Farnsworth 1 Brandon Farnsworth Herr Professor Peter Siegwart Theorieschwerpunkt: Die Blaue Stunde 13 May, 2013 Similarities in the Aesthetic Concepts of Wassily Kandinsky and Arnold Schoenberg during their Period of Early Abstraction
Table of Contents INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................2 BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................................................2 PHILOSOPHIES........................................................................................................................................3 THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TONALITY AND FIGURATIVE ART.............................................9 ANALYSIS OF IMPROVISATION 19...................................................................................................12 OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................................12 THE DELUGE....................................................................................................................................13 THE DOMED CITY, OR RECURRING MOTIVES IN KANDINSKY'S PAINTING.....................14 LINE AND FIELD..............................................................................................................................15 ANALYSIS OF “FARBEN”....................................................................................................................16 OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................................16 OVERALL FORM..............................................................................................................................20 TIMBRAL ELEMENTS.....................................................................................................................21 PITCH ELEMENTS............................................................................................................................25 MOTIVES...........................................................................................................................................25 GENERAL IMPRESSIONS...............................................................................................................29 A COMPARISON....................................................................................................................................30 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................................33 APPENDIX 1:PLATES............................................................................................................................35 APPENDIX 2:KANDINSKY'S NOTES ON FORM..............................................................................36 WORKS CITED......................................................................................................................................37
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INTRODUCTION This paper will seek to draw parallels between the works of Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) and Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) during the period in which both men made the transition from figurative to abstract art. Through a detailed analysis of Farben (Colours), the third movement of Schoenberg's Five Pieces for Orchestra (op. 16, 1909), as well as Kandinsky's Improvisation 19 (1911), the aesthetic similarities between the two artists across disciplines will be shown. More importantly however, the two analyses will lead to a more complete understanding of both works. Both Schoenberg and Kandinsky were very much influenced by the art of the other, especially during the crucial early abstract years, where the mixing of disciplines aided in guiding the two artists on their artistic paths. The influence that both men had on each other, and the value of their friendship to art history is the subject of countless essays, and barely needs repeating here. A brief recounting, however, should refresh the details.
BACKGROUND In 1911, Kandinsky, along with other members of the Blue Rider group, hear a concert of Schoenberg’s music in Munich (Wasserman 17). So moved was he by the music that he writes a letter a couple of days later, expressing his appreciation for his music, and claims that the two share much common aesthetic ground. He writes excitedly that much of what he heard in Schoenberg’s music, he too has been trying to express in painting, stating “The independent trajectories to many possible destines and destinations, and the life of each individual voice is exactly that which I am trying to translate into a painterly form” (Hahl-Koch 15).
Farnsworth 3 In response, Schoenberg explains that the similarities are indeed striking, and mentions how much Kandinsky's paintings have impressed him. Looking as well perhaps to legitimize his own career as a visual artist, he mentions his own paintings, and sends some reproductions along with the letter (Hahl-Koch 17). This is the beginning of a friendship that would last many years, even though a misunderstanding led to a long schism. Reading the letters between the two artists, what becomes most clear is that they both distinctly see themselves as advancing art's avantgard. It should come therefore as no surprise, as they admire each others art, that they shared quite similar ideas as to how this advancement should be done. In order to comprehend why their ideas were so similar, it is first necessary to go back, and explore the predominating philosophies at work in the field of art during that time. The work of both Schoenberg and Kandinsky, often seen radical, is in fact no more than a logical continuation of the ideas of the day.
PHILOSOPHIES Kandinsky, in his book The Spiritual in Art, sums up very well the ideas of Cézanne and Matisse, whose philosophies would later have a strong impact on Kandinsky's painting: [Cézanne] painted things as he painted human beings, because he was endowed with the gift of divining the internal life in everything. He achieved expressive colour and a form that harmonizes this colour with an almost mathematical abstraction. A man, a tree, an apple, are not represented, but used by Cézanne in building up a painterly thing called a “picture.” The same intention actuates [Matisse]. He paints “pictures,” and in these “pictures” endeavours to render the divine. To attain this end he requires nothing but the subject to be painted […] and means that belong to painting alone, colour and form.
