Artistic Parallels between Arnold Schoenberg's Music and Painting (1908-1912)

Author(s): Courtney S. Adams

Source: College Music Symposium, Vol. 35 (1995), pp. 5-21
Published by: College Music Society
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 Artistic
Parallelsbetween
Arnold
MusicandPainting
Schoenberg's
(1908-1912)*
Courtney S. Adams

Schoenberg's musicalinnovations intheyears1908to 1912thatinitiated his

Arnoldatonalperiodhavelongbeenrecognized, butitis onlyrelativelyrecently art
that
historians havecometo appreciate thesignificance ofa number ofartworkshe com-
pletedduring thesameperiod.1 Thiswas a timeofintense activityforSchoenberg both
as a composerandas a painter. During these important musical years,he also contrib-
utedworksto threeartexhibitions andevenhopedto obtainsomecommissions as a
portrait painter.WassilyKandinsky triedto persuadehimto participate in a fourth
exhibition in 1912,butSchoenberg declined.Byearly1912,hehadbeguntoturnaway
frompainting as a majoroutletandtofocushisfullattention onceagainonhismusical
compositions.
The artworksareof interest notonlyintheirownright, butalso fortheparallels
thatcanbe drawnbetweenhismusicalandhisartistic output duringtheseyears.His art
was neverintended as a visualrepresentation ofhismusic.Nonetheless, thepaintings
and themusicarosefromthesame innerneedforexpression, and theyshowsome
significant similaritiesas wellas somestriking differences inapproach.Bothmusicolo-
gistsand arthistorians use theterm "expressionistic" in describinghis worksat this
time,andsomeofthesimilarities aretheobviousonesassociatedwiththeexpressionist
movement ingeneral.Otherconnections betweenthemusicandart,however, arepar-
ticularto Schoenberg andrelatetohisindividual artisticviews.
Somebriefbackground information is inorderbeforewe turntoa directcompari-
sonofthemusicandart.Musically,theyears1908-1912markedtheintroduction of
in
atonality Schoenberg's Our
style. study will draw on the eightatonalworks that were
finished orsubstantially completed during thisperiod:theoperas,Erwartung (Op. 17)

*I would like to express myappreciationto several people who helped in thepreparationof thisstudy:R. Wayne
Shoaf, Archivistat theArnold Schoenberg Institute,gave generousassistance at several stages; Nuria Schoenberg-Nono
supplied valuable informationon the paintings;Lawrence Schoenberg, Presidentof Belmont Music Publishers,kindly
arrangedmy access to the paintings;and finallymythanksgo to PorterAichele, ArtDepartmentHead at Universityof
NorthCarolina, Greensboro,and Linda Klinger,Franklinand Marshall College, fortheirperceptivecommentson artistic
asoects.
'A numberoffinestudiesarenow available.Most recentand mostcompleteis thebilingualcatalogueofall Schoenberg's
visual art:ArnoldSchonberg: Das bildnerische Werk(ArnoldSchoenberg: Paintingsand Drawings), edited by Thomas
Zaunschirm (Klagenfurt:RitterVerlag, 1991). It reproduces all the works in color and contains valuable articles and
information.Anotheroutstandingtreatmentis thatof JaneKallir's ArnoldSchoenberg 's Vienna (New York: Galerie St.
Etienneand Rizzoli InternationalPubs., 1984), which accompanied an exhibitionof 66 artworksby Schoenberg,Gerstl,
Klimt,Kokoschka,and Schiele. Othersignificant contributionsto thestudyofSchoenberg'sartincludetheworkof Eberhard
Freitag- bothhis book, ArnoldSchonberg in Selbstzeugnissenund Bilddokumenten(Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt,
1973), and his dissertation,"SchOnbergals Maler" (WestfalischenWilhelms Universitatzu Munster,1973). Much valu-
able materialalso appears in JelenaHahl-Koch's ArnoldSchoenberg, WassilyKandinsky; Letters,Pictures and Docu-
ments,translatedby JohnCrawford(London and Boston: Faberand Faber, 1984). Additionalimportant information can be
foundin an issue of theJournal oftheArnold Schoenberg Institute,Vol. II, No. 3 (June,1978), 185-23 1, thatis devoted
entirelyto "Schoenberg as Artist"and containsan inventoryof his worksas well as a numberof articles.

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6 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

andDie gliickliche Hand (Op. 18); a setoffifteen songswithpianoaccompaniment,

Das Buchderhdngenden Garten(Op. 15); thesongHerzgewdchse withchamberac-
companiment (Op. 20); Pierrot lunaire forvoice and chamber ensemble (Op. 21); an
orchestralwork,FivePiecesforOrchestra (Op. 16); andtwosetsofpianopieces,Three
Piano Pieces (Op. 11) andSixLittlePiano Pieces,(Op. 19).
Itis harder todateexactlythevisualartcreatedbetween1908 and1912thanitisthe
music.He rarelysignedordatedhisart,anddevelopmental patterns havebeendifficult
totrace.Theoil paintings, however, standoutas a separatecategory fromthewatercol-
ors,pastels,and numerous works for pen,pencil,crayon,graphite, and charcoal.He
valuedthepaintings abovehisotherart,2 andseems to have producedmostofthemina
sometime 3
between1907and 1912. He was notsimplya recreational
spurtofactivity
but
painter, approached paintingwiththesameseriousness thathedidmusicalcomposi-
In
tion. a later interview with HalseyStevens, he confirmed thatpainting "wasthesame
tomeas makingmusic."4
Forus,then,theoil paintings willprovidethebestartistic focus,giventheserious-
nesswithwhichSchoenberg approached them and the likelihood thatmostofthemorigi-
natedin theapproximate timeperiodwithwhichwe are concerned. The mostrecent
catalogue(ArnoldSchonberg; Das bildernischeWerk) identifiesseventy-six oil paint-
ings.5These include of
portraits others,
self-portraits, outdoor and landscapeviews,set
designs,caricatures, anda number ofstriking"visionsandgazes"thatexplorean inner
ratherthananouterworld.Inthediscussion tofollow,we willidentify theartworksby
thetitle,number, andpageusedinArnoldSchonberg: Das bildnerische Werk(see com-
pletereference infootnote 1 above).Forthereader'sconvenience, severalofthepaint-
ingsdiscussedinthisarticlearereproduced as Figures1-12.
Thereare somehypotheses aboutwhySchoenberg turnedwithsuchintensity to
painting around1907.JelenaHahl-Kochconnects Schoenberg's involvement inpainting
withhisdevelopment oftheatonalstyleinmusic.She notesthatartists experiencing a
point ofcrisisinone art may turn toa second area;and she citesamong severalexamples

