source file: m1420.txt
Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 03:55:55 -0400

Subject: Reply to Graham Breed, mostly on Schoenberg

From: monz@juno.com (Joseph L Monzo)

Graham, thanks for such a detailed response.
I have studied Schoenberg's "rational implications"
A LOT for many years, as well as his biography.
I'm afraid I must contradict some of your primary
tenets.

Perhaps foremost, there is no evidence in any
Schoenberg bio I've ever read that he was much
of a pianist, that he played it often, or that he
had one in his home as a youth.  His first instrument
was the violin, then as he found other violinists
with whom to play, he switched to viola, then
finally, to fill out a quartet, to the cello.

The majority of his earliest *surviving* compositions
are piano pieces and songs with piano accompaniment,
but he stated himself that *his first pieces, for several
years, were composed for his small string ensembles*.
I think this is a *very* important factor in his development,
as the strings are fretless and allow any pitch to be
found.

Schoenberg stated in "Harmonielehre" that he was basing
his "method" on the "possibly uncertain overtone theory"
because it agreed well with what he had been able to
observe in listening to the great German masterworks.
He was, beyond any doubt, a believer in rational pitch
relationships.  It is also important to note that he actually
did ponder the use of microtonal scales.

Since TD 1379, when Johnny Reinhard mentioned
Schoenberg, I posted a TON of stuff along these lines,
and much more detailed, particularly in 1381, 1386,
1388, and 1390.  In between, the thread was carried
mainly by Reinhard, Paul Erlich, and one important
post from Daniel Wolf.

   Joseph L. Monzo
    monz@juno.com

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