Farnsworth 4 (Kandinsky Concerning the Spiritual in Art 36) During the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century, there was a movement among visual artists away from the exact representation of the object and towards a type of painting that favoured form, colour, and line. Avantgarde painting by artists such as Matisse, Cézanne, and Delacroix increasingly focused on the painterly nature of the work, i.e. its formal aspects (especially colour), rather than its subject matter (Maloon 15-19). This transition was brought about by many factors, among them credence in the philosophy of Kant, which asserts that aesthetic judgement of a work must rely entirely on its formal aspects1. A rejection of the transformation of painting into a capitalist commodity also played a role in this transition. Furthermore, the cheapening of the role of the object to a form of low-brow entertainment for the masses led certain artists to reject the object in favour of an emphasis on formalism (Maloon 2325). Baudelaire, writing in the middle of the nineteenth century, saw this phenomenon already at work in the paintings of Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863). Important for the purposes of this essay, he was also quick to make the comparison between colour and musical harmony in Delacroix's work, writing “Harmony is the basis of the theory of colour. /Melody is unity in colour; it is the general colouration” (Maloon 17). During this time of transition, artists from the visual arts saw music as an example of an art form which was completely independent and abstracted from the problems associated with the role of the object. For example, in one of Kandinsky's first letters to Schoenberg, he writes “How immensely fortunate musicians are in their highly advanced art! It is really art, in that it is able to be free of all practical purposes” (Hahl-Koch 22). 1 For a more in-depth explanation of the effect of Kant's philosophy on middle-18th century painters, please see p. 24 in Terence Maloon, "Towards Abstraction," Abstraction: Paths to Abstraction 1867-1917, ed. Terence Maloon (Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2010).
Farnsworth 5 By “free of all practical purposes”, Kandinsky means free of the obligation to create realistic, or figurative art (Maloon 19). In another letter to Schoenberg from this period, he explains that he sees abstraction and realism as two opposite poles, and that he himself gravitates towards that of abstraction, rather than realism. He notes, however, that realism is also a welcome painterly technique (i.e. he does not dismiss it entirely) (Hahl-Koch 21). It is important to understand that Kandinsky is not advocating per say for abstract art, rather for an art that is based on the premise of “inner necessity” (Hahl-Koch 21). This concept is extremely important to understanding the early work of Kandinsky, as well as the work of Schoenberg during this time. The central determining factor of form, according to Kandinsky, should be the inner need to create. In other words, form should always be “the external expression of inner meaning” (Kandinsky Concerning the Spiritual in Art 47). To put it simply, Kandinsky believes form should follow content. Schoenberg uses a very similar descriptor, writing to Kandinsky that art should always be made while “turning off conscious intention”2 (Hahl-Koch 17). Especially during the beginning of their correspondence together, the two artists remarked to each other how similar their artistic philosophies were. They both state that though their vocabularies might differ slightly, the underlying though process is the same (Hahl-Koch 15-18). In other words, for both artists, art should be based on the premises of inner or unconscious expression. It is by no coincidence that these two artists (among many others) had such similar ideas as to the development of art around the same time. The German-speaking world at that time was very much influenced by the idea of unconscious mind (Siegwart). This idea became increasingly widespread over the course of the 19th century, and culminated at the beginning of the 20th, when Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams (1899)(Roth). One can 2 “Ausschaltung des bewussten Willens in der Kunst”
Farnsworth 6 easily trace back the intellectual aesthetic justifications expressed by Schoenberg and Kandinsky to Freud's ideas. In a video-lecture, Wesleyan University Professor Michael S. Roth boils down this idea of the power of the unconscious: “Why is free-association important to Freud? […] It helps you to overcome repression. The idea is that, if I can get you somehow to loosen up, to say what comes into your mind before your conscience kicks in (your super-ego [Freud] sometimes calls it),you might say something you don't mean to say. […] Eventually, if you get in the habit, you loosen up the inhibitions so that the desires come out more clearly” (Roth Part 1, 6:08) The overcoming of repression is exactly the goal that both Schoenberg and Kandinsky are striving for in their respective arts. Practising the technique of “free-association” can be compared to Schoenberg's “turning off of conscious intention”. Indeed, Kandinsky writes: If the emotional power of the artist can overwhelm the “how” and give free scope to his feelings, then art has started on the path by which she [sic] will not fail to find the “what” she lost, the “what” which forms the spiritual necessity of the nascent awakening. (Kandinsky Concerning the Spiritual in Art 29) This path is an excellent descriptor for the journey Kandinsky undertook to arrive at his abstract paintings. Through exercises such as the series of Improvisations, and analysis of the effects different painterly parameters (colour, line, etc) had on the soul, Kandinsky trained himself to express the “spiritual” in his art (the “inner meaning”), hereby slowly forming his abstract art. Furthermore, he writes to Schoenberg on the 26th of January, 1911, that “The Painter should […] know his material (to be able to properly express himself), and practice his sense of artistic feeling so that he is aware that the difference between = and /\ affects the soul!” (Hahl-Koch 20). According to Kandinsky, a painting of an object should indeed be accurate, not to its outside appearance, but rather to its inner nature (see quote above about Cézanne and painting the inner
Farnsworth 7 meaning). In an article on paths to abstraction, Jean-Claude Lebensztejn cites the following passage from Kandinsky: Concrete and not abstract, because we have gone beyond the period of speculative experiments and searching. In their quest for purity, artists had to abstract from the natural forms that concealed the plastic elements; they had to destroy natural forms and replace them with artisticforms. Today the idea of artistic-form is as outdated as the idea of natural-form. We will inaugurate an era of pure painting by constructing mind-form. It will be the concretion of the creative spirit. Concrete painting and not abstract, because nothing is more concrete, more real than line a colour, a surface. Are a woman, a tree or a cow on a canvas concrete elements? No. A woman, a tree, a cow are concrete in their natural state, but in a painting they are abstract, illusory, vague and speculative, whereas a plane is a plane, a line is a line – no more, no less. (Lebensztejn 45) Here we see that Kandinsky tries to make the viewer understand his work not by posing realistic (for Kandinsky, “abstract” because they are not literally there) figures on the canvas, but rather by attempting to speak to the soul of the viewer on a universal level. In the section entitled “The Effect of Colour” in Concerning the Spiritual in Art, Kandinsky explains his related approach to colour: And so we come to the second result of looking at colours: their psychological effect. They produce a correspondent spiritual vibration, and it is only as a step towards this spiritual vibration that the physical impression is of importance.
