constitutes overlapping. The predetermination of row forms that is employed and expanded upon in the succeeding choral pieces depends on a single sound for its dual func• tion.

The last chord of the first song in the present work contains all twelve tones and is the only instance in which Webern uses this largest possible tone cluster in connection with his choral music.

Structurally, the first song of Op. 19 follows no pre-existing form. The only limiting factors are the poem., which is used without the repetitions that mark

Webern's first attempt at a choral setting, and the use of only eight forms of the row, Original - one and eight,

Inversion - one and eight, Retrograde - one and eight and

Retrograde-inversion - one and eight. There is no predetermined sequence apparent in the implementation of these eight row-forms. The entire song is based on the four-note soprano motive in measures six and seven.

Example 6 !"•" "'1 \ Op. W «•*»»

Ej ^ T •» J. 13h y^ i In this, his third serial composition, Webern is extremely careful to maintain the exact sequence of notes determined by the set. The only liberty he allows himself is the multiple repetition of one note before moving to the next, a characteristic which, handled as it is in the present instance, results in a very jagged and static style which is admirably suited to the mood of the poem.

Rhythmically, the first song is highly complex; the use of multiple figures simultaneously results in a very thick texture. Basically, this complex rhythm is divided into two groups, corresponding to the two instrumental groupings.

Example 7

I-

= 1 jo/ LV£/ ^*

The fact that the next song of Op. 19 has only one rhythmic figure occurring at any given time will be of great significance in his future style of writing.

In the second song there is no antiphonal writing and the entire ensemble shares the same row-form. The instrumental lines still contain many repeated notes, continuing the jagged mood introduced in the first song.

Structurally, this song, like the first one, follows no pre-existing form. The basis is, again, a continuation of the variations on the four-note motive. There is a considerably greater expansion of that motive, however, in this second song. As in the first song Webern chooses to use only the eight forms of the series indicated above.

And once more, there is no apparent predetermined order in which these row forms are used, although each time a new entry of the row appears, the time distance to its completion is smaller.

The poems for the Zwei Lieder were written, as previously mentioned, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-

1832).

His greatness lies mainly in his subjective approach to life and, as a result, very little of his work sprang from what might be termed artistic or objective impulse. It is as a lyric poet that his supremacy cannot be challenged. From a philosophical standpoint, Goethe stood apart from the 'Sturm und Drang' which so deeply involved his compatriot Schiller and the other Romanticists. Goethe's many sided activity is a tribute to his mind and personality; we may see in him merely the embodiment of his particular age, or we may regard him as a poet 'for all time', but with one opinion all who have felt the power of Goethe's influence are in agreement ... Of all men of genius, Goethe is the most universal.5

John G. Robertson, "Johann Wolfgang von Goethe" in Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1963, X, p. 464. The first poem, Weiss wie Lilien ... (White, like

Lilies ...), is written in trochaic tetrameter with no

irregular lines. The text, then, fits perfectly Webern's

choice of a four note motive: one complete line of poetry

for every two motivic statements. As in the middle section

-of Op. 2, Webern's fondness for temporarily suspending the

motion by the use of the syncopated-tied note figure again

comes to the fore, on the words "Sternen," "leuchtet,"

"rotgesaumt" and "Mogen" in measures nine to ten, eleven,

thirteen and twenty-two to twenty-three respectively.

Example 8

Ster - ner> \euch - +e+ saumt

In another instance, on the word "fruhzeitige," the rhythm

is changed from the normal trochaic pattern to accommodate

the triplet figure on the last three syllables.

Example 9

IT

-froh Otherwise, the rhythm for a given melodic motive follows

the spoken word and, in the author's opinion, is much

closer to the actual speaking rhythm than a setting of the

same poem by a romantic composer might have been.

The instruments are used here exclusively for their

coloristic contribution and to assist in dividing the poem

into its respective sections. As the work is serial and the instruments have integral and separate parts of the

series, their use as a doubling for the voice is impossible

Independent as they are, the instruments do not yet follow the Klangfarbenmelodie principle as they do in succeeding choral works. However, the figure at measure twenty-eight has, in the author's opinion, timbral associations with the tenor and soprano parts in measures twenty-seven and twenty eight.

Example 10 Op«<» mm *1- 22 f p*jnij "In. r

t>r- while in measure six, the same instruments merely

heighten the pointillistic effect of the soprano line

through register extension.

Example 11

Op. <9 fslo. I mm 6

The second song is by far the most approachable of

the two from an analytical standpoint. As mentioned, the

row forms used in this song are the same as those of the

previous one. However, they are used one at a time in this song, the result being a far simpler structure. The

poem for the second song is not written in a rigid trochaic tetrameter in that the second and last lines of each stanza do not end with a weak accent. This catalectic treatment

of the four lines by Goethe receives further special treat• ment by the composer. The first truncation (measure ten in the score) on the word "Grun" is separated from the remainder of the music by sixteenth rests (see example twelve). The voicing and instrumentation at this point has been said to be descriptive in the sense of chromosthesia,6 (i.e., the sound actually approximates the color green). The next example of catalexis occurs as mentioned, at the end of the fourth line of the text on the word "erbluhn," the "bluhn" syllable being separated from the preceeding music by sixteenth rests.

Example 12

Op. 19 min 10 mm H

• A *4 K in (ty* »J*— * tJL^ Grtin

-/V t—7-p TT-S—

f^- * 'ft 1 * y * Grur»

Wallace C. McKenzie, "The Music of Anton Webern," (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, North Texas State College, I960), p.393. The third metrical irregularity, at the end of the sixth

line of the text shows the "glance" as being in different

directions by the intervals used: falling minor sixth,

ascending augmented fourth, falling perfect fourth and

ascending major seventh.

Example 13

Op. (9 rrtn* »0 - l

eiicic

"Biict- 3 pi L_. Bltek-

The final word of the poem, "Gluck," like "Grun" is afforded special treatment by separating it from the rest of the music. Op I9, mm S|

In all other instances the rhythm of the music follows closely the natural rhythm of the words. This author concludes from hearing the poetry recited, that Webern is particularly aware of the longer vowel sounds and the fast flowing words in choosing his rhythmic figures. As in the first song, use is made of the syncopated-tied figures which are particularly noticeable at the points of metrical catalexis outlined above.

Example 15

OP. 19 rr»*n 10- %Q The result is a hastening toward the final strong beat of the poetic line which, in the music, is a rest with the irregular metered word occurring on a weak part of the measure. The overall effect is one of breathlessness and expectation, a mood which is musically very close to the mood of the poem (mist-like glance, wish fulfilment).

The instruments have much more interdependent parts in this song than in the previous one because of the use of only one row-form at a time. As in the first song, their use, with a very few exceptions, is one of supplying an added color dimension to the music or approximating a vocal timbre. One particularly evident example of the latter is at measure ten, accompanying the word "Grun" which has already been mentioned. Another is at the end of the song, at measures twenty-one and twenty-two where the particular notes, instrumentation and time values chosen echo the vocal sound of the soprano's "Gluck."

Example 16 The echo effect which Webern used in the first song is more prevalent in the second and is especially noticable at the entry of the chorus in measures six and seven.

Example. 17

Op. 13 "Mo. X r».rtit-1

Jiehn dtt Scha- fr \fo/\6ef

*Tff-y 7—bf2Tx

Sfip

Pointillism and register extremes are again much in evi•

dence with the direction of the instrumental accompaniment

determined mainly by the soprano voice.

There is no apparent use of predetermined composi• tional devices in Op. 19 as were prevalent in the first choral work, namely the extensive use of canon and a closed ternary form. The romantic melodic contours of Op. 2 has been replaced by a jagged line which is, in the author's opinion, much more sympathetic to the natural inflection of the spoken words, even though this inflection is obviously distorted at times.

Example 18

Op. 19 *r»m W, M-lfc OpZ mm *l

Ra - ra - die -s* i«trt-H»y-fr Traw This vocal line is comprised mostly of seconds, their inversions and transpositions. The text is followed word for word with no repetitions necessary, as was the case in

Op. 2 for the sake of the formal construction. Webern develops further in this direction in the following work,

Das Augenlicht, where he strives for an even closer association between the spoken word and the music. CHAPTER III

Das Auqenlicht Op. 26

Among the few really successful performances of

Anton Webern's music during his lifetime was that of

Das Auqenlicht by the British Broadcasting Corporation chorus and orchestra in London on June 17, 1938.