2KallirnotesthecareSchoenberg tookofthemrelative tothecarelesstreatment ofthedrawings; infact,heputaneven

higher monetary valueonsomeofhispaintings thanonhisautograph ofPierrotlunaire(op.cit.,pp.43 and62). Sheviews
his workafter1912 andthatin othermediaas doodling.Freitag,too,discernsa casualnessin thelaterdrawingsand
watercolors withtheintensity
thatcontrasts oftheearliervisionsandfantasies ("Schonberg als Maler,"op.cit.,p. 12).
3Arthistorians aboutthepreciseperiodofhisintense
differ inpainting,
interest butdonotstraybeyondtheyears1906/
7 and 19 12 as theoutsidelimits.Freitaggivescompelling evidencefortheyears1907-19 10. He hadaccesstoa draft ofa
biography ofSchoenberg thatEgonWelleszwaswriting. Init,Welleszclaimedtheyearsbetween1907 and19 10 werethose
inwhichSchoenberg wasmostactiveas a painter. Schoenberg hadpencilled incorrectionselsewhere inthemanuscript, but
leftthatsectionuntouched ("Schonberg als Maler,"op. cit.,p. 86,footnote 3). ThecloseofSchoenberg'sconcentrated
involvement inpaintingseemstocomeafter hismovefrom ViennatoBerlininthefallof 1911. Further evidenceforthis
appearsin a letterdatedDecember5, 1911,thathe wroteto AlbanBergfromBerlin.He notedthathis workon the
Harmonielehre hadinterferedwithhiscomposing andcommented, "Perhapsthat'swhyatpresent I feelno inclination to
paint,either."See TheBerg-Schoenberg Correspondence SelectedLetters, editedbyJulianeBrand,Christopher Hailey
andDonaldHarris(NewYorkandLondon:W. W.Norton, 1987),p. 51. Kallirbelieveshemayhavebeguntorecognize his
artisticlimitationsaboutthistime(pp.cit.,p. 62),andcertainly thelackofsalesfrom theBudapestexhibition inearly1912
musthavediscouraged him.
4HalseyStevens,"A Conversation withSchoenberg aboutPainting," JournaloftheArnoldSchoenberg Institute,
Vol. II, No. 3 (June,1978),179.
5MostoftheseareintheSchoenberg legacyattheArnoldSchoenberg Institute
oftheUniversityofSouthern California
andcanbe seenthere. Additionally,a fewworksweresold,someothers givenaway,andsomearelost.

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 ARNOLD SCHOENBERG'S MUSIC AND PAINTING 7

thoseofKandinsky andKokoschka, bothofwhombegantowritedramaattransitional

stagesin artistic
their She
development. suggests thatexpression maycomemoreeasily
ina mediuminwhichtheartist was notthoroughly schooled.6
Manywriters relateSchoenberg's interest invisualartatthistimetoa catastrophic
personal situationthat reached its peak in 1908. Schoenberg depended ona loyalcoterie
ofclosefriends whosupported himemotionally andartistically
inthefaceofwhatwas
oftenseverecondemnation ofhismusicbyboththepublicandthecritics. Inthesummer
of 1908,he foundhimself betrayed bytwomembers ofthisinnercirclewhenhiswife
Mathildedesertedhimand theirtwochildrenforthepainterRichardGerstl,whom
Schoenberg believedto be a trusted friend. The horrorwas compounded wheninNo-
vemberof 1908the25-year-old Gerstlcommitted suicidebysimultaneously stabbing
andhanginghimself. One writer sees Schoenberg'sself-portraits as a wayofdealing
withdepression inconnection withthisexperience, andhenotesthatSchoenberg's por-
trayaloftheeyesintheselfportraits showsa striking similaritytothestaring eyesin
paintings ofpatients suffering fromdepression.7 Another possibility,certainly, is that
thearthelped exorcize hisanger with the he
critics;8 createdsome harshcaricatures in
Critic/( 169,p. 275), CriticII ( 170,p. 277) andArtPatron( 17 1, p. 279). Yet another
impetus tohispainting thatshouldnotbediscounted wasthehopeofsupplementing his
income, which was particularly meager atthistime.
Schoenberg wasessentially self-taught inpainting,justas inmusic.He workedwith
thepainter RichardGerstlfora shorttimeinformally, justas hehadstudiedmusicwith
Zemlinsky forabout a year. For the most part,Schoenberg was abletoassimilatebasic
conceptswithout adoptingthemannerisms orthestyleofhismentors. Thus,although
therearesomesimilarities oftechnique ina fewpaintings, hedoesnottakeoverGerstl's
andthesamemaybesaidofhismusicanditsconnection
generalstyle;9 withZemlinsky.10
Thereis,however, an important difference inSchoenberg's practiceofthetwoarts.In
music,hewas a self-trained professional - hehadstudied thegreatmasters indepthand
modelledhisowncompositions onwhathefoundbestintheirwork.1 ] In art,he under-
tookno suchsystematic studyandalwaysthought ofhimself as an amateur.12
6Hahl-Koch,oz?.c/7.,p.150.
' '"
7PeterGorsen"ArnoldSchOnbergals Maler der Visionen, HochschulefurAngewandteKunstin Wien:Schonberg-
Gesprdch (May 25, 1984), pp. 57-60. Thomas Zaunschirmin "The PainterArnold Schoenberg,"ArnoldSchonberg: Das
bildnerischeWerk,op. cit, pp. 39-41, takes strongexceptionto viewing thepaintingsas therapeutic.
8Freitag,"Schd"nbergals Maler," op. c/7.,pp.19-21.
9Gerstlis describedas a rebellious,anti-establishment painterat odds withtheAcademy inVienna,whichhe attended
only briefly. One criticcharacterizes a Gerstl paintingof the Schoenberg familyat thistime as an "anarchic swirl of
color...withexpressive,gesturalbrushstrokes"(Georg Eisler,"Schoenbergas Painter,"Journaloj 'theArnoldSchoenberg
Institute,Vol. II, No. 3 (June, 1978), p. 174). Eisler also assumes thatSchoenberg was familiarwith the work of the
secessionistpaintersKokoschka and Schiele as well as thesymbolistsKlingerand Stuck. Schoenbergdid,of course,have
access to numerousnew artisticdirectionsthroughthemany artexhibitsavailable in Vienna. He, however,passionately
denied any influenceof Kokoschka and cites a commentby GerstlsuggestingthatGerstladopted some of Schoenberg's
artistictechniquesratherthanvice versa. See ArnoldSchoenberg,"MalerischeEinflusse,"Journaloj 'theArnoldSchoenberg
Institute,Vol. II, No. 3 (June,1978), pp. 237-238.
l0Alexandervon Zemlinsky,Schoenberg's musical mentor,had been a successfulstudentat theVienna Conservatory
wherehis compositionshad attractedtheattentionof Brahms.Zemlinskywas thoroughlytrainedin Viennese classicism,
butmoved earlyin thetwentiethcenturytowardsWagnerianismand a personalstyledescribedas "progressiveromantic."
His workswere well thoughtof inVienna, and he servedSchoenbergwell as an instructor in counterpoint.
1'Arnold
Schoenberg,"National Music (2)," Styleand Idea (repr:California:Universityof CaliforniaPress, 1984),
pp. 173-174.
l2HalseyStevens, op. cit, p. 179.