Farnsworth 8 […] For example, red may cause a sensation analogous to that caused by flame, because red is the colour of flame. A warm red will prove exciting, another shade of red will cause pain or disgust through association with running blood. In these cases colour awakens a corresponding physical sensation, which undoubtedly works poignantly upon the soul. (Kandinsky Concerning the Spiritual in Art 44) In other words, colours are chosen for the effect they have on the viewer, in order to create a better representation of the so-called mind-form which Kandinsky is attempting to portray. Shapes are approached in a similar manner. Different forms are claimed to have different affects on the soul of the viewer. Kandinsky's description of forms and their affects can be seen in appendix 2 (Hauer 567). Together, shape and colour are “composed” on the canvas, in order to create a total picture. In other words, shape and colour are the score, which is then played by the viewer when the picture is viewed (Kandinsky Concerning the Spiritual in Art 45). The combination of elements all work together in forming a message from one soul to another, according to Kandinsky's philosophy. Just as the world of visual art focused more on colour and less on objects, so too did the world of music in the middle of 19th century begin moving away from tonality, and towards a more chromatic harmony. This in turn led increasingly to a weakening of the tonal system. The chromaticism that infiltrated this system gradually undermined the structure of tonality, weakening the strength which which one note could influence another. This phenomenon reached its peak after 1900, where many composers engaged in “chromatic saturation”, where the tonal basis of the work barely existed anymore, or was dispensed with altogether, in so-called atonal pieces (Rufer 21-25). In his Theory of Harmony [Harmonielehre], Schoenberg explains the concept of what he calls the “Emancipation of Dissonance”: The expression “Emancipation of Dissonance” has to do with the idea of comprehending
Farnsworth 9 dissonances in the same way as one would understand consonances. A style that is based on this concept treats dissonances and consonances the same, and therefore gives up a tonal center.3 (Rufer 48) This quote essentially defines what is known as atonality. Dissonances in the tonal system are defined by their resolution, and therefore their relationship to the tonic. When dissonances no longer need to be resolved (i.e. treated as consonances), then there is no more tonal system. This could be compared to Kandinsky's belief that the figurative images he paints on canvas are also inherently abstract. Just as cows or trees on canvas are no more than combinations of lines and colour-fields, so is tonality only an abstract combination of sounds. By saying that dissonances and consonances are the same, Schoenberg is acknowledging the inherent absolute abstractness of music. Continuing to explain his move away from the tradition of tonality in a chapter entitled “Apollonian Evaluation of a Dionysian Epoch” in his book Structural Functions of Harmony (1954), he explains how his early atonal works should be interpreted: Evaluation of (quasi-) harmonic progressions is obviously a necessity, though more for the teacher than for the composer. But as such progressions do not derive from roots, harmony is not under discussion and evaluation of structural functions cannot be considered. They are vertical projections of the basic set, or parts of it, and their combination is justified by its logic. This occurred to me even when I was composing [my early atonal works]. Tones of the accompaniment often came to my mind like broken chords, successively rather than simultaneously, in the manner of a melody. (Schoenberg and Stein 194) For Schoenberg, harmony still exists, it has just taken on a different form. Instead of harmony 3 Translation by the author. Original reads “Der Ausdruck Emanzipation der Dissonanz bezieht sich auf ihre Fasslichkeit, die der Fasslichkeit der Konsonanz gleichgesetzt wird. Ein Stil, der auf dieser Voraussetzung beruht, behandelt Dissonanzen wie Konsonanzen und verzichtet auf ein tonales Zentrum“
Farnsworth 10 being based on the principal of tonality, it is now its own emancipated construction. Just as Kandinsky's colour-fields no longer were required to serve as part of a recognizable object, so too were Schoenberg's harmonies no longer restricted by their place in a harmonic progression. When Schoenberg mentions the “vertical projections of the basic set”, he is referring to the technique of twelve-tone composition. This is significant, because he mentions it in the context of his earlier pieces in which he does not purposely compose with any systematic tonal organization. Having mastered the style of late romanticism, Schoenberg began composing pieces in this free, atonal style. He specifically began composing from his unconscious (“turning off of conscious intention”), in order to make what he thought was authentic art. After years of writing in this style, he was able to analyze the patterns present