Das Auqenlicht is a single movement piece written in a motet style: that is, with the idea of separating imitative polyphonic sections with chordal sections. By

1935, Webern had mastered the Schoenberg twelve-tone technique and had begun to experiment with other composi• tional restrictions inherent in that system. In this work we see for the first time in his choral music, a predetermination of tone-row transpositions effected by allowing the last note of one series to become the first note of the next, reducing the possible choices to four from the usual forty-eight.^ Webern's affinity for the compositional techniques of the Netherland's School, such

He was to impose even further restrictions on the choice of transposition in his succeeding choral compositions. as the strict use of canon and the closed form, returns in

Op. 26 after being noticeably lacking in the preceding

Zwei Lieder. His use of canonic technique is even more extensive and restrictive in Das Auqenlicht than in Op. 2 because of the close association between the canon and the polyphonic application of the row transpositions.

Formally, Das Auqenlicht alternates between poly• phonic - instrumental and chordal sections, in the following sequence: instrumental

to polyphonic

T J chordal | polyphonic chordal : | instrumental

polyphonic

so polyphonic

to | instrumental

j chordal j instrumental

polyphonic 90 £ instrumental chordal ^polyphonic 'chordal instrumental

/Co polyphonic

chordal structure of Das Auqenlicht in a letter to the author of the text, Hildegard Jone.

When you asked about the .'.Augenlicht' the other day when we were looking at your paintings, the only thing that I could answer momentarily was that it was difficult to say anything about it. But actually, how I would have liked to tell you a great deal about it. After all, it was an especial joy for me to see you again in the full consciousness of having completed the work! Then we were distracted. And so, to fill the gap until we meet again, I would like to say a few things in this medium, above all, something that I would dearly like to have expressed long ago and particu• larly at the time when you asked me: namely, how much your words meant to me once more! 'O Meer des Blickes mit der Tranenbrandburg!' ('Oh the ocean of a glance with its surf of tears!')

(it lies just at the middle of the piece and constitutes at the same time its dynamic climax.) What a thought! And then in continuation (musically, the largest contrast follows directly) you awaken an image that can only be the quintessence of all loveliness; all kindness:

'Die tropfen, welche sie verspruht auf Wimpernhalme, von Herzen, und der sonne werden sie beschienen' ('The drops it sprays on the blades of an eyelash are drenched in the light of the sun and of the heart'),

and thus the.mode or representation that I can only regard as the highest is provided: the tears, a drop of water, 'shone on by the heart and by the sun'; and 2 what makes them flow? The answer is no longer necessary.

The formal organization, then, from Webern's own description and from the preceding- example, is that of an

Anton Webern, Letters to Hildegard Jone and Joseph Humplik. (Bryn Mawr: Theodore Presser Company, 1967), p. 31. arch. The beginning of that arch is that measure twenty, the climax, as indicated by Webern, at measures sixty- four to sixty-nine, and the conclusion at measure ninety- three. It must be noted at this point that the arch is the result of the physical placement of the alternating sections, which in turn are ultimately dependent on the length of the poetic line. In comparing the preceding: . graph with the poem, we find that for each change in mode of expression, polyphonic or chordal, there is a new line of poetry.

The texture of Das Auqenlicht is very much more transparent than that of the Zwei Lieder and is reminiscent of that in his first choral work, Entflieht auf leichten

KMhnen ... The vocal lines are comprised mostly of quarter and half notes, making them substantially easier to perform than those of Op. 19, in spite of the fact that they contain an abundance of vocally difficult intervals: major and minor sevenths and ninths. The canonic writing also is simpler in that the entries are never closer than one- half beat to each other. In one instance they are as distant as three measures from each other. Op- £6 71- T?

ASopto< \——»»J TJJ

T-7 1 ? ' 5—1—| —i i

I—*~i—* r —

r j 1 • V -J 1 > ft. ^ >f V — > T 1 - J — —* y -

The chordal sections in this work are completely different

from anything found in Webern's previous choral works and

occur often in the remaining compositions to be discussed

in this paper. For the most part these homorhythmic

sections are comprised of three transpositions of the

Retrograde form and one of the Retrograde-inversion. The

Q

two exceptions occur at the beginning of the arch° where

two statements of the Original are combined with two of

See Example 19. the Retrograde-inversion, and at the apex where two trans• positions of the Retrograde, one of the Retrograde- inversion and one of the Inversion are used. The use of four forms of the basic set in a simultaneous situation results in a choral sound of extraordinary beauty, while remaining within the bounds of the strict formal controls that are so characteristic of Webern's writings. The vocal lines follow the chosen row-forms exactly and employ all transpositions, as opposed to Op. 19 where a single transposition is used.

Webern began to use the poetry of Hildegard Jone exclusively after the two met in 1926.

In 1926 Webern made the acquaintance of the poetess and painter Hildegard Jone and her husband the sculptor Joseph Humplik. Matter and form of the poems evoked an immediate and lasting response in Webern; and he was soon aware of a deep reciprocal understanding of his own work on the part of the couple. And their attitudes to art and the world, their human qualities and conduct of life were so congenial to Webern that the acquaintance soon ripened into fast friendship - into mutual under• standing to the ultimate degree.4

Very little is known about Hildegard Jone's life and works except in connection with the later vocal music of Anton

Webern. From her poetry that is available we can ascertain that the strongest spiritual bond between her and the

Josef Polnauer, in preface to Letters to Hildegard Jone and Joseph Humplik. (Bryn Mawr: Theodore Presser Company, 1967), p. 7. composer was in their mutual love of nature and its expressionistic connection to the "reality behind the present.Webern followed her poetry with a great deal of care and precision in his music, taking no liberties such as the repetition in Op. 2. In Das Auqenlicht, the form of the music stems from the poem itself• with each line beginning with an upper case letter marking the commencement of a new section. The bogen starts at the second complete section and ends with the penultimate.

Individual words are given a melodic contour that is very close to the natural spoken inflection.

Example 21

Op 2(p mm 76-80 , f x 3 3

Merrill K. Bradshaw, "Tonal Structure in the Early Works of Anton Webern" (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Illinois, 1962), p. 105. The musical rhythm is also closer to the natural spoken rhythm than in the previous choral writings.

The instrumental accompaniment in Das Augenlicht is more directly associated with the choral part than that

of either of his previous choral pieces. Although Webern never relies on the technique of Klanqfarbenmelodie or melody of timbres in his choral music as he did in his

later, purely instrumental works, there is some hint of this compositional device in Das Augenlicht. especially at the opening where there are many timbral contributions to

the melodic line.

Example 22

Op. I- €

Pk. mm 0b. *l

Mr, >»-»• pi

By 1935, Webern had become familiar with the Schoenbergian technique of Sprechstimme in which the vocal part is actually spoken on an indicated pitch. Although he never used this technique as such in his vocal writings, it is apparent that his intentions were in this direction as he keeps as close as possible to the inflection and rhythm of the spoken word when setting this text to music. For the most part, the instruments are employed in Op. 26 much in the same manner as in the previous Zwei Lieder. except that the instrumental texture in the present instance is much more transparent. The familiar technique of echoing the vocal line by specific timbres in octave transposition appears in all of the polyphonic sections of Op. 26.

Example 23

Op. 36 *nrr\ 37-3 9

9 > ITT 3

4^- 3

Also the technique of using instruments to approximate a particular vocal inflection is employed again, notably in measure eighty-one on the word "niedersenkt" Op.Zb mm Bl

4-

•—A l_l *

7&

vie. ,

and with the solo cymbal on the last word of the song,"gut."

Example 25 Op. 2fe r»m 113

"3-

Out

tot

m

totter), The chordal sections of the work are all a capella with the exception of the one that occurs at the apex of the arch, where instruments are used to augment and intensify the dramatic and structural importance.

The purely instrumental sections, of which there are six, are to prepare the level of excitement that is to follow in the choral parts, such as the chordal section from measures sixty-four to sixty-nine which is preceded in measure sixty-one by an instrumental section of a high level of excitement and followed in measure seventy-two by a much shorter one of calm.

Example 26

The accompaniment used by Webern in Das Augenlicht is much more "traditional" than the one found in Op. 19.

The only instrument that could be considered unusual in the present instance is the mandolin. Webern was very fond of the percussive qualities of all instruments and his orchestrations show these qualities as well as his wide use of tunable and non-tunable percussion instruments. In

Op. 26, the tympani, glockenspiel, xylophone, cymbal, celesta and harp are used in various combinations and registers indicating Webern's unfailing interest in tone colors.