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8 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

It is important atthispointto saya wordaboutthemannerinwhichSchoenberg's

artandmusicwillbe compared.One approachwouldbe to focuson theartandmusic
thatdealwiththesamesubjectmatter, butonlythreeofthepaintings canbe connected to
specificmusicalworks.13 Hence,similarity ofsubjectmatter in a
willonlyapply general
sense,suchas theautobiographical focusthatis foundinbothhisartandmusic.There
aresomeadditional elements, however, thatshowusefulparallelsinSchoenberg's case,
suchas histreatment for
ofrhythm, example. As each of these specificparameters is
discussedbelow,thecriteria bywhicha singleelement suchas rhythm iscompared inthe
twodifferent visualandauralmediums willbe carefully clarified.
Weturnnowtoanexamination ofhispaintings, andwhatis immediately apparent is
thestrong autobiographical focus,a feature thatSchoenberg shareswithotherexpres-
sionistpainterssuchas EgonSchieleandOskarKokoschka.In Schoenberg'sartas a
whole,self-portraits accountforoverone-quarter ofhisoutput. Amongtheoil paintings
alone,theproportion is notthathigh,ifwe consideronlythoseworksspecifically titled
Self-Portrait. However, also
Schoenberg painted a number ofoils called Vision orGaze,
someofwhichhavea strongconnection to hisselfportraits. ConsiderFigure1Green
Self-Portrait (3, p. 169),Figure2 SelfPortrait (74, p. 208), and Figure3 RedGaze (75,
p. 207),all dated1910inSchoenberg's hand.14 Figure2 wasoriginally titledVisionwhen
itappearedinthefirst exhibitionoftheBlaueReiterin 19 11, anditdoesnotbeara close
resemblance totheotherself-portraits. However, ina letter givingthepainting toLeopold
Stokowski, Schoenberg refersto itas a selfportrait (74, p. 369). Figure3 Red Gaze
becomeseasiertoseeas a self-portrait, oncethevieweris awareoftheintermediary step
thatFigure2 represents. Onewriter seestheunusualFigure4 Tears(84,p. 205) andthe
VisionofChrist(83, p. 203) as self-referential intheirportrayal ofhurtand humilia-
tion.15 the
Hence, autobiographical aspect is notlimited simply to theobviousself-por-
traits,but extends to other works as well. I would add at least seven visions andgazes
thatcontainelements ofself-portraiture tothelistofautobiographical paintings.16
Theartalso reflects anothercharacteristic thatSchoenberg shareswithseveralex-
pressionist painters - thatofalienation. Returning toFigure1 GreenSelf-Portrait, we
findthepaintedspacedominated bya massiveheadwitheyesthatpiniontheviewer. The
headis disembodied andfloatsina nebulousbackground, notnecessarily ofthisworld.
Thecoloris a sickly,unnatural green. Most ofthe self-portraits show a similar detach-

l3Two appear to representset designs forErwartung(NightLandscape, 194, p. 30 1, and 203, p. 297), and theother
is a portrayalof Mahler's burial (198, p. 290), which is also the subject of the last piano piece of Op. 19. A staticquality
pervadestheburialscene musicallyas itdoes thepainting,althoughthetreebranchesoverthegravesuggestagitation.There
is no effortto reflectthebell-likesounds of thepiece in thepainting.
l4Thefirstfourfiguresin thisdiscussion were chosen to show specificallytheprogressionfroma self-portrait thatis
clearlyrecognizable as thecomposer (Figure 1) to an image thatappears farremovedfromsuch an identification, butmay
stillbe self-referential(Figure4). Figure 1 representsa typicalself-portrait in Schoenberg's output.Figure2 is alreadyless
recognizable, but is still a reasonable representation.By Figure3 the resemblanceto Schoenberg is not at all clear, but a
similarityof pose and expression link it to the preceding paintings.Figure 4, if it stood alone, would not suggest self-
portraiture, but in thecontextoftheotherthreepaintingsmay indeed be seen as such.
l5PeterGorsen, op. cit.,p. 59.
16Therecentcatalogue (ArnoldSchonberg: Das bildnerischeWerk)listsfourteenofficialselfportraitsamong theoil
paintings(two of theseare inthevisions and gazes section- 73, p. 201 , and 74, p. 208). Those I would add fromthevisions
and gazes include 75, p. 207; 76, p. 209; 83, p. 203; 84, p. 205; 85, p. 21 1; 86, p. 210; and 87, p. 213.

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 ARNOLD SCHOENBERG'S MUSIC AND PAINTING 9

mentfromtheworld,achievedthrough theemphasison staring eyes in a largehead

againsta blankor non-specific background. Several of thevisions and gazesalso dupli-
catethistreatment.
Schoenberg's portraitsofothersstandcompletely apartfromhisself-portraits. Itis
as thoughhesawhimself inanentirely different
way than he saw others. The portraitsof
othersoftenprovidea suggestion, ifnota detailedreference, to a roomsetting, as in
Figure5 Wifeofthecomposer AlbanBerg (101,p. 245).17Severalshowthefigure from
thewaistuporevenlower,a feature thatgivesa senseofcorporeality andoccursonly
twiceamongtheself-portraits (4, p. 141and 10,p. 137).Schoenberg oftenstatedthat
hiscreativitywas theproductof innernecessity, theneedto expresstheinnerworld
ratherthanthevisualworld.Inthissense,theportraiture ofothersrelatestothevisual
world, whiletheself-portraits(and some ofthevisions and gazes)reflect theinnerworld
anditsisolationby means of the vaguebackgrounds andtheemphasisontheeyesthat
Schoenberg saw as a mirror ofthesoul.
The same elementsof self-focusand alienationare prominent at thistimein
Schoenberg's musical works with text. The most obvious example Die gliickliche
is
Hand,forwhichSchoenberg wrotethelibretto as wellas themusic.Thedramaportrays
thesuffering ofa greatartistwhosecontributions wereunappreciated bytheworldat
large.Erwartung concerns infidelity, and
loss, death, which also it
give autobiographi-
cal overtones,eventhoughSchoenberg himselfdid notwritethetext.18 ForPierrot
lunaireSchoenberg selected21poemsfroma totalof50 written by Albert Giraud; and
severalofthesecanbe seenas self-referential, especially those that reflectmartyrdom,
persecution,orhorror. ThepoemsofDas Buchderhdngenden GartenbyStefanGeorge
tellofthepainfullossofa belovedforwhomthepoetfelta consuming passion.Ofall
thevocal works,Herzgewdchse by Maurice Maeterlinck is theonly one thatavoids
ominousovertones. The tired,unhappy poettakeshopefromseeinga singlelilyrise
abovethesurrounding, dreary vegetation.19
Theterm"nightmarish" is frequently usedtodescribetheimpactofErwartung, Die
Hand,and
gliickliche Pierrot lunaire. the
Musically, extreme dissonance, thelackof
tonalcenterintheseworks,andespeciallytheunusualsprechstimme technique usedin
PierrotlunaireandDie gliickliche Handmakethistermapt.Thedescription is appro-
priatetoa number ofthepaintings as well.In Figures6 and7,forexample,heachieves
a nightmare qualitythrough unsettling oftheface.In Figure6 Gaze (86, p.
distortions
210) he scarifiesand fragments the countenance. In Figure7 Vision(89, p. 224) he

l7Someoftheblankor unclearbackgroundsin theportraits ofotherscome aboutbecause thepaintingsare unfinished.