in his composition, and systematize it in order to compose in the same way, but consciously. This turned into the twelve-tone system, which was a logical progression of the ideas developed during his atonal phase (Rufer 27). The same process of deconstruction and emancipation he applied to harmony he also applied to melody: There exists no definition of the concepts of melody and melodic which is better than mere pseudo-aesthetics. Consequently, the composition of melodies depends solely on inspiration, logic, sense of form and musical culture. (Schoenberg and Stein) This is particularly significant for understanding Farben, where melodic line in its traditional sense no longer exists. Instead, Schoenberg seems to experiment, trying here a new concept for the idea of melody. Melody in Farben is replaced by a mix of tone variation and timbre variation. This is significant because it resembles the idea of Klangfarbenmelodie first presented by Schoenberg in his Theory of Harmony. It is not exactly clear what he meant by the term, but the music scholar Alfred Cramer claims
Farnsworth 11 that it means “an idealized hearing of tones for the timbral contributions of frequencies rather than for pitch values” (Cramer 2). The question therefore becomes whether or not pitch is included in this definition or not, as it would determine if Farben is an example of this concept. Of course, the timbral frequencies do change to a certain extent with pitch, and therefore it could be argued that it is an example of Klangfarbenmelodie. Furthermore, just as orchestration can change greatly during a non-Klangfarbenmelodie piece, so too should pitch be an element that is permitted to change during a Klangfarbenmelodie. Cramer references an exchange that seems to back up this claim: Dahlhaus agreed that varying instrumentation was the required element of Klangfarbenmelodie but thought that pitch changes were not excluded. He argued in favor [sic] of “Farben” as an exemplar of Klangfarbenmelodie by stating that “instrumentation becomes Klangfarbenmelodie not because the pitch melody dwindles to monotony but because a balance is achieved between instrumentation and pitch melody in place of the usual predominance of the latter.” (Cramer 3) This discussion notwithstanding, Schoenberg himself claimed never to have seen a true example of his concept executed (Cramer 4). It is clear then, that Schoenberg himself was not entirely sure what he was after with the term. In any case, however, it is a term that should not be overlooked when exploring the decisionmaking in early atonal works. It must not be forgotten that, as has been stated numerous times, atonality was a move away from the pitch organizations of harmony. A greater focus on the abstract sonic possibility of pitch and timbre combinations may best explain the philosophy of Schoenberg. Cramer sums it up very concisely: Pitches in their compositions were meant to form elements of acoustic wholes, originating not as points forming designs with one another in pitch-space, but as
Farnsworth 12 elements in progressions of coloristic sonorities. In many cases where the interval content of sets has been attributed to pitch-class based coherence, the complex interval and voice-leading requirements of progressions of Klangfarbe may provide a better explanation. When we seek to grasp the elusive logic of atonal progressions, we need to pay close attention to the sensuous possibilities written into the notes. (Cramer 32) In conclusion, it would be wise to bear this mysterious concept in mind while attempting to understand Farben and other works by Schoenberg. The sonic possibilities of the score may often be much more complex than what is immediately obvious from reading the notes and orchestration. It is clear that both Kandinsky and Schoenberg were very knowledgeable in their respective fields of art, and mastered the technique of the traditions they were a part of. It is striking, however, that both artists have such a strong experimental necessity during this period. They had mastered their disciplines, but felt they did not serve their expressive needs, therefore forcing them to search for new possibilities.
THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TONALITY AND FIGURATIVE ART Visual art moved progressively away from a focus on figurative representation and towards a focus on more medium-specific elements such as colour and line, or brushstroke. As one looks at the later examples of visual art, before artists eschewed the objective altogether, the forms become almost barely discernible, becoming only tools to build a picture composed of abstract elements. When abstract art did start appearing, around 1911, it was as if someone had finally pulled out the last strand connecting contemporary painting to real objects (Lebensztejn 31-32). As will be shown in the analysis of Improvisation 19 however, many of these figurative elements (at least in the work of Kandinsky) still remained even in abstract works of visual art. Though transmogrified beyond recognition, the shapes still remain discernible to those trained to spot them.