Example 27

10'

mit Uamp/br

Jtrn 1 l^ J ' = mit Uampfor rr". l ^ i= —^— r T~~C-~ 1 A, iff 0

'mit Samp fer It can be concluded that Webern has an acute awareness of the musical associations already in the poetry of Hildegard Jone - in the natural inflection and rhythm of the words - and in the sounds of the words themselves - which continue for the composer to evoke instrumental timbre associations. In the melody, accompaniment and form, the composer has catered entirely to the text. CHAPTER IV

First Cantata Op. 29

There is considerably more information available concerning the various aspects of Webern1 s last two choral works, the Cantatas Op. 29 and Op. 31, than for those pieces previously discussed in this paper. These later works are mentioned many times in Webern's published letters to Hildegard Jone and Joseph Humplik-1- and in the volume of die Reihe which is devoted entirely to his life o and works. The most notable feature of these documents is the recurring mention of the close personal philosophies of Jone and Webern which resulted in the remarkable affinity between the text and the music.

First mention of the conception of the Cantata

Op. 29 is found in one of the letters from Webern to Jone, Now listen to this: I am composing 'Kleiner Fluger Ahornsamen schwebst im Winde . . . ' ('Little winged seed of maple, born by breezes ...'). It is to be the key to a sizable symphonic cycle for solo,

Anton Webern, Letters to Hildegard Jone and Joseph Humplik. (Bryn Mawr: Theodore Presser Company, 1967.)

die Reihe (ed.) Herbert Eimert and Karlheinz Stockhausen. (Bryn Mawr: Theodore Presser Company, 1958), vol. II. orchestra and chorus, in which more of your texts are to appear. A sort of symphony with vocal sections.3

However, he apparently changed his mind about the symphonic aspects to concentrate on the exclusively vocal (with instrumental accompaniment) cycle of- three movements.^

News of the final completion of the work in early 1940 is contained in the following letter from the same collection,

The score of my Cantata, that is, the part that I worked on last, is now finalized and finished once and for all. How I would love to show it to you. How your wonderful words, dear Hildegard, have become musical; 'Charis die Gabe des Hochsten: die Anmut der Gnade erglanzet' (Charity, the gift of the highest; the grace of mercy shines forth'), or the preceding passage 'und auch die blasserem Bilder zum Siegel des Specktrums geschmolzen' ('and pale images too, melted into the seal of the spectrum') ... I have now had to put this piece at the end of the Cantata after all. Musically it had to be at the ending. It was so in the plan and it has turned out exactly so. Musically there is not a single centre of gravity in the piece. The harmonic construction (resultant of the individual voices) is such that everything is floating.^

Concerning the structure of the Cantata, there is no first• hand information, with the exception of the letter to Jone concerning the final movement.

Anton Webern, Letters ... , p. 36.

4 • There are no exclusively instrumental movements in the published edition, Universal Editions No. 12197.

5 Anton Webern, Letters ... , p. 40. Now I wish to tell you that the 'Chariten' are finished! The piece was a lot of work. In construction, it is a four part fugue: but to regain all the freedom of mobility within this strictness - so that there can be no question of forcing - was no easy task. So in fact it turned into something quite different, a scherzo form that came about on the basis of variations. But still a fugue! Now I am preparing the score. That will take some time - I have to obtain a sound more manifold, perhaps, than anything I have imagined hitherto. That done, the Cantata will be complete. I think the 'Chariten' will have to be the first ^ piece for musical reasons but also for textual ones. Aren't the 'little wings' and 'Lightening and thunder' answering the questions posed in the 'Chariten' verses, dear Hildegard? Aren't they saying what is implied by the latter, by the sound, the 'word', the 'seal of the spectrum'? Of course the 'Chariten' are composed on the basis of the same sequence of twelve notes as the other two pieces, the series which, as I have already told you, has the peculiarity that the second set of six notes, is., in..its intervals, the backwards inversion of the first set, so that everything that occurs can be traced back to the sequence of six notes. Ever the same: whether it's the 'blissful strings', the 'charm of mercy', the 'little wings', the 'lightening of life', or the 'thunder of the heartbeat'. Surely it is evident from this how well the music and the text can be built into the same sequence. And musically, it is just the same. And yet, each time something quite different!'

Whereas the basis for the structure of the preceding work,

Das Auqenlicht, is found in the text, in Op. 29 the structure is based on the unique overlap and combination

Evidently Webern's plan of having the "Chariten" verse at the beginning of the work must have undergone a further revision as the published order of verses remained the same as that indicated in the first letter to Hildegard Jone regarding the completion of the work.

Anton Webern, Letters ... , p. 39 qualities of the twelve-note series. As Webern mentions in the preceding letter, the second half of the series used in Op. 29 is an exact retrograde-inversion of the first half, the result being that a certain transposition of the Original form has an identical counterpart in the

Retrograde-inversion form.

See Example 29. Op. 29

I. Kantate

SERIAL ANALYSIS ROW-FORM CHART

(I) 6 7 9 10 11 12

D# B D C# F E G F# Bb A C Ab

Eb G F# F A Ab B Bb D C# E C

3 E' C D# D F# F GP G B Bb C# A.

F C# E Eb G Gb A Ab C B D Bb h

F# 5 C# A C B D# D F E G# G Bb

Eb Ab 6 D Bb C# C E F# F A B G (0) (R) B G Bb A C# C D# D p# F G# E 7

Eb 8 C G# B Bb D c# E G F# A F

Eb G# E G F# Bb A C B D F C#

10 A F G# G B Bb C# C E Eb F# D 10

11 F# D F E G# G Bb A C# C Eb B 11

12 12 Bb F# A G# C B D C# F E G Eb

10 11 12 (RI Identical series also occur between the corresponding transpositions of the Inversion and Retrograde forms.

The choice of row-form to be used at a given time is even more limited in the first Cantata than it was in

Das Augenlicht. In Op. 26, a tone-row series is effected by allowing the last note of one transposition to become the first note of the succeeding one. Because of the nature of twelve-tone music, this results in a choice of four transpositions for use, one in each of the row forms. In the Cantata Op. 29, this serialization of rows results from allowing the last two notes of one transposi• tion to become the first two of the next. Further, because of the interval arrangement of the basic set, the particular row form used at the beginning of each movement can not be changed without destroying the principle of pre-determining the order of tone-rows. In other words, 9

Original must lead to Original, Inversion to Inversion.

Finally, the intervals between the transpositions are such that a cycle of four tone-rows emerges, with a particular transposition of a given row-form belonging to only one cycle.

^Only the Original and Inversion forms of the series are mentioned in this paper because of their duplication by the Retrograde-inversion and Retrograde forms respectively. Op. 29 Example 29 I. Kantate

SERIAL ANALYSIS ROW-FORM CHART

(I) 3 h 5 6 7 8 10 11 12

D# B D C# F E G F# Bb A C Ab

Ab Bb G Eb F# F A B D C# E C

3 E C D# D F# F G# G B Bb c# A 3

Eb A Bb It F C# E G Gb A b C B D . It

b 5 C# A C B D# D ' F E G# G B F# 5

6 i- D Bb C# C E Eb F# F A Ab B G D o) (R) B G Bb A C# C D# D F# F G# E 7

C G# B Bb D C# E Eb G F# A F 8

b G# E G F# B A C B Eb D F C#

Bb Eb 10 A F G# G B C# C E F# D 10

b Bb 11 F# D F E G# G A C# C E B 11

# Eb 12 Bb F | A G# C B D C# F E G 12

1 2 3 H 5 6 7 10 11 12 (RI) In the preceding example only one cycle is illustrated, showing that the first transposition of the Inversion leads to the eighth, which leads to the tenth, and then to the eleventh which leads back to the first. Further cycles can be seen in the second, third, fifth and twelfth transpositions and in the fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth transpositions. These cycles also occur between the same transpositions of the Original form, giving a total of six cycles or row-series that can be used.

Another peculiar feature of the present row, besides its mirror image characteristic outlined above, is that it contains no melodic intervals other than the minor second, minor third and major third. The row may further be divided into four segments, each containing all of the three intervals mentioned above. The perfect fifth which occurs between tone twelve and tone one of any given transposition is never used as a melodic entity because of the cyclic principle mentioned above.

