The first decades of the 20th century were a time of transition and experimentation. Composers like Richard Strauss were taking tonality to new levels, stopping just short of atonality. Arnold Schoenberg came of musical age in the lush chromatic language of late German romanticism But unlike Strauss, Schoenberg didn’t have any qualms about taking tonality to its the next logical step. In his post-romantic works he went ahead and broke down the last barrier between tonal structure and the implied chaos of atonality.
One of Schoenberg’s major works of the new century – and a seminal work by any standard – is his Pierrot lunaire (Moonstruck Pierrot), which the NOVA Chamber Music Series will perform at its next concert on Jan. 20.
Tony Arnold
Written in 1912 Pierrot lunaire is a setting of 21 poems by the Belgian symbolist writer Albert Giraud in a German translation. The poems are divided into three groups of seven poems each. The first seven deal with religion, sex and love. The middle poems focus on violence and crime, while in the final section Pierrot returns home, haunted by the past.
The instrumentation, which has become standard for contemporary chamber works, consists of flute (doubling piccolo); clarinet (doubling bass clarinet); violin (doubling viola); cello; and piano. The vocal line is written in what Schoenberg himself called Sprechstimme, or speech-like song.
The music of Pierrot lunaire is atonal but not 12-tone (Schoenberg didn’t completely develop his theories on the 12-tone method of composing until the early 1920s). It is complex, intense and at times harsh and certainly a challenge for audiences to appreciate, even a century after its premiere.
It’s also demanding for the vocalist, said soprano Tony Arnold, who will be singing it at Sunday’s concert. Arnold is one of today’s premiere interpreters of new music and Reichel Recommends spoke with her by phone recently.
“Learning the pitch material and working on how to deliver the text have its difficulties,” she said. “It’s hard and takes time.” And even though the music is atonal, there are hints of tonality throughout the work. “Pierrot is rooted in German romanticism and expressionism. There are any number of moments when you hear a glimmer of traditional tonality. And it’s important to illuminate these.”
And learning the poems is just as challenging. “It’s an investment, the same as Schubert,” she said. “You have to deliver images.”
Arnold is quite familiar with Pierrot lunaire. “I sang it for the first time 20 years ago when I was a graduate student at Northwestern University,” she said. At the time she was studying orchestral conducting, but had been singing for years. “A colleague in the doctoral program wanted to do it, and asked if I’d be interested.”
Jason Eckardt (Photo: Molly Sheridan)
The other piece on Sunday’s concert is Jason Eckardt’s The Distance (This), a work that Arnold has performed and also recorded. It’s part of a lengthy work that “could not be more different from the fantastical world of Pierrot,” the singer said.
The text of The Distance (This) is by American writer and poet Laura Mullen. “There is a discontinuity of thought in [her] texts,” Arnold said. “There is a juxtaposition of phrases and ideas and rapid fire splicings. It’s really how we normally think.” And Eckardt’s music captures this disjointed train of thought. “Jason brings in that discontinuity into the music. His writing for the singer is technical and virtuosic.”
The Distance (This) consists of 15 what Arnold calls “tableaus” which can be performed in any order. “The performers choose what order to play them,” she said and added that investigating and exploring these worlds is very stimulating and gratifying.
While Arnold has immersed herself in new music for much of her career, she hasn’t neglected traditional music either. In fact, her newest recording, released last November, features transcriptions of Schubert songs for voice and guitar which she and guitarist Dan Lippel have put together into a song cycle.
Joining Arnold at Sunday’s concert are members of the Utah Symphony and conductor Steven Schick, with whom Arnold recorded the Eckardt piece.
- CONCERT DETAILS:
- What: NOVA Chamber Music Series
- Venue: Libby Gardner Concert Hall, University of Utah
- Time and Date: 3 p.m. Jan. 20
- Tickets: $18 general, $15 seniors, $5 students, free for University of Utah students
- Phone: 801-463-5223
- Web: www.novachambermusicseries.org