Farnsworth 13 This shows that Kandinsky was truly working from his unconscious, as he claimed. Though the paintings are abstract, he still relies – consciously or unconsciously – on figurative objects to aid him in building the structure of the painting.4 This very same phenomenon occurred in the field of music as well. As mentioned above, especially after Wagner classical music became increasingly chromatic. Dissonances slowly became less and less prepared, until they were “emancipated” from their role in tonality (Rufer 48). Both tonality and figurative art are structures which give extra-disciplinary meaning to certain technical elements. It is a type of unstated agreement between art consumer and art maker, which aids in the understanding of the work. There are many similarities between the two art-forms which will aid in an understanding of the break with both figurative art and tonality. In a very basic example, a painting of a tree consists of lines and fields of colour, which the viewer interprets as a signifier for a tree. The position and rendering of the tree are then translated into meaning in the mind of the viewer. In this way the viewer gleans information from the painting. A musical example is, first off, inherently more abstract. We do not associate sounds as closely with real-world phenomenon as we do pictures. In other words, the link between signifier and signified is not as defied or universal in the world of music. The tonal system, however, is still a referencesystem. A major chord has a different meaning depending on its surroundings (most simply, it could be the dominant, sub-dominant, or tonic). This meaning is always defined in relationship to the tonic. The listener uses this pre-agreed-upon system to make sense of the sounds being played (Rufer 20). The composer utilizes this system as well, playing with the listener's expectations (i.e. either fulfilling or undermining the rules of the system). The encroachment of chromaticism is just another way of describing the gradual breakdown of 4 Those paying close attention will argue that Improvisation 19 is still a figurative work of sorts. Though this is true, it still presents a very good example of the mutation of figurative aspects almost to the point of non-recognition. It is especially good at doing this because it is just barely on the figurative side of the divide.
Farnsworth 14 this system over the course of the 19th century. More and more unprepared or unresolved dissonances infiltrated the harmony, leading to a gradual estrangement of the “rules” dictated by tonality. This also had the consequence of making a widening rift between composer and audience, a problem which is still felt today. Therefore, it was only the final blow that Schoenberg dealt to tonality in declaring the “emancipation of dissonance”, not a radical break. This philosophy was the result of many years of evolution of the musical language away from the tonal system. Because it was no radical break, strong remnants of the tonal system still remain, albeit mostly hidden, in Schoenberg's “atonal” oeuvre. Just as Kandinsky still painted remnants of objects in his paintings (the domed city explained below, or the horse and rider), Schoenberg too include tonal elements in his works. The farben chord explained in the analysis section of this essay is made up of superimposed A-minor and E-major chords. It is not a coincidence that these two chords form a dominant-tonic relationship in A-minor. This is evidence of the tonal system still having an affect on Schoenberg's musical decisions. Indeed, several of Schoenberg's early atonal works are, when analyzed, astoundingly tonal. To take an example, the first of the Sechs Kleine Klavierstücke Op. 19 (1913) when analyzed reveals a wealth of semi-plausible tonal meanings. Analyzing this piece gives one the exact same feeling as that of studying early abstract paintings, where the last thread connecting the painting to recognizable objects seems to have been finally teased away. So even though Kandinsky and Schoenberg both sought a new means of expression in their art, both were still very much influenced by the similar, structure-giving traditions of tonality and figurative art in which they were trained. The turn to abstract/atonal art should not be seen as a new beginning, but rather as a condensation of the values present in the late styles of their progenitors.
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ANALYSIS OF IMPROVISATION 19 OVERVIEW Improvisation 19 (appendix 1) was completed in 1911. A close analysis of certain aspects of the painting will show many of the elements of Kandinsky's painting style mentioned above. It will also be a good point of departure for a comparison to Schoenberg's Farben, analyzed later in this essay. In Concerning the Spiritual in Art, Kandinsky defines an Improvisation as “[a] largely unconscious, spontaneous expression of inner character, non-material nature” (Kandinsky Concerning the Spiritual in Art 77). This freedom of expression is very useful, in that it affords us a much more direct window on the inner, unconscious workings of Kandinsky's technique, which he himself prioritizes. The painting consists of two groups of huddled figures, one at each side of the canvas. The right group stand much closer to the viewer than the left, and one gets the sense that they have broken off from the main group to pursue their own path. They are positioned atop a large colour-field dominated by shades of blue, but modulating in the corners to shades of burgundy and red. The figures on the left are still somewhat filled by fields yielding to the lines of their bodies. Above the left group may be Kandinsky's abstracted equivalent of a town, a motive that appears quite frequently during this phase of his life (Dabrowski 24). Above, a “comet” of several colours bursts into the frame, held back by a thick black line. It produces a motion away from the viewer, further alienating the figures in front.