The First Cantata consists of three contrasting movements which are connected textually as Webern suggests, rather than formally, melodically or rhythmically. The text discusses various phenomena of nature: in the first movement, thunder and lightning"^; in the second the

Zunden (measure fourteen) and Donner (measure twenty-six). reproductive cycle of the maple tree and in the third, the metamorphosis of the Graces. In explaining what she meant be "Graces," the poetess says

... above all, it means infinitely more than something not quite reconcilable with complete seriousness. For grace itself can be all that is purest and deepest in the seriousness of life, not only the breath of beauty in what is well and whole, but also in the healing of . the wound, and the cheerful acceptance of the wound that cannot be healed. But the music ... is no other than the sparkle of the grace of Grace ...ii

Structurally, the opening movement of the First

Cantata is modelled after Das Augenlicht with the instrumental and choral sections alternating in the follow• ing manner:

Hildegard Jone, "A Cantata" in die Reihe, (ed.) Herbert Eimert and Karlheinz Stockhausen. (Bryn Mawr: Theodore Presser Company, 1958). vol. II, p. 1. Example 30

•f-

instrumental

I choral 5 instrumental | choral

j instrumental

choral

9 _

instrumental

In the preceding'-example it can be noticed that the

sections (with the exception of the two-measure instru•

mental part at measures thirty and thirty-one) become

progressively shorter toward the central instrumental

section, measures twenty-three to twenty-five where, in

a mirror fashion derived from the construction principle

of the basic set, they become longer toward the end. Further structural similarities can be seen between the

homorhythmic sections of Das Augenlicht and the vocal part

of the entire first movement of this First Cantata

Example 31

Op.2(o mm tO-2i Op ^? No.l rwm 70- Zi

' »

I'll

7 t.j J 3^

In both compositions the voicing of the four simultaneous

transpositions results in a harmony that has now become a

favourite choral device of Anton Webern. In the Cantata.

however, the choice of row form is such that at any given

time there are only six possible four-note structures. Op *q Mo. I mm 14- zt,

5et»r«n» oio A f Ah G 8 BbC*C f £k F* 0 P P 6*G Bk * C*

Chord* A «4CDC»T©ePDP C C At" i l i I i I i 1

Because the instrumental sections alternate with the vocal and use the same tone rows, this restrictive chord choice carries over to their part as well although in the former there is often a one-beat difference in the time of entry.

Referring back to example thirty-two, it is noticed that the reversal process derived from the construction princi• ple of the basic set occurs also in the chord selection,

A-B-A, C-D-C, E-B-E and F-D-F. This reversal is extended to six successive chords in measure thirty-two.

Example 33

Op. 29 Ale. I mm 32-^4

' Soprano Bb p C** IT P* a

/Alt© G E*> IT C* 0 Bb Tenor Ah C B 0 C* F B«<$ p p B C

cwonrfs c F tr tr r c i . i The one-beat difference in time of entry mentioned above also occurs in the vocal parts. In measures sixteen, seventeen, twenty-seven, twenty-eight and thirty-two the tenor and bass sound one beat after the soprano and alto.

This characteristic of homophonically arranging the upper two and the lower two voices is a prominent feature of the

"A" sections of the first choral piece, Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen ...

The instrumental introduction and postlude to the first movement contain homophonic, canonic and combined homophonic-canonic sections using six notes from four tone- row-series that are selected to yield the six vertical structures mentioned above. (See also example nineteen).

Although there are fifteen different instrumental timbres indicated in the score, Webern never uses more than six of these at any one time, resulting in an extremely varied and transparent texture. With the exception of the instrumental doubling of the voice parts in measure eighteen which heightens the explosive effect of, and adds another coloristic dimension to the word "schlug," the choral parts are a capella. As in Das Augenlicht, the instruments are use in Op. 29 as an inherent part of the form and for the addition of the color-dimension, either previewing or continuing the effect of a word-sound, or introducing a particular level of tension and excitement. Example 34

©>*

4

1 m =5*

Because of its flowing and lyrical. nature, the second movement serves as a great contrast to the first.

The text is presented by the voice in quite regular phrases of either ten or twelve syllables. In the former instances, the tone-rows are serialized by a two-note overlap; in the latter, no overlap occurs. The form is similar to that of the first movement and may be outlined as follows:

Example 35

instrumental

solo soprano instruments

^instrumental

solo soprano Si- instruments

^instrumental

solo soprano instruments

"I instrumental In this movement the mirror form which again is derived from the construction principle of the basic set, is much more symmetrical than that of the first movement.

Melodically, the entire movement is based on a now-familiar four note motive found in measures six and seven, which appears in transposed, inverted, retrograde, and vertically expanded and contracted forms, much in keeping with the text. One might imagine seeing a myriad of maple leaves, each basically the same, but seen "in different lights, showing different colors and from 12 different angles showing different shapes."

The treatment of the text in regard to the natural spoken rhythm is not as exact as one might expect from the increasing attention paid to this compositional aspect in Op. 2, Op. 19, and Op. 26. Although the rhythm approximates the natural spoken rhythm in the second movement of the Cantata - with the longer notes occurring on the appropriate dipthongs, and rests occurring at the end of the spoken phrase - the vocal line appears to be

12 Wallace C. McKenzie, "The Music of Anton Webern" (unpublished Ph. D. thesis, North Texas State College, I960), p. 438. dictated by the metamorphosis of the four-note motive

rather than by the natural inflection of the words.

Example 36

Op^R No, St. mm U-H Waim^Ti 1*11 IT hi Klei - ner Flii <*H A - how- i& - men «eWbd* iw Vlin-de1 WvJW deck MI d

1 ' • - ' -

The instrumental accompaniment to the central

movement of the First Cantata is constructed from four

simultaneous statements (but not homorhythmic) statements

of the series with the emphasis on the horizontal rather

than the vertical aspects of realization. The instru•

mental introduction presents three different compositional

ideas: a two note motive (labelled "a"), a four note

motive identical in structure with that of the vocal line

(labelled "b") and a three note chord (labelled "c"),

constructed by a perfect fourth and an augmented fourth.

Example 37 As in the first movement the choice of transposition is

such that at any time the same numbered note in three

transpositions occurs simultaneously, the same chordal

structure results. The instrumental portion of this

movement is not canonic in the traditional sense, in that the three compositional aspects that serve as the basis

are employed in a different order by each of the four

lines. When the voice enters in measure six it proceeds throughout the movement with its own row-forms, and is

neither connected to nor shares a row with the instruments

as did the polyphonic sections of Op. 26 and the second

song of Op. 19. The technique of instrumentation, however,

is the same as mentioned above, that is, to both increase

the vertical dimension of the piece and to add another

color. For the first time in the works discussed in this

paper there is a specific use of Klanqfarbenmelodie in the

passing of the tone-row (which follows the spoken phrase)

throughout the various instruments, so that a single

instrument rarely has more than one or two notes of that

phrase. ample 38 The final movement of the First Cantata marks

Webern's return to the more familiar canonic idiom which

serves as a basis for his earlier choral works. In this movement, however, the canonic treatment is again unique.

As Webern's tone-rows become synonymous with melodic lines he relies less and less on the traditional interpretation

of the term. In Op. 2 the canonic writing is traditional

in every sense. In Op. 19 the rhythmic and melodic

similarities between the voices are still not inter•

dependent with the tone-row. In Op. 26, however, the

canonic writing is such that the same numbered tones of

each row-statement have the same time value. In the

present work, especially in the second movement, the canon

is not traditional in that each of the four lines have

their own rhythmic pattern. In the author's opinion,

however, it may be called a pitch-canon because of the

inherent similar qualities of the four horizontally treated

row-forms. This use of pitch-canon is exploited and

refined in the succeeding composition.

13 From this point in his choral works, Webern was to employ two types of canonic writing, the traditional and a type that depended only on the notes of the twelve-tone row for its realization. This latter type is referred to as a pitch canon. The structure of the third movement of the present work is similar to that of the other two and may be outlined as follows:

Example 39

choral & instrumental

instrumental

en choral & 'instrumental *"3

instrumental

choral & instrumental

•a.

instrumental and choral-instrumental sections, the random length does

not define a mirror form as is the case in the previous

two movements. Concerning t.he structure of this movement

and the fitting together of the text and the music,

Hildegard Jone makes the following observations:

Webern wished to have no centre of gravity in this piece. The harmonic structure leaves everything in a state of suspense. 'She comes in darkness'; a darkness made deeper by the music; this gift indeed must come from above and be shining bright to be sensed as a gift at all. 'In darkness, the ripening heart's gift' can only do good with love full of grace. Yes, love is the 'dew of perfection' (der Tau der Vollenung ).

As mentioned, Webern himself described the movement

as a four voice fugue within which are contained certain 15

qualities of a scherzo and variations.

Melodically, the final movement of the Cantata is

again different from anything found in Webern's previous

choral music. The first of the choral sections is a two

voice canon at the time distance of five quarter notes.

The two voices, however, are passed among all four choral

lines. There are three statements of the Original form

of the row used in each of the canonic voices and these

are interconnected by the now-familiar technique of tone-

Hildegard Jone, "A Cantata" in die Reihe, (ed.) Herbert Eimert and Karlheinz Stockhausen. (Bryn Mawr: Theodore Presser Company, 1958), vol. II, p. 7.

Anton Webern, Letters ... , p. 39. row serialization. The second choral section, beginning at measure thirty-nine again starts out as. a two voice canon, only this time the entries are an eighth note apart and both the Original and Inversion forms are used.

In measure forty-nine the canon expands to four voices but continues to employ the same row-forms and time interval.

