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Kate Molleson explores Schoenberg’s changing relationship with religion and his attitudes towards faith.

Is there a more controversial, infamous figure in 20th-century music than Arnold Schoenberg? Arguably no other 20th-century composer’s ideas have been more influential among composers since; however, his music is still neglected and misunderstood by programmers and audiences. Schoenberg was a revolutionary - one of the founders of musical Modernism - but he also recognised the importance of musical tradition. His music defined the times in which he lived, and whether you see Schoenberg as the most important innovator in 20th-century music, or as a heretic who led his followers to an artistic dead end, he was absolutely dedicated to art – both musical and visual. Over the course of this week, Kate Molleson explores the twists and turns of Schoenberg’s life, and tracks the composer’s changing relationship with art through the prism of 5 different visual works, from an image which terrified and obsessed Schoenberg as a child, through the composer’s own paintings, and one of his practical twelve-tone selection dials, to a portrait of Schoenberg painted while he was in exile in America, by his friend and fellow composer George Gershwin.

In 1919, Schoenberg painted a ‘Vision of Christ’ in watercolour. Using that as a jumping off point, in Thursday’s programme, Kate Molleson explores Schoenberg’s changing relationship with religion and his attitudes towards faith, something which informed much of his music. We also explore how the political situation in Germany and Austria led to Schoenberg fleeing Europe for exile in America.

Songs for male chorus, Op 35 No 6 Verbundenheit "Man hilft zur Welt dir kommen"
Â鶹Éç Singers
Pierre Boulez, conductor

Die Jakobsleiter: Ob rechts, ob links
Dietrich Henschel, baritone (Gabriel)
Salome Kammer, soprano
Heidi Meier, soprano
Jonas Kaufmann, tenor
Stephan Rugamer, tenor
Kurt Azesberger, tenor
Michael Volle, baritone
James Johnson, baritone
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Kent Nagano, conductor

Kol Nidre, Op 39
Alberto Mizrahi, narrator
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Riccardo Muti, conductor

Moses und Aron (Act II excerpt)
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden & Freiburg
EuropaChorAkademie
Sylvain Cambreling, conductor

Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra (after Handel)
The Lark Quartet
The San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
Jean-Louis LeRoux, conductor

Produced by Sam Phillips for Â鶹Éç Audio Wales & West