Drop the Needle - 12-Tone Serialism: The Most Democratic Harmony
Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, and Blouez, plus a little lagniappe
"The twelve-tone scale will be the new scale of our music, but we must avoid pitfalls. We must not abandon tonality entirely, and thereby lose all the characteristics that give tonal music its strength, its body, its unity."
— Igor Stravinsky, 1951, during an interview with The New York Times after he began incorporating twelve-tone techniques into his compositions.
Imagine music deliberately in the key of nothing. Dolly Parton, it ain’t!
In this issue of Drop the Needle: Music that Matters, we delve into the world of twelve-tone serialism, a technique that reshaped the musical landscape of the 20th century.
Twelve-tone (dodecaphonic) serialism, developed by Arnold Schoenberg, emerged as a radical response to the limitations of traditional tonal music. In tonal music, especially within the framework of tertian harmony, certain notes and chords are given hierarchical importance, creating a sense of resolution and functional progression. This system relies on the dominance of a tonic note, with harmonic movement directed toward establishing and resolving tension within a key. However, by the early 20th century, the chromaticism and extended harmonies of late Romantic music began to blur these tonal boundaries, leading composers to seek new ways of organizing musical material.
Twelve-tone serialism fundamentally alters this hierarchy by treating all twelve semitones of the chromatic scale with equal importance, thereby 'democratizing' the pitch material. In this system, no single note or chord is more central than another, which effectively erases the traditional tonal center. This approach not only liberates the composer from the constraints of functional harmony but also allows for the exploration of new, intricate structures and relationships between notes. By using a pre-determined series (or "row") of twelve tones, which can be manipulated through inversion, retrograde, and transposition, composers can create works that are both highly structured and free from the gravitational pull of tonality. This method opened up a new realm of expressive possibilities, allowing music to move in directions previously unexplored, free from the necessity of returning to a tonic.
In Arnold Schoenberg's Suite for Piano, Op. 25, one of the twelve-tone rows he used is as follows: B♭, D, F♯, G, E, A, C, B, C♯, E♭, F, A♭
We can represent that sequence of notes in the following pitch classes, with C being zero: 10, 2, 6, 7, 4, 9, 0, 11, 1, 3, 5, 8
From this sequence, the following matrix is created, with the original row at the top:
| 10 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 0 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 6 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 11| 1 | 4 |
| 5 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10| 0 | 3 |
| 8 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10| 1 |
| 0 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 11 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| 1 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 11 |
| 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 7 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 2 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
This matrix represents all the possible permutations of the row Schoenberg used in the Suite for Piano, Op. 25, including transpositions1 (any successive row), inversions2 (down any column from the top), retrogrades3 (any row backwards), and retrograde inversions (up any column from the bottom). This matrix is a key element in how Schoenberg structured the harmony and melody of the suite, maintaining the twelve-tone technique while also creating varied and expressive music.
Twelve-tone serialism remains one of the most intellectually stimulating and artistically challenging developments in Western music. By exploring these works, we gain a deeper understanding of the creative possibilities that arise when composers break free from tradition and venture into new, uncharted territories.
Having explored the theory and history of twelve-tone serialism, it's time to experience the music firsthand. Click the play button below to immerse yourself in a curated selection of some of the most groundbreaking compositions that demonstrate the full range of this innovative technique. From the intricate structures of Schoenberg to the exactitude of Webern, this playlist will take you on a journey through the soundscapes that redefined modern music. Let the equal voices of all twelve pitches guide you through a unique and transformative listening experience.
Arnold Schoenberg - Suite for Piano, Op. 25
Schoenberg’s Suite for Piano, Op. 25 is a groundbreaking work that marks one of the first fully developed twelve-tone compositions. Structured in the style of a Baroque suite, the piece is a fascinating blend of old and new, with each movement carefully crafted using the twelve-tone technique.
The work begins with a Prelude that immediately immerses the listener in Schoenberg’s new harmonic milieu. The rhythmic complexity and contrapuntal textures of the following movements—Gavotte, Musette, Intermezzo, Menuett, and Trio, and Gigue—showcase Schoenberg’s mastery in adapting some of the first historical forms to modern idioms.
YouTube Performance: Yuja Wang, July 26, 2022, Verbier Festival, Salle des Combins, Verbier, Switzerland
Spotify Performance: Glenn Gould
Alban Berg - Violin Concerto
Dedicated “to the memory of an angel,” Berg’s Violin Concerto is a poignant synthesis of twelve-tone serialism and late Romanticism. The work stands out for its emotional depth and its unique incorporation of tonal references within the twelve-tone framework.