The third choral part begins as a soprano solo in measure fifty-seven. This leads to a four voice canon in measure

sixty-four that is patterned after the one in measure forty-nine. At measure sixty-five and sixty-six there is a four voice homorhythmic part in which four transpositions

of the tone-row (two Original and two Inversion) proceed

simultaneously, resulting in the same controlled vertical aggregates that were found in the first movement (See

example thirty-two).

The instrumental accompaniment is much more closely

integrated with the choral part in this movement than in the other two, with the vocal lines doubled in all but the

final nine measures. It is interesting to note that in all

of his choral pieces that contain the controlled vertical aggregates, Webern presents them unaccompanied. Besides the vocal doubling previously mentioned, there is one

statement of the row which is confined to the instrumental

lines. As in the other choral works that have accompani• ments, the function of the instruments here is to add another dimension to the sound, and to vertically extend by octaves the shape of the vocal line. The instrumental

texture is much thicker in the present movement than it was in the previous two, with the emphasis on the unusual

and unique combinations of timbres. For example, a six-

note chord in measure twenty-seven is played by a bass-

clarinet, trombone, celesta (two notes), violin and cello.

The technique of Klangfarbenmelodie is carried to

new heights in this movement as well; the vocal line

doublings are passed among all the instruments, each of

which never has more than six notes of the series. The

single series that is confined to the orchestra is passed

among the instruments even more freely.

As in the previous two movements, the rhythm of the

text is to Webern a most important aspect. Because of the

limited number of melodic intervals, mostly seconds and

sevenths, the natural vocal inflection is somewhat

exaggerated and at times entirely destroyed by the angular

melodic line.

Example 40

Op. No.3 mm f8-t>0 It is the author's opinion that Webern was more interested in the particular sound of the moment, the expressionistie ideal of representing reality beneath the surface, than in following the sound of the spoken word which intrigued him in his earlier choral works. This shift in emphasis is exploited to the full in his next and last choral composition. CHAPTER V

Second Cantata Op. 31

The last completed work by Webern, the Second

Cantata Op. 31, was begun in 1941 and finished in 1943.

in this work there are several characteristics which are

not present in his earlier works. First, it is the

longest of his choral pieces.^ Second, it is the only

work of his entire compositional career that calls for

the male voice as solo. Third, it is the only work which

specifies a women's chorus.

While working on this composition, a piece that in

some respects represents a distillation of all previously

accumulated stylistic innovations, the composer wrote

repeatedly to both Hildegard Jone and Dr. Willi Reich

about his progress. In a letter to Jone, dated 2nd. March

1941, there is an indication that Webern was about to

begin a new choral piece and also a statement of the

criteria upon which he bases his choice of a choral work

over any other musical medium.

In a letter to Willi Reich dated 22nd. February 1944, Webern mentions "Duration - half an hour". The indication in the score is for a duration of sixteen minutes. The Robert Craft recording is about ten and one-half minutes in length. Please understand me correctly: I have never gone out looking (as it were) for a 'text' with the intention of writing something vocal (a song, a choral piece etc.). It was never thus; the text was always provided first! Given a text, then of course, something vocal should result ... the Feldpostpacken had arrived and with that, much was already decided. So when I say I can't wait to see your new work, that is purely for the sake of your work and for no other reason. Then, of course, how beautiful it is when things turn out right onee more; but that cannot and must not be the determining factor from the word go, and it is not! ... But I have to admit: I verily believe that your poem 'Freundselig ist das Wort' ('Charity is the word') is once more something for me.2

Many more of Webern's letters talk of the progress of the work and it is interesting to note that he composed the movements in reverse order, thus, the final completed form remained nebulous for some time. News of completion reached Hildegard Jone on the 28th of January 1944.

Now I have to reveal to you the following: I was working very intensively on 'Kleiner sind Gotter gerworden ...' ('Gods have got smaller') - I told you recently that this was to be the next piece, the foundations were already laid - when suddenly I felt with absolute certainty - faint hints of it had been evident a couple of times before - that this work was musically complete in the six finished pieces! I was still hesitant, but I quickly arrived at a final decision to group these finished pieces together into a 'Cantata'. All that was necessary was a slight repositioning (as against the order originally planned) - for musical reasons, but also for reasons connected with the disposition of the text. The result satisfies me in all respects. Now look at the order; isn't it basically a 'Missa Brevis'?

Anton Webern, Letters ... , p. 43. 1) 'Schweight such die Welt ...' (Bass Solo), Isn't (Though it is still') that a Kyrie?

2) 'Sehr tief verhalten' (Bass Solo) : the 'Gloria (Deep down the inner life') in excelsis deo' of the quite around the beehive at home!

3) 'Schopfen aus Brunnen des (Female chorus with Himmels ...' soprano solo.) Isn't (Drawing the Word's most that a Credo? fresh water')

4) 'Leichteste Burden der Baume' (Soprano Solo) (Bearing the tree's lightest burdens')

and

5) 'Freundselig ist das Wort' (Soprano Solo and mixed ('-Charity is the Word') chorus) a 'Benedictus qui venit in nomine domine' and 'Sanctus'?

Is not that 'blessed' which the wind bears through the 'spaces': the 'fragrances', the 'gentle shape'? And holy, holy is 'the word' which knows of 'all that is thine'? Holy, holy: 'doch wenn es wieder aufklingt in der Morgenfruhe' ('and yet it sounds out in the dawn again') finally:

6) 'Gelockert aus dem Schosse ...' Chorus: 'Agnus dei' ('It was a womb that bore him') the 'Lamb of God.' 3 I really believe that my selection displays cohesion...

The above indicates that the Mass is the basis for the ordering of movements.

In all the movements, formal cohesion results, as it did in the First Cantata, from the overlapping qualities of the tone-row. Whereas in the previous Cantata where serialization of tone-rows yields cycles of four rows, in

Ibid, p. 52. this piece the serialization by the same two-note overlap

yields four cycles of twelve rows.^ Webern uses this

particular serialization principle as the basis for the

second and third movements. In the first, fourth, parts

of the fifth, and sixth movements, a serialization of

rows by the overlap of a single note appears, reminiscent

of the technique used in Das Augenlicht. In other sections

of the fifth movement, an overlap of three notes occurs in

the connection of the soprano solo line to the soprano line

of the chorus.

In the first movement, which follows no pre-defined

form and which uses only the twelfth transposition of each

of the four row-forms, Webern uses a unique method of

variation. All the melodic and harmonic elements are presen•

ted in the first twelve measures. They then undergo two

separate rhythmic variations in measures twelve to twenty-

five and twenty-six to forty-four. The coda, measures

forty-five to forty-eight, presents a single statement of

the initial melodic and harmonic material of each variation.

Melodically, the first movement depends on a linear

realization of a twelve-note row which consists of four

minor seconds, two minor thirds and five major thirds.

The sequence of tone-rows is as follows: 0-1, RI-7, 0-5, RI-3, 0-9, RI-6, 0-12, RI-11, 0-10, RI-8, 0-4, RI-2. 0-2, RI-4, 0-8. RI-10,0-11, RI-12, 0-6, RI-9, 0-3, RI-5, 0-7, RI-1. It is noticed that the second sequence is the back• wards inversion of the first. The same sequences occur between the corresponding transpositions of the Inversion and Retrograde forms. The solo vocal line proceeds with its own transpositions

of the tone-row and is accompanied by both horizontal realization and recurring vertical aggregates in the

instruments. The vertical structures, with the exception

of those found at measures five, six and nine, are of six

notes and use either the tones one to six or seven to twelve of the series. The effect is similar to the homorhythmic sections of Das Auqenlicht and the First

Cantata. The exceptions mentioned above are identical in

structure to each other.

Example 41

In the accompaniment, only one twelve-note series is used at any one time, resulting in an extremely thin and pointillistic texture. The instrumentation of the vertical

structures is always different, exploiting new possibilities of the Klangfarbenmelodie principle. As with the previous choral pieces, Webern pays particular attention to the natural rhythm of the spoken work in setting the text, but like Das Auqenlicht and the First Cantata, the natural inflection of the words has been replaced by the timbral possibilities of certain vocal sounds in particular registers.

