The Cambridge Companion to Schoenberg

From a press release:

"“The artist never has a relationship with the world, but rather always against it; he turns his back on it, just as it deserves. But his most fervent wish is to be so independent…”
–Arnold Schoenberg

One of the most important and controversial figures in 20th century music, Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) has often been labeled as an isolated elitist. His notoriously challenging work has polarized the music community: while some consider his works, theories, and signature ideas as essential, for many his music remains beyond the pale. Both sides of the debate, however, perceive Schoenberg as a contrarian artist cut off from society—is this justified?

The Cambridge Companion to Schoenberg (Cambridge University Press, August 2nd, 2010) rejects such monolithic views, and instead demonstrates how Schoenberg’s music and thought were profoundly engaged with the musical and artistic movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Edited by Jennifer Shaw and Joseph Auner, this unique volume illustrates that Schoenberg’s music incorporated and critiqued the fundamental cultural, social, and political disruptions that he lived through. Furthermore, it discusses in-depth Schoenberg’s little-known, mutually influential relationships with major figures, such as Richard Strauss, Wassily
Kadinsky, and Hanns Eisler.

With 15 other expert contributors, The Cambridge Companion to Schoenberg includes:

· Introductions to Schoenberg’s important works and to his
groundbreaking innovations, such as twelve-tone compositions
· Assessments of his interactions with leading artists and composers
· A discussion of his lasting influence on other composers and writers
over the last century"

Overt or Advanced? And why doesn't anyone dress for ping pong anymore?