The concerto’s structure is a traditional two-movement form, but within this, Berg weaves a complex tapestry of tone rows, folk songs, and even a Bach chorale. The work’s lyrical beauty and tragic undercurrents make it one of the most accessible and beloved serialist compositions.
YouTube Performance: Frankfurt Radio Symphony conducted by Alain Altinoglu, with violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, Alte Oper Frankfurt, September 10, 2021
Spotify Performance: Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Levine, with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter
Anton Webern - Symphony, Op. 21
Webern’s Symphony, Op. 21 is a masterpiece of economy and precision. This brief work, lasting just about ten minutes, exemplifies Webern’s approach to serialism, where every note, dynamic, and articulation is meticulously placed.
Webern’s symphony is a study in brevity and clarity. The first movement, structured as a double canon, and the second, a theme with variations, demonstrate how twelve-tone rows can be used to create highly ordered yet expressive music.
YouTube Performance: Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli
Spotify Performance: London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez - Le Marteau sans maître
Boulez’s Le Marteau sans maître (The Hammer without a Master) is a landmark work of post-war serialism. This cycle for alto voice and mixed ensemble sets surrealist poetry to music in a manner that challenges traditional concepts of melody and harmony.
The complex interplay of rhythm, timbre, and pitch in Le Marteau sans maître creates a sound world that is both intricate and evocative. Boulez’s use of twelve-tone rows is highly integrated with his exploration of instrumental color, making this work a pivotal piece in the development of serial music.
Avant "L'Artisanat furieux" (Before "The Furious Craftsmanship")
Commentaire I de "Bourreaux de solitude" (First commentary on "Hangmen of Solitude")
"L'Artisanat furieux" (The Furious Craftsmanship)
Commentaire II de "Bourreaux de solitude" (Second commentary on "Hangmen of Solitude")
"Bel Édifice et les pressentiments", version première ("Stately Building and Presentiments", first version)
"Bourreaux de solitude" ("Hangmen of Solitude")
Après "L'Artisanat furieux" (After "The Furious Craftsmanship")
Commentaire III de "Bourreaux de solitude" (Third commentary on "Hangmen of Solitude")
"Bel Édifice et les pressentiments", double ("Stately Building and Presentiments", again)
YouTube Performance:
Spotify Performance: conducted by Robert Craft
Lagniappe: About the music industry.
The history of the music industry, as illustrated in the chart I stumbled on, reveals how the ways we consume music have dramatically changed over the decades. In the late 20th century, the industry thrived on the back of physical formats like vinyl (which is making a comeback), cassettes, and CDs, with CDs alone dominating the market for nearly two decades. However, the advent of digital downloads and the internet brought about a significant decline, with industry revenues dropping sharply from their 1999 peak.
The rise of streaming in the mid-2010s has brought a new era of music consumption, offering listeners unprecedented access to vast libraries of music at their fingertips. While streaming has revitalized the industry and provided a stable revenue model, the shift from ownership to access has fundamentally changed how music is valued and monetized. This evolution mirrors the way music itself has transformed, continually adapting to new technologies and cultural shifts.
Understanding these changes is essential to grasping why music matters—not just as an art form, but as a reflection of our society and its ongoing relationship with creativity, innovation, and the way we connect with the world around us.
The series on the evolution of the symphony was fun. I may get back to it. But for now, I want to explore other content.
For those of you, my dear readers, who saw the 12-tone theme and rolled your eyes (and who made it all the way through to this coda!); well what can I say? It was gonna happen sooner or later. A newsletter on "Music that Matters” would have to cover Schoenberg’s harmonic innovation sooner or later. I hope you find that I gave the genre its due.
Anyway, I have many more ideas in the form of barely-started drafts on all kinds of themes. So, please stay tuned. There’s more Music that Matters to come.
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Transposition refers to the process of shifting a piece of music or a musical segment to a higher or lower pitch level, while maintaining the original interval relationships between notes. In twelve-tone serialism, transposition involves moving a twelve-tone row up or down by a certain number of semitones, creating a new row that retains the same sequence of intervals as the original, but starting on a different pitch. This allows composers to explore different tessituras (pitch ranges) of the row while preserving its structural integrity.
Inversion in twelve-tone serialism involves flipping the intervals of a twelve-tone row. For example, if the original row moves from C up to E (an interval of a major third), the inversion would move from C down to A♭ (a major third downward). Inversion mirrors the intervals of the row, creating a new sequence that maintains the same intervallic relationships, but in the opposite direction.
In twelve-tone serialism, retrograde refers to the process of reversing the order of the notes in a twelve-tone row. If a row begins with the notes C-D-E, its retrograde would be the sequence E-D-C. This technique allows composers to explore different permutations of the row, providing variation while maintaining the integrity of the original series.