Example 42

Op. 31 No. I, mm 9, \0

With regard to the structure of the second movement, an aria for solo bass, the following is Webern's own description in a letter to Dr. Reich:

I have hardly stopped working. Again a piece has been completed within the framework of the plan of which I have repeatedly spoken: a bass aria. This has become stricter and, as a result, freer. That means to say, I am moving on the basis of a 'perpetual double canon in inversion' in complete freedom. Through variations, diminutions, etc. - something like Bach does with his theme in the 'Art of the fugue.' But in its form the aria is in three sections with a theme of approximately thirty-two bars in periodic form: thus again, the closest interlinking of the two forms of presentation. In character, a kind of hymn: Die Stille urn den Bienenkorb in der Heimat' (The quiet around the beehive at home').^

JAnton Webern, The Path to the New Music, (ed.) Willi Reich. (Bryn Mawr: Theodore Presser Company, 1963), p. 64. The 'perpetual double canon in inversion' of which Webern speaks begins in the harp (0-8 and 1-12) with the voices answered at a half-note distance by 1-11 and 0-12 respectively.

Exajfrnole 43 Referring back to the outline of tone-row sequences

(footnote four) it can be seen that each entry is part of a different sequence. The construction is such that when"1 each of the sequences has been completed, the movement is finished. Further, by employing this technique, Webern has avoided using any transposition of any row form more than once.

The freedom of which he speaks is found in the rhythmic aspect of the canon which is not always in strict imitation.^ The vocal line, and consequently the accompaniment, as the canon is maintained throughout the movement, is divided into three sections each containing an equal part of the series. The connecting of these sections occurs through the row serialization principle previously discussed.

Like the vocal line, the instrumental accompaniment is realized entirely horizontally; the vertical aggregates so conspicuous in the previous movement are omitted entirely. However, the instrumental texture, because of the horizontal treatment, is much more uniform now than in movement one. The Klanqfarbenmelodie principle is prominent, with the to'ne-row (which in this movement is also the melodic line) passed in one, two or three-note fragments among the instruments.

With regard to the text, Webern again bases his

Compare, in example 43, tones seven to nine in each of the four voices. setting on the natural rhythm of the spoken word and in a now-familiar manner extends the natural contour of the words to obtain the unique timbral qualities that have come to characterize his choral writings. An interesting comparison might be made between the sketch of the first few measures of this movement, found in a letter from the composer to the poet, and the first few measures of the published edition.

Example 44

cU~ fait

£a$a - 3e/o

Although the pitches have remained identical in both cases the rhythm in the latter has been quadrupled.

Details on the composition of the third movement reached Hildegard Jone on a letter dated 11th October 1943

... I have been working uninterruptedly: my new piece should soon be finished. It is: 'Schopfen aus Brunnen des Himmels . ..' ('Drawing the word's most fresh water ...') for three part female chorus and soprano solo (with orchestra). Following after 'Stille die Mitternacht' ('Quiet of midnight') it will be a very- animated piece. Yet not so much something exciting as (to express myself in Goethe's spirit) 'representing something exciting'— or so I hope at least. So it will be in the spirit of your wonderful poem 'Sturm- lauten muss nun die Liebe1 ('Now love must sound the alarm') ... Note also the choice of four female voices ...7

Structurally, the present movement begins almost the same as movement two, as a double canon (not, however, as a 'perpetual double canon in inversion'). Each of the four voices uses the Retrograde-inversion - Original row series' and the transpositions chosen at the beginning are

Q a half series distant from each other. The pattern is maintained for three, twelve-note statements. In measure thirteen, the two Retrograde-inversion series are presented, also for three, twelve-note statements. In measure forty- five, the Retrograde-inversion - Original series' return with the final three rows in each half of the two series.

The formal division of the third movement then, is similar to the previous movement except that each section is three tone-rows in length as opposed to four in the second.

Anton Webern, Letters ... , p. 51.

8RI-2 is followed by RI-6; RI-1 by RI-12. See footnote four for complete sequences. The first canon, from measures one to fourteen, has.four voices, each occurring at a time distance of three eighth notes. All parts maintain this time distance separation even though the note values are somewhat altered. Example 45 Op. 31 NO 3 mm 1- 5* st 1 ™ irr~—\x : ^ i -^e *

for^ ' W t h'J W kJ 1 *t jf-H \RI-U *—i ZV^ lb*—T hJ V #S V 7. M—1 'f |—-Wrf-

«—* 3L_ L_

-3 - [ [J 8 l * ' -g

,1

- f I ^ hi '^ 1 V^H4 —*—p—f—

V 7 7 7 4+ -4 X—- 7—

/ n: •/—ifr^r—? f / 7 —I 1 '«!)•' ? *=1 The second canon which is more correctly called a pitch

canon begins at measure thirteen. The rhythm is

drastically altered in the three voices that are used as

accompaniment. The first four tones of each instrumental

entry are presented as a vertical aggregate. Similarity

can be seen again between these structures and the homo-

rhythmic a capella sections of the preceding two works.

Example 46

Op.31 NO.3 mm l4-~iV fie.I rv,m *0 Op. 2* rnm H2 |

In this movement four tones of one transposition are used, whereas in the preceding examples the structure is made up of one tone from four transpositions. Rhythmically, this pitch canon maintains its irregularity until measure twenty- nine at the entry of the three chorus parts. From this point, the regular canon returns with the third voice alter• nating between the soprano solo and first-soprano chorus part. At measure thirty-six, there is a return of the unique pitch canon which begins the second section of this movement.

Like the preceding movement, the vocal parts in the third movement are the result of a horizontal realization of parts of the tone-row, with the rhythm of the individual lines again based on the rhythm of the spoken word. Again, natural word inflection is expanded vertically for special timbral effect in the choral and solo lines. There is further expansion in the instrumental line; the technique of doubling the vocal line to add a new dimension to the sound is also employed in this movement, as it is in the third movement of the First Cantata. In this regard, these two movements are unique in Webern's choral writings.9

In a letter to Dr. Reich, Webern discusses the compositional basis of this third movement. I was totally absorbed by my work (Second Cantata) and still am. The first movementlO of this choral

See footnote 1 of Chapter 1. i^The movements were subsequently rearranged. From the present letter it would appear that the third movement was composed first. work with soloists and orchestra - it will probably go beyond the scope of a Cantata - at least that is my plan - this first movement is finished and already scored. I should like to tell you something about it: in form, it is an introduction, a recitative, but basically it is built on a structure never perhaps before imagined by a 'Netherlander".H Perhaps it was the most difficult task (in this respect) which I have ever had to undertake. The basis is a canon in four parts of the most complicated kind. Its execu• tion tat least I believe so) was possible only on the basis of the serial law, which here is quite particu• larly in evidence: indeed, its idea has become perhaps fully expressed for the first time. I read in Plato that 'Nomos' (law) was identical with 'tune' (melody). Now the melody that the soprano sings in my piece as an introduction (recitative), this may be the law (nomos) for all that follows. In the sense of Goethe's 'primeval plant': with this model and its key, it will be possible to invent an infinite number of plants ... the same law is applicable to all else that is living. Is not this basically the essence of our serial law?12

The fourth movement, according to Webern, was to be

connected to the fifth,even though they are musically

different and will be treated separately in this paper.

Written for soprano solo and orchestra, the fourth movement

is twenty-two measures in length, the shortest of the Cantata.

IJ-Footnote from Friedrich Wildgans, Anton Webern, (London: Calder and Boyars, 1966), p. 156 reads: "one of the Flemish composers of the 16th century who used complicated contra• puntal structures."

-^Friedrich Wildgans, Anton Webern. (London: Calder and Boyars, 1966), p. 156.

13 See letter quoted on page 67 of this paper. The movement takes the central position in the five which employ the canonic principle and is constructed so that the row arrangement of the second half is a mirror inversion of the first. Within this mirror form, made possible through the choice of only the first transposition of the four row-forms, there are two canons present as shown by the following chart:

Example 47

i—voice * l-i

In the example above, the numbers represent the voice entry order and the brackets, the two voices that are in canon with each other. Further investigation shows that the note values of the canon between voice entries one and four are exactly twice as large as those of the other.

Compositionally, this movement is very similar to the first. In both cases a single vocal line appears with its own sequence of tone-rows. Also there is a recurrence of the vertical aggregates, constructed from consecutive tones of the series. Both movements are composed entirely from a single transposition of the four row-forms; in this movement, the first transposition and in the first movement, the twelfth. As in the second movement, Webern employs here a 'perpetual double canon in inversion.' However, he uses these canonic principles much more freely in the fourth movement.

The only voice that is written in a traditional canonic fashion is the vocal line which is the third entry.

Its expanded counterpart, shown in the preceding example as voice number one is again a pitch canon that is realized in a combined horizontal and vertical manner. The other four tone-row voice, beginning with the flute and oboe in measure two, is also written as a pitch canon, a composi• tional device possible "only on the basis of the serial

law.

The rhythmic basis for this movement is found once again in the natural rhythm of the spoken word. For the

first time since Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen ... , there

is a repetition of an extended rhythmic figure, found in measures one to four and twelve to fifteen of the vocal

line.

