“Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei.” The Deutscher Turnerbund and the Berg 'Violin Concerto'

Although Berg himself made public the nature of the extra-musical stimulus behind the composition of the 'Violin Concerto,' through both his dedication “Dem Andenken eines Engels” and the article published by his biographer Willi Reich, the sketches for the work show that he originally pla...

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Main Author: Douglas Jarman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Musikwissenschaft 2017-02-01
Series:Musicologica Austriaca
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.musau.org/parts/neue-article-page/view/34
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author Douglas Jarman
author_facet Douglas Jarman
author_sort Douglas Jarman
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description Although Berg himself made public the nature of the extra-musical stimulus behind the composition of the 'Violin Concerto,' through both his dedication “Dem Andenken eines Engels” and the article published by his biographer Willi Reich, the sketches for the work show that he originally planned to base the work on the motto of the Deutscher Turnerbund. Since the Turnerbund had strong links with the NSDAP and was banned in Austria in 1935 when the 'Violin Concerto' was written, Berg’s intention to use the motto raises questions about his attitude toward and relationship with Nazi cultural policy and his efforts to survive as an artist in the mid-1930s. The article proposes a possible explanation based on Berg’s consistent use of retrogrades and palindromes in his other works as symbols of denial and negation.
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spelling doaj.art-b409c540f3a4409cb74a093a08c0fbe72022-12-21T19:01:57ZengÖsterreichische Gesellschaft für MusikwissenschaftMusicologica Austriaca2411-66962017-02-01“Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei.” The Deutscher Turnerbund and the Berg 'Violin Concerto'Douglas JarmanAlthough Berg himself made public the nature of the extra-musical stimulus behind the composition of the 'Violin Concerto,' through both his dedication “Dem Andenken eines Engels” and the article published by his biographer Willi Reich, the sketches for the work show that he originally planned to base the work on the motto of the Deutscher Turnerbund. Since the Turnerbund had strong links with the NSDAP and was banned in Austria in 1935 when the 'Violin Concerto' was written, Berg’s intention to use the motto raises questions about his attitude toward and relationship with Nazi cultural policy and his efforts to survive as an artist in the mid-1930s. The article proposes a possible explanation based on Berg’s consistent use of retrogrades and palindromes in his other works as symbols of denial and negation.http://www.musau.org/parts/neue-article-page/view/3420th centuryatonalityAlban BergretrogradesSecond Viennese SchoolViolin concerto
spellingShingle Douglas Jarman
“Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei.” The Deutscher Turnerbund and the Berg 'Violin Concerto'
Musicologica Austriaca
20th century
atonality
Alban Berg
retrogrades
Second Viennese School
Violin concerto
title “Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei.” The Deutscher Turnerbund and the Berg 'Violin Concerto'
title_full “Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei.” The Deutscher Turnerbund and the Berg 'Violin Concerto'
title_fullStr “Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei.” The Deutscher Turnerbund and the Berg 'Violin Concerto'
title_full_unstemmed “Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei.” The Deutscher Turnerbund and the Berg 'Violin Concerto'
title_short “Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei.” The Deutscher Turnerbund and the Berg 'Violin Concerto'
title_sort frisch fromm frohlich frei the deutscher turnerbund and the berg violin concerto
topic 20th century
atonality
Alban Berg
retrogrades
Second Viennese School
Violin concerto
url http://www.musau.org/parts/neue-article-page/view/34
work_keys_str_mv AT douglasjarman frischfrommfrohlichfreithedeutscherturnerbundandthebergviolinconcerto