In his dissertationFreitagviews as manyas eightof theseportraitsas incomplete.
18Heat least influencedthe course of the libretto,forPappenheim's handwrittendraftcontainsnumerouscuts and
changes in Schoenberg's hand. See JosefRufer,The WorksofArnoldSchoenberg, translatedby DikaNewlin (London:
Faber and Faber, 1962), p. 34.
19Schoenberg wrotethissong afterKandinskyrequesteda vocal workfortheforthcoming issue oftheAlmanac to be
putoutbytheBlaue Reiter.As Bonnie Hough suggests,thepoem was probablyselectedto reflectthepositivephilosophical
message oftheBlaue Reitermovement.Hence, Schoenberg'schoice oftextinthiscase maynothave been an altogetherfree
one. See "Schoenberg's Herzgewdchseand theBlaue ReiterAlmanac," JournaloftheArnoldSchoenberg Institute,Vol.
1983),197.
VII,No. 2 (November,

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10 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

disfiguresitwitha disturbingmeltingeffect.20 In several otherworkshe gives theface

shockinganimal qualities,as in Figure4 Tears (84, p. 205).21Even his landscapes can
imparthorror.NightLandscape (203, p. 297) is almost entirelyblack and uses heavy
impasto (a thick,roughapplicationof oil to the canvas). The viewer only gradually
discernsthroughthedarkness,thefigureof a womanplaced stiffly and angularlyon the
lowerright-hand side ofthepainting.22
The similarqualitiesdescribedthusfarin Schoenberg'sartand music- self-focus,
alienation,and horror - are ones thatare associated withtheexpressionistmovementin
general.We go now to some further parallels betweenthe artand music thatare indi-
vidualto Schoenberg.
First,thereis theconceptof designor balance as Schoenbergconceives itinthetwo
arts.Musically,passages of exact repetitionthatprovideimportant guidepostsindeter-
the
mining organization ofa work are rareinthe atonal period.When Schoenbergwishes
to providea sense ofrecall,he bringsback some elements,butaltersothersbymodifying
thematerialmelodically,adjustingitrhythmically, or addingmusical linesto thetexture
(as the example in the followingparagraph will show). Typically,also, therecalls are
shortenedrelativeto theoriginalstatement. These sectionsofvariedrepetition and short-
ened recall appear in places thatgive a slightimbalanceto theoverall design. In other
words,the repetitionis not exact, nordoes its placementexactlybalance the original.
Thus,we can speak ofa nearsymmetry ofdesign,as opposed to an exact symmetry oran
asymmetry.
An examplewill makethisusage clear.In Pierrotlunaireattheinstrumental close of
No. 13 "Beheading,"thefluteduplicatesexactlyninemeasuresof a 26-measuremelody
thatit originallyintroducedin No.7 "The Sick Moon." The duplicationfromNo. 7 is
selective,involvingmm.1-6, 14, and 22-23 (five newlycomposed measurescomplete
No. 13). The sense ofrecallis stronginthiscase since suchan extendedduplicationdoes
notoccur anywhereelse in thecycle. Additionalalterationsin No. 13 relativeto No. 7
includeadded instruments, a partialrecurrenceofthevocal partinthebass clarinetand
'cello lines, and a reductionin lengthfromtwenty-sixmeasures in No. 7 to fourteen
measuresattheclose ofNo. 13 . The placementoftherecallis similar,butnotexactlyso,
to thefirstappearance.The songcycleas a whole is dividedintothreesetsofsevensongs
each. The materialfirstappears in the last song of the firstset,and its returnis in the
next-to-lastsongofthesecondset.Thus,therecallalmostsignalstheclose of bothmajor

20ThisVision,subtitledMathildeSchonberginan earlierinventory ofSchoenberg'sworks,was paintedafterSchoenberg

learnedofthedeathof his firstwife in 1923. JohnRussell notesa strongresemblancebetweenSchoenberg's paintingand a
photographtakenat Mathilde's death,a circumstancemade moreremarkableby thefactthatSchoenbergwas notpresent
when she died and neversaw thephotograph.See "SchoenbergthePainter,"Keynote,Vol. VI, No. 11 (January,1983), 13.
2lSimilaranimal-like characteristicscan be found in 75, p. 207 and 76, p. 209. Animals also figurein the textsof
Schoenberg's musical workswiththreateningimplications,such as the cat-likecreaturein Die gliicklicheHand and the
forestanimals in Erwartung.
22Inall likelihood, bothworksentitledNightLandscape relateto scenes in Erwartung(194, p. 301 to scene iv, and
203, p. 297 to scene ii). See Freitag,"Schonberg als Maler," op. cit.,p. 141 .

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 ARNOLD SCHOENBERG'S MUSIC AND PAINTING 11

Fig. 1

1910,p. 169
3. GreenSelf-Portrait,
Oil on wood, 33 x 24 cm

Fig. 2

74. SelfPortrait,1910, p. 208

Oil on canvas,32 x 20 cm

Fig. 3

75. Red Gaze, 1910, p. 207

Oil on cardboard,32 x 25 cm

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12 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

Fig. 4

84. Tears,p. 205

Oil on canvas,29 x 23 cm

Fig. 5

101. Wifeof thecomposerAlbanBerg,

1910,p. 245
Oil on canvas, 100 x 74 cm

Fig. 6

86. Gaze, p. 210

Oil on cardboard,23 x 18 cm

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 ARNOLD SCHOENBERG'S MUSIC AND PAINTING 13

Fig. 7

89. Vision,p. 224

Oil on canvas,59 x 46 cm

Fig. 8

199. Landscape,p. 304

Oil on canvas,23 x 27 cm

Fig. 9

93. Hatred,p. 227

Oil on canvas,43 x 30.5 cm

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14 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