Example 48

Op 31. No4 mrh 1-4

4 • >,JL| J TUT TTlUlEapi

12- l*\ 3

The natural inflection of the words is again overshadowed

by the individual vocal sounds which have become increas•

ingly important in these lines after Das Auqenlicht.

The accompanying lines are much more transparent

in this movement than their counterparts in the first, in

spite of a similar compositional style. Never more than

four notes occur simultaneously and these occur in the

same instruments and in the same spatial order.

Example 49

Op. 31 No. 4 mm l, 2, S" , ll, 12 mo* § k *4 The Klanqfarbenmelodie principle is refined to the point that even though similar timbres occur, they do so as parts of different melodic lines, regulated by the serial technique.

In a letter dated 3rd June 1942, to Hildegard Jone,

Webern mentions the structural principle of what was to become the fifth movement of the Second Cantata.

The score of 'Freundselig ist das Wort' ('Charity is the Word') is now about finished ... It's to be an aria for soprano solo with chorus and orchestra. In it I have managed - I believe - to achieve a completely new style of representation; on a purely polyphonic basis I arrived at the most opposite sort of representation imaginable.15

Later, in July of the same year, he wrote:

The score of 'Freundselig ist das Wort' is finished. The question of economy of instrumentation - and some other compositional things - held me up longer than I imagined. It is like an aria for soprano' solo, chorus and obligato solo violin (i.e. this solo runs right through the piece) and orchestra. You ask about the shape: at the centre are the words: 'Weil er am Kreuz verstumme, mussen wir ihm nach, in alien Ernst der Bitternis, ihm folget unser Hauch' ('Because he fell silent on the cross, we must go after him, in all seriousness of bitterness, our breath follows him')'. What went before is now repeated backwards. 'Repeated' : 'All shapes are similar and none are the same; thus the"chorus points to a secretc..law, to a holy riddle'... But the fact that it was just these words that constitute the centre of the musical shape came about of its own accord - indeed it could not be otherwise ...1°

'ibid., p. 47. The fifth movement, with its mirror form reminiscent of the fourth, contains some of Webern's most intricate writing. Basically canonic in nature

(both traditional and pitch canons are present) with the usual four voices, the entries vary in distance from zero in the a capella homorhythmic sections to six beats in measures twenty-one and twenty-two. These a capella homorhythmic sections are similar in construc• tion to their counterparts in Das Auqenlicht and the

First Cantata; that is a simultaneous realization of four transpositions of the twelve-note series. In this move• ment, the same form of the series is used so that these sections are now homophonic instead of merely homorhythmic.

By using this technique, Webern has finally arrived at

"about the most opposite sort of representation ... on a purely polyphonic basis.It should be noted that this technique of using only one row-form at one time is the compositional basis for the entire movement.

The intricate manipulation of the tone rows as a pitch-canon is one of the most remarkable compositional features of this movement. Webern constructs his vertical aggregates from the same tone of four transpositions and from four consecutive tones of one transposition. Example 50

Op. 31 No.S" m*r» 1/83.

In the latter construction he preserves the same spatial order as well as the same tone numbers so that the homophonic feeling is maintained. As previously mentioned,

Webern has chosen the intervals of his basic set so that

0 tone-row serialization can occur by the overlap of one, two or three notes, all of which appear in this movement.

In the contrapuntal sections, in order to eliminate as many notes as possible from his already transparent texture, he uses single notes as part of more than one canonic voice.

For example, at measure fifty-one, the last note that the soprano sings is part of all four voices, in turn, R-2 tone

9, R-6 tone 4, R-7 tone 3 and R-4 tone 5. In this movement, Webern eliminates the traditional interpretation of the term "canon" and relies entirely on the twelve-note series to maintain the necessary separate and similar voices of his pitch canons. By doing so, he manages to vary almost every compositional aspect (the entries, rhythm, and melodic lines while still preserving the "canon."

The following outline of the alternating textures will show how the reversing form is determined.

Example 51 3-T^a capella |solo & accompaniment ~ja capella --solo &, accompaniment --a capella ^ ^.J?-solo & accompaniment $_p-a capella ]sol o & accompaniment T-a capella

* -

;olo & accompaniment

'ja capella

}solo & accompaniment jja capella

0l & C C0rn animent :^a cltP ell a P isolo & accompaniment

; ^a capella The point of reversal that was indicated in the previous letter to Jone occurs in measure twenty-eight and is determined by the number of twelve-note statements within this entire section.

Within the homophonic sections of the fifth movement

Webern employs two melodic lines. Although they are obtained from the same form of the series, they achieve their separate qualities by the altering of the octave position of the tones

(see example 49). In the above mentioned example, which is representative of all the choral sections of this movement, the soprano and alto share one melodic line in parallel minor sevenths while the tenor and bass share the other in parallel major, sevenths. The interval relationship of the voices is constant, either exactly or by interval inversion.

At the same time, the timbral and expressive qualities of the chords change with great flexibility due to the spacing of the lines and the changes of register.

The rhythm of the vocal lines, as now expected, is derived from the rhythm of the spoken word. Also, the momentary timbre of the vocal sound continues to take precedence over the approximation, either exactly or by augmentation, of the natural vocal inflection. Because of the flexibility and combinative qualities of the tone-row transpositions, Webern has no difficulty in fitting a blank-verse poem to his music. Most of the rhythm for the instrumental accompaniment is extracted from the solo soprano line. When this occurs the result is a strict canon with the same note value used for the same tone number.

Example 52

Op. 31 MO.*" r*srr> - T4

As in all of Webern's later orchestral accompaniments, the horizontal line is divided up among the instruments so that each makes a small contribution. Also, this results in a melodic contour that is greatly expanded through the use of octave transposition and interval inversion.

In the final movement of this Second Cantata, there is a consolidation of many of Webern's choral writing techniques. The movement is based on the same traditional canonic imitation that appears in the contrapuntal sections three verses and for the first time in any of his choral 18

works, Webern uses the same music for each verse. Each

of the vocal lines is doubled by its own group of instru•

ments which alternate with each other. The "Chorale" is

basically a four-part canon with exact rhythmic and

melodic imitation in two sequences which also results in

a double canon. Further, by moving the tones back under•

neath one another, it is noticed that with the following

pairings, it is a most amazing canon indeed.

Example 53

Op, ?l No. 6

F*AFe&*0<6BBkOC^Ceb6 BbQAC* FEG* GF*8b A C* C*FC 6" eb 8 D 8KC CA* C*A F F*0& CbBtft#A B* F* & ^E^fctff F D D F P°C e B 6*6 f*&A A* C B> €*6 0 F*Fd> £ Cb 0 F* F> 4 A C»A*»C g Q *« o B c F c*4 6*r*»s c*«r FC*A DB^C C*O^66« F /IF* I 1 LJdlJ I fl

In Entflieht auf leichten Kahnen ..., the opening material returns, as dictated by the ternary form, but only for three measures (17, 18 and 19). Between the soprano and alto and the tenor and bass, the same two pitches are always paired together; D-D, F-B,

Db-Eb, G#-G#, C-E, G-A and F#-Bb. Further, by combining all the notes that now occur vertically, a mirror pattern results. From the example one can notice that the soprano line is a retrograde of the bass and similarly, the alto line a retrograde of the tenor. Thus there is not only a forward canon but also a pitch canon in retrograde. Webern himself spoke of this movement in a letter to Willi Reich.

Meanwhile, I have completed another piece. It's to form the first part of the planned 'oratorio', together with the preceding ones. It's for choir and orchestra, conceived rather as a chorale. But again those relationships - the second part (alto) sings the notes of the first (tenor) backwards, the third (soprano) has the inversion of the second and the fourth (bass) is the inversion of the first, but moreover sings the notes of the third backwards! - So, a double interlinking, one and four, two and three (by inversion), also one and two, three and four (cancrizan). I think the look of the score will amaze ypu. Long note values but a very flowing tempo.1"

One surprizing feature of this movement is the return to the spoken word as the basis for the contour of the melodic line, a feature that was progressively abandoned in favour of the timbral possibilities of the individual vocal sounds after the Zwei Lieder. Example 54

Op.3l Mo

Gtf - lok — Kerf Ov$ d*n* Se Mo ^ — £c

There is no regular meter in this movement, another innovation of Webern in his choral music. Although each of the four lines has the same sequence of meters with the stresses coinciding with the natural syllabic stress of the words, this metrical sequence is also arranged canonically.

The choral entries are so ordered that with all four voices sounding, the stresses may be heard independently. Thus the influence of the text in determining compositional procedure is never greater in Webern's writings than in this movement.