THE DELUGE Around the time Impression 19 was painted, Kandinsky became fascinated with the biblical idea of the deluge, and its motive of rebirth. Composition VI (1913) was based on this idea, and
Farnsworth 16 therefore it received extensive treatment in the form of sketches and writings by Kandinsky before the final Composition was made (Dabrowski 37). The deluge is at once a total destruction of all life on earth - an apocalypse, another of Kandinsky's favourite motives - and a chance for rebirth (Dabrowski 36). It is a theme that is very fitting in this period, which Kandinsky himself sees as being one of crucial transformation in the arts. Just as Kandinsky slowly washes away the figurative elements in his painting to allow more abstract and absolute art to prevail, so does the deluge come and destroy almost all life, in order to make way for a better civilization (Dabrowski 35). Improvisation 19 is dominated by blue. About 40% of the painting is made up of a blue colourfield of varying shades. This field seems to have no regard for the figures who stand in front of it. Indeed, it seems as if the field dominates the figures to the right in such a way as to become a part of them, even making up the colour of their bodies. At its edges, it seems to clash intensely with the rich red tones it encounters, producing burgundy, violet, and when encountering yellow, turquoise. One is given the sense that the field is spreading, mixing and incorporating everything it encounters. The brushstrokes are wild and chaotic. They seem rushed, zooming in any which way, with great energy. This blue field can be interpreted as the deluge. Kandinsky was very much aware of the associations made with certain colours (see above), and the relationship between blue and water is certainly one of the most self-evident. In this light, it is interesting to analyze the behaviors of each of the groups of people in the painting. The group on the left represents tradition, being, as they are, much more figuratively painted. They are about to be swept away in the flood. The field of blue has already begun to mix itself with the colours that make up their defined bodies, about to sweep them away. On the right however is the group that has cast off. They wander away, heads slightly lowered, into the future. Significantly, they do this after having been consumed by the flood. Their bodies consist of the great mass of water that has washed them of traditions, preparing them for, perhaps, a new abstraction
Farnsworth 17 in painting (though, again, Kandinsky sees this abstraction as being much more literal and real than lines and fields standing in for objects). Around the deluge, namely in the upper-right and -left corners, are areas of bright oranges and reds. These are the fire and sin that the deluge seeks to eradicate. It is also interesting to note that several of the rightmost figures have red fields contained in their heads. It may be speculating too far, but one could interpret this as the deluge's purge being still in progress, and still in the process of eradication of what came before in the minds of the right group.
THE DOMED CITY, OR RECURRING MOTIVES IN KANDINSKY'S PAINTING In the upper-left corner of the painting is a small, domed city. The fact that this is not immediately clear to the uninformed viewer is part of a larger recurring element in Kandinsky's painting. Over their gradual progression from figurative to abstract, Kandinsky's paintings exhibit a common visual language, developed over the course of many paintings. This language is first developed by Kandinsky during his figurative paintings. Over the course of many years, this visual language - which could be compared to Ikons of his native Russia - evolved. It therefore became more and more abstracted, almost a shorthand, or reduction, of the earlier object. This shorthand Kandinsky then used as building blocks to help structure his early abstract works (Dabrowski 26).
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Example 1: Arrival of the Merchants (1905) For instance, the painting Arrival of the Merchants (1905) depicts in the upper quadrant a very realistic city, with great domes and towers. Over the next several years, this very realistic picture becomes more and more abstracted, until we see its result in Improvisation 19, where it is reduced to white lines containing multicoloured dots (Robbins 147). This same process happened with a large number of symbols. The motif of the rider was another one of Kandinsky's most often used. It occurs in a large number of paintings, and is finally abstracted to a curve. It is then no longer clear whether the curve is an abstracted horse and rider, or simply another whimsical line (exactly as Kandinsky intended)(Robbins 146).
LINE AND FIELD Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this picture is the freedom of line and field, a topic which has been mentioned very often during this essay. The eye remarks a modulating field of blues, which dominate most of the canvas. Blue occupies the space under the lines defining the cast-off figures, as well as the space between them and (soon) the group they are leaving. Importantly, the field of blue and the black lines defining the figures are totally separate from one another. Though they work together to form the same picture, they are independent elements, which can be influenced by each other as equals.
Farnsworth 19 This technique is seen throughout the picture. The “comet” in the upper-center of the canvas is an example of line influencing field, holding in the different colours present inside of it. This example would be unremarkable, except for the freedom that colour-fields have in the rest of the picture. It therefore serves as an instance of the two independent elements being equal to one another. By comparing this work to Farben, it will be clear that Schoenberg and Kandinsky shared a common aesthetic design in their approach to abstraction.