Fig. 10

91. Vision,p. 216

Oil on canvas,25 x 16 cm

Fig. 11

86. Thinking, p. 217

Oil on cardboard,22 x 25 cm

Fig. 12

195. Gardenin Modling,p. 291

Oil on cardboard,71 x 49 cm

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 ARNOLD SCHOENBERG1S MUSIC AND PAINTING 15

divisions,butnotquite- a goodexampleofnearsymmetry.23
a similarapproach.A casualglancethrough
His artreflects thefiguresillustrating
thisdiscussion(Nos. 1-12)showsa firm graspofbalancewithouttheprecisionofexact
symmetry ortheseriousimbalanceofasymmetry. Figure8 Landscape(199,p. 304) is
ofnearsymmetry
a good illustration inthepaintings.The sketchbelowrepresents a
linearreconstructionthatexposestheprominentshapesof the The
painting. dottedlines
on therightshowsmallpatchesofcolorthatfiton thebasic linearstructure. All the
colorshavea muddyquality,so thevariety ofhuesontherightdoesnotchallengethe
overallyellowishgreenthatappearsinall theunmarked sectionsofthesketch.

white
^^^^
^^^^^a
/darki ubrown

^^^\. r^. lightbrown

\ pink>--.,
/
/ \ pii^kvcreapfi
^-
^ -Xj^^dark verticalstrokesof
^^*^ ^^^^-»^ ^ green,black,brown,
^^^ and gray

A basic triangle, withan invertedtriangleat itstop,providesthecentralfocus.It is

somewhatoff-center andis anchoredattopandbottombytworoughly parallellines
the
thatdivide painting intothreeapproximately sections.
equivalent Vector shapesthat
aretriangular in someinstancesandturnintotrapezoidsinothersintersect invarying
ways. The freely drawn geometric vary
figures considerablyinsize and shapebutcom-
binetoforma satisfying whole.
near-symmetrical
ThatSchoenberg appreciatedthesignificance ofproportioninbothartsis clear:"I
hada goodsenseofrelations, ofspacerelations, ofmeasurements. I was abletodivide,
letus say,a linerather in
correctly three,four,five,six,seven, even elevenparts,and
theywerequiteneartherealdivision. . . thissenseofmeasurement ... is one ofthe

"Some otherexamplesofexactpitchrecallthatprovidenearsymmetryandextendbeyonda singlemeasure(a strong

formal inthisperiod)canbe foundinOp. 11No. 1 (mm.1-3and53-55),Op. 11No. 2 (mm.1-2,closeof 13-15,
statement
andcloseof55-57),Op. 16No. 2 ('cello,mm.1-2;fluteandEnglishhorn,
mm.17-21, extended oboe,mm.
byrepetition;
77-78),Das Buckderhdngenden GartenNo. 15 (mm.1-5and42-48),andDie glucklickeHand(mm.1-3 and202-204,
also mm.26-28and200-202.

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16 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

capacitiesofa composer,ofan artist."24 AtthistimeforSchoenberg, however,exact

duplication was anathema. Rather, he delineated the proportions of hisdesignthrough
repetition thatwas varied in content and placement. The result was a near symmetry in
bothartsas opposedtoexactsymmetry ortrueasymmetry.
A secondelement thatfunctions inbothartsisthatofrhythm. Ingeneral, Schoenberg's
atonalmusicdoes notreflect a strongor regularsenseofpulse; inhiswritings about
music,in fact,he refersexplicitly to his "disregard the
for 'strong' beat of the mea-
In fact,hehada systematic
sure."25 meansofdeemphasizing thefirst beatsofmeasures
a
byusing rest,tying a note over the or
measure, writing lines with melodic contoursor
phrasing thatextended overthebarline.26 In addition, severalof his atonal works intro-
ducefrequently changing meters ortempos whichreduceevenfurther anyeffect ofrhythmic
regularity.27There is rhythmic organization, but itis a subtle one that does not dependon
or a
obviousdownbeats regularstrong pulse.28
Thereareadditional waysinmusicofdeemphasizing rhythm andmovement suchas
theuse ofostinatos orpedaltones.Ostinatoscaneitherreinforce rhythm, as ina motor
ostinato,or inhibit it,as in a static
ostinato.29 The former employs a fasttempo,strong
dynamics andaccents,sometimes a crescendooraccelerando, andenoughtimeforthe
effectto buildup; theresultis an intensified rhythm. The latterlacksaccents,is short,
and ifitstartsfastandat a highdynamiclevel,itwilltaperoffto a slowertempoand
lowerdynamiclevel.The staticostinatoholdsbackmovement and oftenappearsat
cadentialpointsintheatonalmusic.Itis thislatter kindofostinato thatpredominates in
theworksbetween 1908and1912.30 Severalfactors, then, contribute to thelack ofrhythmic
driveand forward motionin Schoenberg'satonalmusic- theavoidanceofa regular
pulse,thelackofaccentsonfirst beats,thecontinuous changing ofmetersandtempos,
andthefrequent use ofstaticostinatos.
Oneofthemostdirect waystoexpressrhythm inpainting isthrough therepetitionof
lines,colors,or forms.A senseofmotionin painting can also comefromthesubject
matter or it
itself, may result from techniques such as theuse of individualized brush
strokes,heavyrepeatedimpasto(rough, thick strokes), ora linear directionality, as
such

24Halsey Stevens,op. cit,p. 180.

"ArnoldSchoenberg, "NationalMusic(2)," op.cit.,p. 173.
26Forexample,inthepianopieceOp. 19No. 6 a notesoundsonthefirst beatofonlytwooftheninemeasures ofthe
work.
"ExtremeexamplesincludeOp. 11No. 3, withtempoindications appearingonaveragealmosteverymeasure, and
Erwartung, inwhichtempomarkings changeeverythree measures onaveragewithmeterchangesaveraging everyseventh
measure. Othernoteworthy examplesinvolvingchanging temposand/or meters includeOp. 16
thatarenotquiteso drastic
Hand(scenesii andiii),thesecondhalfofHerzgewdchse,
No. 2, Op. 19,No. 1,Die gliickliche Das Buchderhdngenden
Garten(Nos. 3, 7, and 10) andPierrotlunaireQ<ios. 3, 11, 15, 16,19and21).
28Composite patterns(thesounding rhythmofallpartsinthetexture) provideanimportant keytoSchoenberg's rhyth-
micorganization inthisperiod.See myarticle"Techniques ofRhythmic CoherenceinSchoenberg's AtonalInstrumental
Works,"TheJournalofMusicology, Vol. XI,No. 3 (Summer, 1993),330-356.
29SeeJanMaegaard'sdiscussion ofthesetwotypesofostinato inStudienzurEntwicklungdesdodekaphonen Satzes
beiArnoldSchonberg.l(Copenhagen:W. Hansen,1972),pp. 238-242.
3°SomeofthemostnotableexamplesincludeOp. 11No.2, inwhicha two-note ostinato
permeates themovement; Op.
16No. 1,mm.113-120;Op. 16No. 2, mm.10-16,47-56,80-85;Die gliickliche Hand,inwhichatremololaststhroughout
theentirefirst
sceneandostinatos precedescenesiiiandiv;Erwartung, mm.9 1-95,160-163,307-310,3 18-320,4 18-423,
andPierrotlunaire,No.l,mm. 1-4;No. 2, mm.33-37;No. 11,mm.1-6;No. 19,mm.30-34;No. 20, mm.1-5. A rare
exampleofa motorostinatointhisperiodoccursinOp. 16 No. 1, mm.34-77.

