Anton Webern - Five Pieces for Orchestra Op. 10 (1913)

Anton Webern (3 December 1883 – 15 September 1945) was an Austrian composer and conductor. Along with his mentor Arnold Schoenberg and his colleague Alban Berg, Webern comprised the core among those within and more peripheral to the circle of the Second Viennese School, including Ernst Krenek and Theodor W. Adorno. As an exponent of atonality and twelve-tone technique, Webern exerted influence on contemporaries Luigi Dallapiccola, Křenek, and even Schoenberg himself. As tutor Webern guided and variously influenced Arnold Elston, Frederick Dorian (Friederich Deutsch), Fré Focke, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Philipp Herschkowitz, René Leibowitz, Humphrey Searle, Leopold Spinner, and Stefan Wolpe.

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Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10 (1913)

1. Urbild (Archetype) Sehr ruhig und zart (0:00)
2. Verwandlung (Transformation) Lebhaft und zart bewegt (0:49)
3. Rückkehr (Return) Sehr Langsam und äußerst ruhig (1:23)
4. Erinnerung (Memory) Fließend, äußerst zart (2:54)
5. Seele (Soul) Sehr Fließend (3:24)

Description by John Keillor [-]
Anton Webern's Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10 require less than five minutes to perform. The movements are not thematically connected, nor do they include traditional formal plans or tonal relationships. What they do contain is probably the most convincing utilization of Klangfarbenmelodie (tone-color melody) ever and apply an aphoristic approach to composition for orchestra for the first time.

These pieces are the last orchestral works Webern published before his adoption of the 12-tone method. His Op. 1 Passacaglia for Orchestra was post-Brahmsian and his Op. 5 orchestral works were atonal, sectional, and hint at the initial implications of the new musical language. Op. 10 expresses only the raw components of musical sound: notes, intervals, scraps of ostinato, rhythms, attack, volume, and tone color. While the Op. 5 was written in brief enough sections and durations to be considered miniatures, Op. 10 does away with the conventions of a traditional orchestral narrative. The result is an aphoristic approach that condenses the sound into one, hyper-expressive text. The result is a spilling over of artistic idea that is undeniable, immediate, and difficult to articulate.

What can be discerned is a flow of tone-color that is continually associative. For example, a plucked violin relates to the harp heard earlier. A horn can function as color conduit between a flute and a trumpet. This is in addition to tempos changing and recurring and many other basic, identifiable materials, such as register. With so much going on in a very brief period, the spirit of the movements harness a precariousness that might be the closest to the Expressionist oeuvre among Webern's instrumental works. The function of each musical signpost is always fluctuating, further abstracting the surface and underlying structure. A painstaking order is obviously at work in these movements. This music pushes the traditional limits of perception and yet exhibits strikingly lucid, even candid intentions. Webern's mastery of this language is palpable, but this is hardly a comfort. Webern was primarily concerned with the contours of natural phenomena, which follow a logic separate from the world humanity has created for itself.

The premiere of Op. 10 was on June 22, 1924, over 10 years after its completion. Webern conducted the five movements himself, in Zurich, during the fourth festival of the International Society for Contemporary Composers. Critics had time to absorb Webern's approach to music by then, and wrote favorably, even glowingly, of the work. Music reporters from Berlin, who had lambasted him in the past, described the composer as "a true musical poet," and provided many similar accolades as well. The concert catapulted the composer to international fame. In terms of winning respect from the music world, this concert may have been the most successful evening of Anton Webern's career.

[nanflasted]

0:05 I.
0:49 II.
1:23 III.
2:54 IV.
3:24 V.

[goingfortheone]

This sounds so ahead of its time. I've absolutely fallen in love with this opus.

[sonder]

That time Webern did the rite of spring, Varese, Xenakis, Stockhausen and Boulez all in a 5 minute long orchestral piece before they even existed.

[seaotter]

0:05 Archetype
0:49 Transformation
1:23 Return
2:54 Memory
3:24 Soul

[neonwind]

Beautiful! My favourite Webern Piece. Always.

[johnmanno]

One of my favorite pieces ever. This was a blast to play when I was in music school.

[NovicebutPassionate]

Beautiful! Five pieces under five minutes. Obviously, so much to grasp!

[obrcht]

Closest music to Webern I am aware of is Tibetan bowl music. Music interplay with three elements, the note(s) struck, it's overtone, or echo, and silence.

[My-Dear]

베베른 오케스트라를 위한 5악장
5악장 합쳐 6분에 불과할 정도로 짧은 길이에 만돌린 기타 등 특수한 악기 사용해 독특한 음향. 공중에 음을 흩뿌려놓은 듯한 그만의 음악어법인 음색선율이 강하게 드러남. 음높이보다 음색에 의존.

[ysibktd]

20c 초반 음악

베베른 : [5개의 관현악소곡] op.10

★제 2기 [표현주의 = 무조음악]
[표현주의] : 표현주의 회화에서 유래
20세기 초 당시 현대인 들의 [긴장]과 [공포] [불안] [갈등] 등 [내면세계]를 표출하는 흐름
표현주의는 일반적으로 [쇤베르크]와 [베르크]의 [= 초기 무조성 음악]을 가르킨다.
= [조성 체계의 붕괴] 표현주의 예술은 [인간 내면의 본질적 실체를 추구] 하면서 [기능화성에서 벗어난] 초기 무조성 음악을 뜻한다

[베베른] : 베베른의 작품은 [매우 짧고] [밀도]있으며 [완벽한 형식]을 갖추고 있다.

(1920 중반) 이전 까지 [무조음악]작곡 = (단순한 소재)와 (짧은 길이의 압축성 특징)

[SaccidanandaSadasiva]

If I was in a deserted island I would take the complete works of J.S.Bach, A.Webern and Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart. I need nothing else than the divine music of bach, the minimalism of webern and the craziness of captain beefheart. You?

[seesharpminor]

I could be wrong, but wasn't some of this used in The Exorcist

[seangrogan]

Ich liebe es. und bestimmt die Teufels Küche Variationen

[robertberger]

Please identify the conductor and orchestra . Thank you .

[parcivalg.]

La prima cosa che penso alzandomi dal letto al mattino, è l'opera omnia di Webern. Uhm 🤔 🙄

[genttiazhuga]

It is so weird i mean i respect all the opinions but how can you love this music?!

[robinblankenship]

Just because we can doesn't mean we should.

[Caturiya]

churchill had no right to ignore this. It is not a summary of Mahler. Mahler was unable to feel such deep pains. Perhaps in a diary of Webern ther could be found a note of a future Hitler. Sceems in concentrationcamps.