Main content

The Listening Service Extra 4 of 12 - Schoenberg’s IDEA

Schoenberg’s conception of what the “idea” of a piece of music really was...

Schoenberg’s conception of what the “idea” of a piece of music really was - something even bigger than the sounds it makes.

‘I personally believe in "l'art pour l'art." In the creation of a work of art, nothing should interfere with the real idea. A work of art must elaborate on its own idea and follow the conditions which this idea establishes. This does not mean that an artist must have principles for which he obeys...’
- Arnold Schoenberg, late 1940s

Archive audio and photos with kind permission of Arnold Schönberg Center, Wien

Available now

4 minutes

Featured in...

Why do we call it 'classical' music?

Tom Service poses a very simple question (with a not-so-simple answer).

Six of the world's most extreme voices

From babies to Mongolian throat singers: whose voice is the most extreme of all?

How did the number 12 revolutionise music?

How did the number 12 revolutionise music?

How Schoenberg opened a new cosmos for composers and listeners to explore.

Why are we all addicted to bass?

Why are we all addicted to bass?

Bass is everywhere, but why do we enjoy it? Join Tom Service on a journey of discovery.

Watch the animations

Join Tom Service on a musical journey through beginnings, repetition and bass lines.

When does noise become music?

We like to think we can separate “noise” from “music”, but is it that simple?

Podcast