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 ARNOLD SCHOENBERG'S MUSIC AND PAINTING 17

strongdiagonallines.Again,a lookat theillustrations forthisarticle(Figures1-12,

whicharefairly typical)elicits neither a strong sense of rhythm norofmotionfromthe
standpoint ofeither subject matter or treatment. There is a staticqualitytotheportraits,
andamongthevisionsandlandscapesmostofthediagonalsareoverpowered bystrong
horizontals and verticals- theexception, Figure 10 Vision (91, p. 216) will be dis-
cussedbelow.Linearuse is minimal, withformsconveyedbycolorrather thanline.
Eventheexpression ofanemotion as strong as HatredinFigure9 (93,p. 227) produces
an angerthatseemsfrozen.The prominent shapessuchas theeyes,thearms,andthe
centralsymbol on thechest are all circularand suggesta ragethatis moreimpotent than
effective.TypicallyinSchoenberg's paintings, thebrushstrokes areblendedrather than
discrete,andtheuse ofthickimpastois rare.Rhythm andforward motion, then,areno
morecharacteristic ofthepaintings thantheyareofthemusic.
Anotherintriguing parallelismlies in theuse of pictorialimageryin his artand
music.Inhiswritings Schoenberg spokeoutagainstliteral representation inmusic.31 He
claimedtobe opposedtotheuseofwordpainting. He believedmusicshouldreflect the
inner,moregeneralsenseofthetext,rather thansuperficially portray individual words
bymusicalmeans.Whatbecomesevident, however, oncloseexamination ofthemusic
ofthisperiodisthatthereare,infact,numerous examplesofobviouswordpainting. In
many cases where there is a textual reference to or
"up" "down," this direction is re-
flectedin the music; and some of these examplesare anythingbut modest.In
Herzgewachse online11, "In itsunchanging ascension," thesopranomelodymovesup
byleaps over two octaves in four quarter notes and a half note.Thesearenotevalues
whichhavenotbeentypicalinthevocal lineandcall strongattention tothepassage.
Similarly,forthe text"Slowly sinks the sun," of No. 14 "The Crosses" in Pierrot lunaire,
twoquarter notesillustrate"slowly"(surrounded by faster note values), and a descend-
inglineportrays "sinksthesun."Therearenumerous further examples.32 Itseemsclear
thatwhileSchoenberg's intent mayhavebeenforhismusictoreflect theinnermeaning
ofthetextina largersensethansimplewordpainting provides, nonetheless, wordpaint-
ingcan be,andoftenis,a by-product oftheprocess.
A parallelsituationoccursinthepaintings, although theevidencecanbe better seen
intheoriginalpaintings thaninthereproductions. In Figure11 Thinking (88, p. 217)
thereis a spotof goldat thetopoftheheadthatseemsto symbolizetheconceptof
thinking. The sametouchofgoldappearsatthetopofSchoenberg's headinFigure1
GreenSelf-Portrait (hardly visible, in the
unfortunately, illustration). A spotofbright

^'Arnold Schoenberg, "AnalysisoftheFourOrchestral SongsOpus22," op. cit.,pp. 7-8. See also Schoenberg's
"TheRelationship
article, totheText,"written forDerBlaueReiterAlmanacandalsopublished inStyleandIdea,op.cit.,
pp. 141-145.
32In Pierrotlunaire,he thewords"ripsopen"witha longdescending (No. 11"RedMass,"mm.
interprets glissando
11-12),"themooncomesdown"withanother longdescendingglissando(No. 13"TheBeheading," m.20),and"dream-
ily"witha halfnoteanda quarter ina passageprecededbyeighthandsixteenth notes(No. 19"Serenade,"mm.39-40).
GeorgePerle(op.cit.)pinpoints a number examplesinPierrotlunaire,including
offurther theemphasis onparallelthirds
anda recurringtriadtorecallolderdays(No.2 1"O FragranceOld")andthepiccolopassagetoreflect theheavenward path
ofthespiritatthecloseofNo. 12 "GallowsSong."VictorWeberalsopointsouta number ofexamplesofwordpainting in
Die glucklicheHandin"Expressionism andAtonality: TheAestheticofArnoldSchoenberg" Yale
(Ph.D. dissertation,
University,197 l),pp. 127-129.

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18 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

yellowalsomarksthetopofSchoenberg's headintheotherwise somberSelf-Portrait (4,

p. 141). The connection of goldwith the head and the of
process thinking provides a
strikingparallelto word painting in music and well
fits with Schoenberg's own value
system. Although hebelievedstrongly intheroleofintuition inthecreativeprocess,he
also hada greatrespectforlogicalreasoning. He described oncehowrelievedhewasto
discoverafter twenty a
years logical connection between the twomainthemesofhisfirst
ChamberSymphony, forhe hadbeenworriedabouttheapparent absenceofthislink
eversincehecomposedthework.33 Literalreferences,then,markboththemusicandthe
painting.
Another potentialpointofcomparison betweenSchoenberg's musicandartrelates
to athematicism in musicand abstraction inpainting.The term"athematic" refersto
pieces thatlacka recurringmotive ormelody, and abstract
paintings arethose without a
distinctrepresentationalsubject.Both could be thoughtofas "works lacking clearsub-
jectmatter."Totalabstraction inpainting wasas radicala stepinpainting atthistimeas
was athematicism in music.Mostanalystsof Schoenberg'smusicarguethatat least
threeworksare "athematic": Op. 11 No. 3 forpiano,Op. 16 No. 5 fororchestra, and
Erwartung.34
Examplesofabstraction intheart,however,present a problem.In discussionsof
abstraction in painting,twoworksbySchoenberg areusuallysingledout- Figure10
Vision(9 1, p. 2 16) andFigure11 Thinking (88,p.2 17). Visionis unusualinSchoenberg's
output, foritis constructed entirely on thediagonalwithmulticolored bands.Freitag
catalogues this work among theunfinished landscapes; butitis uncharacteristicrelative
totheotherlandscapesandanunlikely naturescene.NuriaSchoenberg-Nono hasindi-
catedthatthisexamplewasseparate from theotherpaintings foundinherfather's legacy
andhadneither framenortitle.Theedgesaredamaged,andshebelievesitmaysimply
be a scrapof cardboardon whichhe was trying outdifferent colors.To claimitas a
water-shed exampleoftotalabstraction is clearlyrisky.In thesecondwork,Figure11
Thinking, Schoenberg is portraying an abstract concept,whichis innovative in itself.
Once thetitleis known,however,it is nothardforviewersto readrepresentational
imagery intoit.Thearcatthebottom ofthepainting lookslikea head,andtheconcen-
trationofgoldatthesummit ofthearccouldeasilyrepresent theprocessofthinking.35 In
viewof Schoenberg'sautobiographical bias,thedarkportionat thelowerrightcould
wellbe hisownhair,andthepale sectionofthearcontheleft,hismarkedly highfore-
head.Thattheimagery is opento identification does notdiminish thesignificance of
painting an abstract concept, butit is important not to overstate Schoenberg's artistic
achievements intheareaofabstraction. Thisparticular comparison, then,is bestavoided.