ANALYSIS OF “FARBEN”
OVERVIEW
The following is a section-by-section analysis of Farben from beginning to end. Elements mentioned here will be further discussed in detail later in the essay. The above graphic is a pictorial translation of the below, boiled down to its essential elements. It is recommended that the reader refer
Farnsworth 20 back to this graphic throughout the analysis in order not to loose the larger picture. There are three important elements at play between the beginning and ①: Farben begins with a long, static section dominated by just one chord. This chord, called the “farben chord”, will be analyzed later in the essay. It is an essential piece of the puzzle, sounding almost constantly throughout the piece. It will change transpositions with almost every section of the piece, but the intervals stay proportional, with few exceptions. Its appearance alone in this first section shows its significance. The transpositions of the farben chord are achieved by “use” of the B-C-H motive, also seen here in the first few bars. The motive is played by each voice of the chord, causing it to land a semitone lower than it began (it is also then inverted to make the chord ascend). Last, bass-clarinet plays a descending two note motive, the continuation of which happens at ①. This will be known as the counter-melody, also described below. “Counter-melody” comes from fugue terminology. This is due to an essay by Max Deutsch published in Musik-Konzepte Sonderband Arnold Schönberg. In the essay, Deutsch makes a comparison between Farben and a fugue based on the (German) B-A-C-H theme, transposed and without the vowel (B-C-H). He writes “the bass-clarinet [then comes in] measure 7 with the countermelody”5 (Deutsch 21). ① sees the completion of the transposition of the farben chord a semitone lower by the B-C-H motive. The counter-melody is also developed here, gaining harmony in the form of stacked 5ths. This is begun by clarinet, bassoon, and trombone, and followed by 3 double basses, continuing until before the fermata. The section referred to as a “fugue” by Deutsch ends with the fermata, and ② marks the beginning of a new section (Deutsch 22). The 5-note farben chord is still present, and will be for the 5 Translation by the author. Original reads “die Bassklarinette besorgt dies Tackt 7, das Gegenthema gewonnen aus dem Ganzton des Themas […].”
Farnsworth 21 rest of the piece. Two main elements are at play at ②; The first is a shift of the harmony from one semitone below the original chord to a whole tone above the original chord. This shift is complete in the 4th measure after ②. Schoenberg uses a retrograde of the B-C-H motive to do this. Second, a larger emphasis on musical line is also evident in this section. Directly on ②, harp arpeggiates the upper 4 notes of the 5-note farben chord with a very hard articulation (staccato sixteenth-notes). This is in sharp contrast to the lugubrious orchestral texture of the first part of the piece. It is also notable that the notes played by the harp give yet another colour to the chord, first defining Eb-major 6/3, then defining the Ab region a perfect fourth higher. ② is continued by oboe, flute and celesta, who vary short, punctuated eight-notes with crescendoing half-notes. These half-notes are written (and should be played) so as to stick out of the orchestral carpet more than half-notes corresponding to shifting orchestrational effects. All these elements give the ear a strong(er) sense of musical line. The line consists of various arpeggiations, and emphasis on particular notes of the farben chord. Most notable in section ③ are interjections from the woodwinds, harp, and celesta with violin (though with a different rhythm). The interjections are made up of ascending and descending 7ths, which also derive from the farben chord. These interjections could be called “dots” on the musical canvas. This will also be discussed later. Section ④ consists of a written-out accelerando directly on ④, and again three bars after. Two bars and four bars after ④ are mostly based on material from the counter-melody. Three bars after ④ is also notable for a descending octatonic scale ending at ⑤, seen nowhere else in the piece. Section ⑤ could be read as a type of recapitulation, in a rough sonata form. The section begins with the underlying chord of the piece, this time, however, being played in its original transposition
Farnsworth 22 (beginning on C). The chord is transformed a semitone higher over the course of the section, following a retrograde B-C-H motive described above and seen in Example 8. Interestingly, in the second measure of ⑤, the first clarinet plays (along with flute) a melodic fragment similar to what the bass clarinet plays in bar 7. The bass clarinet at the beginning is the commencement of counter motive, and the first melodic idea of the piece. The clarinet entry in the second measure of ⑤ is therefore perhaps an auditory clue to the listener that we have entered a new formal section. This theory is further supported by the drastic change in timbre occurring directly at ⑤ owing to the reduction from tutti orchestra to almost only flageolet strings. Between one bar before ⑤ and ⑤, the number of instruments playing changes from 35 down to 9 (with each string section counting as 1). Section ⑥ is a continuation of the “reprise”. The main chord is played first a semitone above its original transposition, at the original transposition, a semitone below, and finally a semitone above once again. The chord changes occur quite suddenly, not gradually over the course of several bars like in other parts of the piece. These chord changes are punctuated by a return of the counter melody which first appears in section ①, but played a semitone lower. Another motive is played by the flute in the before-last measure of the section, identical to that played by clarinet directly at ③. It would therefore not be impossible to say that ⑥ could be seen as a miniature of the entire piece, showing all 3 transformations of the central chord, as well as containing the counter melody and dot motive. In other words, it contains all meaningful elements juxtaposed very close together. Section ⑦ sees the central chord moving back to its original position beginning on C, and a last occurrence of the dot motive.