As previously mentioned, each of the four lines is doubled by its own group of instruments, in a manner similar to the third movement of the First Cantata. How• ever, while there are also separate instrumental lines in the First Cantata, there are none in this movement of the

Second. The soprano is doubled by the first violin and oboe, the alto by the trumpet, second violin and clarinet, the tenor by the saxophone, French horn and viola and the bass by the bass-clarinet, trombone and cello. The instrumental timbres, chosen for their association with a particular voice range, alternate and change much in the same manner as they do in other movements of this cantata. This is the first time, however that there is any restriction whatsoever on the use of instruments in the choral accompaniments.

The Second Cantata, in conclusion, marks a consolida• tion of Webern's choral techniques - his treatment of the poem, canonic principles and the twelve-tone technique.

He replaces the Romantic tendencies of repetition (with the exception of the last movement) by variation, the invention of the vertical voice or pitch canon, the use of

Klangfarbenmelodie and an extremely thin texture. CONCLUSION

From the preceding study, the author concludes that the compositional techniques in Anton Webern's choral music are based primarily on a continual metamorphosis and consolidation of five basic elements: form, text, melody, harmony and instrumentation.

A classical model is used as the basis for Op. 2 followed in Op. 19 by a structure based on the length and division of the text. In the last three choral pieces, form is dependent on the possibilities inherent in the dodecaphonic technique.

Texts with regular meters and simple rhythms are used in Op. 2 and Op. 19. As Webern's control over his musical resources becomes more secure, he relies less and less on the textual aspects for guidance. After the Zwei

Lieder Webern chooses blank verse poems and shifts his attentions to the singling out of particular words and expands on their inherent timbral and musical qualities.

The melodic contours Webern perceived in the poem

"Entflieht auf leichten KShnen ..." are followed closely in his melodic lines. Vertical expansion by regular stages to vocal extremes occurs in the succeeding works returning, in the final movement of Op. 31 to the gentle contours and poetic considerations that were characteristic of

Op. 2. The melodic variation spoken of in connection with the last four choral pieces occurs as a result of Webern's manipulation of a four-note motive which as been as the composer's "signature phrase."^

In his early music, Webern's approach to harmony is clearly based on romantic models even though most of the vertical structures of Op. 2 have multiple tonal interpretations. As his command over the twelve-tone technique becomes more refined, so do his vertical structures, evolving from a random ordering of one series to a homo- rhythmic realization of four series within the framework of one or more pitch canons.

The accompaniments to Webern's choral pieces are more correctly instrumental interludes to provide continuity between the vocal sections and to introduce, continue or end a particular mood. The choral sections are rarely accompanied and the composer prefers to use the instruments as voices in canon with the solo lines rather than accompaniments.

Instruments are chosen usually for their proximity to vocal timbre and for their percussive qualities. The use of

Klangfarbenmelodie or melody of timbres becomes increasingly evident throughout Webern's compositional career. The orchestration of Op. 31 is a masterpiece in transparency with the tone-rows (melodic lines) passed in very brief segments among the instruments.

In conclusion, it is seen that these five aspects, combined in varying degrees by the musical genius of the composer result in five compositions which are unique in musical history, works that are at the same time intricate, economic and transparent. The author hopes finally that the above study has provided a measure of approachability and understanding to the choral music of Anton Webern. APPENDIX

Serial analysis row-form charts of Op. 19,

Op. 26 and Op. 31 illustrating transposition numbering as used throughout this paper. Zwei Lieder

SERIAL ANALYSIS ROW-FORM CHART

(I) 123^56789 10 11 12

b £b 1 G B F# F A G# C# D B E C 1

Eb b 2 2 E G D C F# E Bb G# C# A

Eb 3 G# B G F# E Bb A D C F C# 3

b F# h A C G# G F B B Eb E C# D h

b Eb b 5 B D B A G C# C F F# A E 5

6 F G# E D# Db G F# B C A D Bb 6

# # b Eb 7 F# A F E D G G C C B B 7

8 C# E C B A Eb D G G# F Bb F# 8

b b b F# 9 E B B A D C# G E A F 9

Bb 10 Eb F# D C# B F E. A G C G# 10

11 Bb C# A G# Gb C B E F D G Eb 11

b b 12 12 D F C# C Bb E E A A F# B G

123*+ 56789 10 11 12 (RI) SERIAL ANALYSIS ROW-FORM CHART

(I) 1 2 3 h 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1 Ab Bb A C B D# E C# F D F# G 1

b b 2 G A G Bb A C# D B D# C E F 2

3 G A G# B Bb D D# C E C# F F# 3

b it E F# F G# G B C A C# B D D# 1»

b b b b £b 5 F G G A A C D B D B E 5

b Eb Bb D D D F E G# A F# G B C 6

b b 7 C D C# E E G G# F A F# B B 7

b Eb 8 F E G F# B B G# C A C# D 8

b 9 B C# C D# D F# G E G# F A B 9

F Eb # Bb 10 D E F A G B G# C C# 10

b 11 B C B D C# F F# D# G E G# A 11

b Eb 12 A B B C# C E F D F# G G# 12

1 2 3 It 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

(RI) I. Kantate SERIAL ANALYSIS ROW-FORM CHART

(I) 1 2 3 h 5 6 7 8910 1112

b 1 1 D# B D C# F E G F# B A C Ab

b 2 G Eb F# F A A B Bb D C# E C 2

3 E C D# D F# F G# G B Bb C# A 3

Eb b b It F C# E G G A Ab C B D B

# b 5 5 C# A C B D# D F E G G B F#

b Bb A 6 D C# C E E F# F A b B G 6

7 B G Bb A C# C D# D F# F G# E 7

8 C G# B Bb D C# E Eb G p# A F 8

b p# c# 9 G# E G Bb A C B E D F 9

Bb b 10 A F G# G B C# C E E F# D 10

b 11 F# D F E G# G B A C# C Eb B 11

b 12 12 B F# A G# C B D C# F E G Eb

1 2 3 !f 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (RI) II. Kantate

SERIAL ANALYSIS ROW-FORM CHART

(I) 1 2 3 1» 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

b b 1 F# A F E G# D# G B \ B D D C 1

# Bb 2 D F# D C# F C E G# G B A 2

3 G' Bb F# F A E G# C B D# D C# 3

b Eb It G# B G F# B F A C# C E D U

b Eb 5 E G D F# C# F A G# C B B 5

Bb 6 A C G# G B F# D c# F E D# 6

b c# 7 F G# E E G D F# Bb A C B 7

b Eb Fb 8 C# E C B B D F# A G# G 8

b 9 D F c# C E B E G F# Bb A G# 9

Bb b 10 C# A G# C .0 B E D F# F E ' 10

Eb 11 B D Bb A C# G# C E G F# F 11

fib # 12 C Eb B D A C F E G# G F# 12

1 2 3 It 5 6 7 ' 8 9 10 11 12

(RI) Austin, William W., Music in the 20th Century, New York; W. W. Norton and Company, 1966.

Basart, Ann Phillips, Serial Music: A Classified Biblio• graphy of Writings on Twelve-tone and Electronic Music, Berkeley and Los Angeles; University of California Press, 1961.

Bradshaw, Merrill K., Tonal Structure in the Early Works of Anton Webern Ph.D. thesis, University of Illinois, 1962. University Microfilms No. 62-6106.

Collear, Paul. "Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern and Alban Berg," in A History of Modern Music, Cleveland; World Publishing Company, 1961.

Hamilton, Iain, "Alban Berg and Anton Webern," in European Music the Twentieth Century, ed. Howard Hartog, London; Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1957.

Hodier, Andre, "Anton Webern" in Since Debussy: A View of Contemporary Music, trans. Noel Burch, New York; Grove Press, 1961.

Kolneder, Walter, Anton Webern: An Introduction to His Works. Berkeley and Los Angeles; University of California Press, 1968.

McKenzie, Wallace C., Jr., The Music of Anton Webern, Ph.D. Thesis, North Texas State College, 1960. University Microfilms No. 60-2792.

Moldenhauer, Hans, ed. Anton Webern: Perspectives. Seattle and London; University of Washington Press, 1966.

Perle, George, Serial Composition and Atonality: An Intro• duction to the Music of Schoenberg. Berg and Webern. Berkeley and Los Angeles; University of California Press, 1962.

Spinner, Leopold. "Anton Webern's Kantate Nr. 2, Opus 31; die Formprinzipien der kanonischen Darstellung" in Schweizerische Musikzeitung. 1961. Webern, Anton, Letters to Hildeaard Jone and Joseph Humplik, ed. Joseph Polnauer, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; Theodore Presser Company, 1967.

, The Path to the New Music, ed. Willi Reich. Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; Theodore Presser Company, 1963.

Wildgans, Friedrich, Anton Webern. trans. Edith Roberts and Humphrey Searle. London; Calder and Boyars, 1966.