"Arnold Schoenberg,"Composition withTwelve Tones (\)" Styleand Idea, op. cit., pp. 222-223.
34A fewwritershave
gone to elaboratelengthsto locate some kindof thematicorganizationor motivicrepetitionin
Erwartung.Among themare HerbertBuchanan in "A Key to Schoenberg's Erwartung(Op. 17)," JournaloftheAmerican
Musicological Society, Vol. XX,No.3 (Fall, 1967), 434-449, and H. H. Stuckenschmidtin Schoenberg: HisLife, World
and Work,translated by HumphreySearle (New York: SchirmerBooks, 1978), pp. 120- 12 1. Some analystsfindathematicism
in Pierrot lunaire- Friedheimcites No. 6 "Madonna" {op. cit.,p. 70), and George Perle singles out No. 13 "Beheading"
(notes accompanyingtheColumbia monauralrecordingM2L279 in thesectionon Pierrotlunaire).
"Freitag, "Schonberg als Maler," op. cit.,pp. 26-27.

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 ARNOLD SCHOENBERG1S MUSIC AND PAINTING 19

IntwoareasSchoenberg's usageinthetwoartsdiffers dramatically - thefirst con-

cernscomplexity. Although the musical works inthis period are short relativeto those
composedearlierandlater,thetextures within themcanbe highly complex.Theorches-
trapieces in particular makeuse of multiplesimultaneous contrapuntal strands- the
firstmovement ofOp. 16,forexample,containsnumerous canonicpassages,withen-
trancessometimes only a beat apart.36 Similarly, sections of Pierrotlunaireemploya
variety ofcontrapuntal techniques (fugue,canonindiminution, retrograde, andinver-
sionamongothers).Thisis also theperiodinwhichSchoenberg devisedhisnotational
systemof FT forthemainthemeandN~ forthesecondary themeto helpclarifythe
important linesinhisintricate contrapuntal web.
In contrast, complexity and attention to detaildo notcharacterize thepaintings.
Usually, there is a singledominating focus that immediately strikesthe viewer,andthe
workdoesnotrequirelengthy studytounravelitsmeaning. Intheportraits andsomeof
thevisions,theemphasisis eitheronthefaceortheeyes.Mostoftheothervisionsand
landscapesalso presenta single uncomplicatedscene or concept.In describing
Schoenberg's paintings, Kandinsky applaudedthe"renunciation ofthesuperfluous" and
avoidanceofornamentation anddetail.37 saw
Kandinsky Schoenberg's focus on the es-
sentialas a valuableexpression ofsubjective feeling.
A close lookatoneofthelandscapeswillshowSchoenberg's typicalreductive ap-
proach.Figure 8 Landscape, which we have already discussed above, reproduces a gen-
eralrather thana site-specific naturestudy.A muddyyellowdominates thescene,with
fewgradations tosuggestdepth.On the lower right-hand side,a clusterofdarkvertical
strokes withsomepinkatthetopsuggestsfoliage;a smalldarksectionatthetopright
couldbe rock.Schoenberg avoidsmuchmodelling ordetail,andtheviewerhasnosense
ofscale.Thegreenery at the lower right looks like a standoftreesatfirst, butthefaint
pinkat thetop suggestsflowers,or at leasta flowering bush.The uncertainty of the
foliagereinforces theoverall How
ambiguity. big are these hills,and is theviewer close
ordistant? Schoenberg himself was uncomfortable with his landscapes and hisportraits
ofothersandreferred tothemas "five-finger exercises," a meansofdeveloping hisskill.
Nonetheless, painters such as Kandinsky and Albert Paris von who
GUtersloh, arranged
forSchoenberg's finalexhibition inBudapest,sawthis"reductive" treatment ina posi-
tiveway.38
Thereis onenotableexception toSchoenberg's typicallandscapetreatment. Figure
12 Gardenin Modling(195, p. 291), is a site-specific workthatshowsconsiderable
detailanda clearsenseofscale.It is thought tobe an earlyworkfrombefore1908and
tostrongly reflect Gerstl'sinfluence.39 Whatis significant, however, isthatSchoenberg,

36In thismovement, an ultimate incomplexity occursinmm.79-81whentheopeningmelodicpattern (violinsI)

appearsinstretto (violinsII andviolas),inaugmentation (trombonesI, II andxylophone),andindoubleaugmentation
(trumpetI) againsttwoostinato oneinharpandtimpani
patterns, andtheotherinthehorns.
37Wassily Kandinsky, "ThePaintings ofSchoenberg,' 'JournaloftheArnoldSchoenberg Vol. II, No. 3
Institute,
(June,1978),184.
38For a translation
ofGutersloh's article,
originally
publishedbyPiperin1912,seetheAppendix ofArnoldSchonberg:
Das bilderische Werk, op. cit, pp.415-427,especiallyp. 419.
39Georg Eislersuggests Gerstl mayhaveevenhelpedwiththepainting. See "Observations
onSchoenberg as Painter,"
JournaloftheArnoldSchoenberg Vol. II,No. 3 (June,1978),176.
Institute,

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20 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

at leastonthisoneearlyoccasion,conceivedofa landscapeindetailedandnaturalistic
terms.Subsequently hedecidedagainstthisstyleinfavorofmoreabstract scenes,which
constitute themajority ofthelandscapes.The stylechoicewas a consciousone. The
musicandart,then,standapartonthematter ofcomplexity anddetail.Thepaintings do
notneedminute andcareful examination - theirsubjectmatter andtreatment aresimple
anddirect.In contrast, themusicchallengesthelistener withitsintricacy, anditsstudy
uncovers muchrichness.
Thesecondelement thatdiffers inSchoenberg's practiceofthetwoartsinvolvesthe
use ofcolor.In artisticterms, color concerns thebasic hue (blue,green),itsshade(de-
greeoflightness ordarkness), anditsintensity (brilliantversus weak). In music,color
refers totonecolor,thetimbre ofaninstrument, whichwillvaryaccording tothetypeof
instrument andrangethatis used.Colorinartmakesa goodparallelto tonecolorin
music.In fact,Kandinsky evenwentso faras to assignparticular colorsto different
instruments andranges.Forexample,he associatedlightbluewiththeflute,a darker
bluewiththe'cello,a bluethatwasdarker stillwiththedoublebass,andthedarkest blue
of all withtheorgan.40 It is doubtful, that
however, Schoenberg made such specific
identifications.41
Thattonecolorinmusichadconsiderable significance forSchoenberg is clearfrom
hisdevelopment ofKlangfarbenmelodie, a conceptwhereby instrumental changesas-
sumethestatusofmelodyandcandetermine thecourseofthecomposition. Further,the
kindsofinstrumental timbres thathefavored werecontrasting onesthatbrought outthe
clarity ofthe "Similar
lines. colours,particularly similartone-colours, melt too easily
intooneanother, forming chords,anditis thencertainly harder tofollowtheconstruc-
tionofthetexture."42 Intheorchestra movements heindividualizes thetonequalityofthe
instruments byasking them to play in unusual registers bydrawingon individual
and
soloistsfromeverysectionincluding thedoublebass.43 Consistently inhisscores,he is
afternewandspecialcoloreffects thatpromote theindividuality ofthelines.
His approachto paintingis exactlytheopposite,forhe avoidssharpcontrast. A
number ofhisoilsemphasizea singleoverallhue,suchas theself-portraits namedfora
color,BlueSelf-Portrait ( 1, p. 13 1) andGreenSelf-Portrait (3, p. 169) orthegazes,Red
Gaze (75, p. 207 and77, p. 214) andBlue Gaze (90, p. 225). Manyofthelandscapes

