Journey of Schoenberg's Family: From Nazism to Musical Innovation
In 1954, Arnold Schoenberg's widow, Gertrud, and their daughter, Nuria, embarked on a significant journey. After fleeing Nazism two decades prior, they traveled from the United States to Europe for the first time. Their destination was Hamburg, Germany, where the concert premiere of Schoenberg's “Moses und Aron” took place. It was here that Nuria met the young Italian composer Luigi Nono.
Uniting Two Families in Art and Invention
The following year, Nuria and Luigi Nono got married in Venice, uniting two families with rich histories in art and invention. Nuria Schoenberg's father was a revolutionary who broke away from tonality and developed a new composition method, which had a profound impact on the course of musical history. Nono's father was an engineer and an amateur musician, while his grandfather was a Venetian painter known for depicting scenes of the poor. This background laid the foundation for Nono's own art, which combined revolutionary politics, avant-gardism, and technology.Musical Extremes and Political Acts
Luigi Nono, who was born 100 years ago and passed away in 1990, invited listeners to explore musical extremes. One of his notable works is the “Fragmente-Stille, an Diotima” (1979-80), a string quartet that quotes words from the elusive German Romantic poet Friedrich Hölderlin. The players are to “sing” these words inwardly, creating a political act of hope and forging a whole from fragments. It is a composition that emphasizes both silence and notes, inviting listeners to engage with the music on a deeper level.Nono's Enthusiasm for Schoenberg's Music
Nono's enthusiasm for Schoenberg's music was unwavering and more definite compared to his Darmstadt School contemporaries like Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen. For them, Anton Webern, Schoenberg's most radical pupil, was seen as the true prophet of new music. However, the Darmstadt School avant-gardists, particularly Boulez and Stockhausen, still hold significant positions in music history. Despite their deaths, their legacies remain precarious, with their repertory status often elusive, despite the passionate advocacy of a few dedicated individuals. We cannot afford to ignore Nono, as we would miss out on a wealth of diverse works and the opportunity to transform the way we listen to both old and new music and the world around us.