40WassilyKandinsky, Concerning theSpiritual

inArt(repr.,NewYork:DoverPublications Inc.,1977),p. 38.He also
equatedgreenwiththemiddlenotesoftheviolinanda lightwarmredormedium yellowwithstrong trumpets (pp.39-40).
4lTobe sure,colordoesassumeparticular significanceinDie gluckliche Hand. Duringthecrescendoofwindand
light(mm.125-153) Schoenberg callsfora successionofcoloredlightsonstagetocoincidewithspecificmeasures inthe
score.JohnCrawford hasshownthatthereis occasionalcorrespondence betweenSchoenberg's colorsandKandinsky 's
instrumental Thesecomparisons,
equivalents. however, tomakesinceatanygivenmoment
aredifficult severaltonecolors
areusuallysounding, andtheyalterveryquickly.Forexample,at"dirty green"(m. 133) thesoloviolinpassage,which]s
consistent withKandinsky 's instrumentalchoiceforgreenonlyhassecondary status(N"),whiletheoboehasthemainpart
(H"). I do notfindtheevidencefrom theoperasufficient tosuggestthatSchoenberg adoptedKandinsky 's instrumental
" inTheMusical
equivalents.See Crawford's discussion,'Die glucklicheHand:Schoenberg 's Gesamtkunstwerk, Quar-
terly,Vol. LX,No. 4 (October,1974),esp.586-588.Further, itis unlikely
thatSchoenberg hadhisownsystem ofequiva-
lents.InDie gliicklicheHandthecolorvioletshinesoutontwooccasions(mm.47-48and139-140),butthescoring varies.
42Arnold
Schoenberg, "Instrumentation," StyleandIdea,op. cit.,p.335.
43From timetotimetheviolapartplaysbelowthatofthe'cello (forexample,Op. 16No. 2, mm.43-44),andthe
secondmovement ofOp. 16 usesnumerous solotonecolorsincluding violin,viola,and'cello. Thesolodoublebassappears
shortly beforetheendofthepenultimate movement ofOp. 16.

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 ARNOLD SCHOENBERG'S MUSIC AND PAINTING 21

also emphasizea singleoverriding shade- thedullyellowofLandscape(199,p. 304),

or thegray-beige of Landscape(201, p. 303). Even Figure12 Gardenin Modling,
whichcouldbe a riotofbrilliant color,is an overallgreenand graywithonlya few
bright accents.Whenhedoesuseprominent colorblocks,as insomeofhisportraits of
others, thecolorstendtobe darkandmuddy, whichminimizes theircontrast. Onewriter
suggests that"Schoenberg didnotknowhowtobouncecontrasting colorsoffeachother
forheightened expressive effect (as Gerstloranyprofessional artist would),buthedid
knowhow, subtly,to tunethemto the same pitch."44 Kandinskyalso mentions
Schoenberg' s restraineduse of color when toa
referring portrait ofa womanthatshowed
"onlythesicklypinkofthedressotherwise no 'colors.'"45 In music,then,Schoenberg
soughta clarity ofcolorbyusingcontrast, whereasartistically heavoidedbright colors
andsharpcontrast.
Onefinalpointshouldbe considered. Is thereanywayofconnecting theatonality of
Schoenberg's musicwiththestyleofhispaintings?Indeed,somewriters haverelated
thedissolution oftonality inmusicwiththedissolution ofperspective inart.46
Specifi-
cally,they see a between
parallel the atonality of theSecond Viennese Schoolandthe
lackoftraditional perspectiveinsuchpainters as Cezanne,Klee,andKandinsky. As the
argument goes, traditional
harmony inmusic relatesto the third dimension inart, the
and
artistwho eliminatesperspective or thethirddimensionin paintingis similarto the
composer whothrough atonalityandtheavoidanceofprogressive harmony removes the
third dimension inmusic.Whilethisanalogycertainly hasmerit, itshouldbe appliedto
Schoenberg inthepainting areasomewhat cautiously. Someofhispaintings exhibita
highlevelofability;butthereareothersthathavedistinct limitations thatappeartobe
related tohisinexperience. Thelackofperspective inhispainting, then,maybe morethe
resultofhisamateurstatusthanhisintent. Anyconsideration ofSchoenberg'slackof
perspective inhispainting needstotakethispointintoaccount.
Inthefinalanalysis,then,whatcanwe concludefromthesesimilarities anddiffer-
encesinSchoenberg'spracticeofthetwoarts?The generalexpressionist qualities-
autobiographical characteristics,alienation, and horror - that link Schoenberg's prac-
ticeinthetwoartscomeas nosurprise. Whatis ofmoreinterest arethesimilarities and
differences inmusicandartthatarespecifictoSchoenberg. Inthematter ofdesignand
balance,certainly a fundamental conceptinbotharts,Schoenberg showsa preference
fornearsymmetry as opposedto exactsymmetry or a strongassymmetry. Rhythm,
anotherbasic parameter in musicand art,also receivessimilartreatment in thetwo
mediums. On theotherhand,therearemajordifferences inhisapproachtocomplexity
oftextureand color.Thereis no easyexplanation ofthesedifferences; we can only
speculate.Conceivably, the different treatment he accords these two areas maystem
from a needforpsychicbalancerelative totheseparameters. WhileSchoenberg's funda-
mentalconceptsoforganization andrhythm remained essentially consistentinhisprac-
ticeofthetwoarts,hisapproachtocolorandcomplexity stoodinopposition, perhaps
theresultofhisinstinctive needtostrike an innerbalance.
44Kallir,op. d/.,p. 58.
45Kandinsky,"The Paintingsof Schoenberg,"op. cit.,p. 184.
4f'0neof the best discussions appears in an articleby WernerHofmann,"Beziehung zwischen Malerei und Musik,"
(Haags gemeentemuseum,1969).
Portretten/parituren/documenten
Schonberg/Webern/Berg:

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