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OVERALL FORM It would be useful here to say a couple words on the overall form of Farben. The graphic above gives a road map of what happens when, and the above analysis goes into more detail. The rest of the analysis below goes into more individual details on the technical aspects of the piece. However, what is lacking is an analysis of the piece's overall structure. Unfortunately, even after repeated listening and analysis, a “large concept” is not evident. There are convincing arguments for one or two possible solutions, but these are based largely on analytical calculations; the ear hears no coherent overall structure. One plausible form-concept is a first-movement sonata form. Until ② the elements are “displayed”, except for the dot motive, which could be read as an extension of the counter-melody. Then, after a fermata, the farben chord is repeatedly transposed (as in the development section, where the tone material is repeatedly transformed), and used to make quasi-melodic lines. This development section culminates at ④ with an exceedingly complex tutti passage consisting of a written-out accelerando on the farben chord, followed by elements of the counter-melody. This is repeated, and a descending octatonic scale leads into the recapitulation at ⑤. As mentioned above, ⑤ consists of a large reduction in instrumentation, and the farben chord returns to its original transposition on C (just as the recapitulation sees a return of the theme in the home key). After cycling through most of the transpositions of the farben chord used during the piece, it then settles back to its original C transposition, suggesting a state of rest has been achieved again. More plausible perhaps, unless one considers Schoenberg's reputation for meticulousness, is that the form follows the larger concept of the work. Just as Farben is a kaleidoscope of colour, constantly shifting and never settling on one timbre or another, so could the form be conceived as well. The combination of elements present in the score at any given time is almost constantly unique. Just as
Farnsworth 24 the shifting of the farben chord produces new vertical harmonies, the form too is assisting in diversifying the amount of colours achieved.
TIMBRAL ELEMENTS The orchestra required for Farben is as follows: 2 Piccolos 3 Bassoons Harp
2 Flutes 3 Oboes Contra-bassoon 4 Horns Celesta Violins
English Horn 3 Trumpets Violas
3 Clarinets 4 Trombones Cellos
Bass-clarinet Tuba Double Bass
Additionally, Schoenberg adds to this palette with a large variety of instrument-specific techniques. The brass section is often split in to two sections, one playing with mutes, the other without, effectively doubling the amount of sounds possible. Flageolet and pizzicato strings also scored in this way further widen the palette. Though the chords change very slowly, the orchestration is constantly in flux. For example, beat one bar one, the uppermost A is played by the flute in the first half of the measure, but switches to English horn for the second part (see Example 1).This process of switching between like-timbered or contrasting-timbered instruments continues, in varying degrees of complexity, throughout the entire piece. This constant changing of orchestration is the key element in this piece. Schoenberg writes in the score very precisely that Chords should change so smoothly that there should be absolutely no accent or change in dynamic when an instrument begins to play. When this is correctly done, the different colours will easily mix together. (Schรถnberg)
Farnsworth 25 Example 1 shows how Schoenberg writes in order to achieve this effect:
Example 2 This example shows the basic technique Schoenberg used for making these transitions, specifically, having a short instant where both instruments are playing the note between the the two “fields” of tone. Later on, the transitions will become much more frequent, but the technique remains the same. Farben is ultimately a piece about tone colour, and this is probably most clear in section ④. Close analysis of the first bar of the section reveals that it is actually written as a homorythmic, writtenout accelerando. The rhythm is as follows:
Example 3 The technique which Schoenberg uses in this piece is perhaps here the clearest. The whole orchestra is involved in the section, but there are only ever five voices playing at any given time (always with overlapping “tabs” however, see example 1). Schoenberg does this by meticulously varying the instrumentation, with each new note of the written-out accelerando (example 2) having a different instrumentation (!). This can be seen in example 3, where the five notes of the chord have been extracted and the instrumentation has been noted for each note.
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Example 4: The impressive amount of tone colours in just one measure of Farben!
Farnsworth 27 Schoenberg himself recognizes the complexity of this passage, writing in a note at the bottom of the score, “Hold every note exactly as long as written, but not any longer!!!” (Schönberg). It is worth taking a moment here to analyze example 3 in depth. The technique used in this bar is the epitome of Schoenberg's technique throughout the entire piece. The mixing of tone colours, as well as the overlapping instrumentation using “tabs” (again, see example 1) are precisely the way Schoenberg tries to achieve the effects that would merit the title Farben. Because timbre is such a subjective property (again, like colours), there is no precise musical vocabulary to describe it. Therefore, only adjectives and the reader's imagination can be used to show any possible connections between different timbres. Looking at example 3, there seems to be a general move in tone colour from “lighter” colours (the first chord is played by violin, flute (in a low register), bassoon, contra-bassoon, and cello) to darker, more “woody” tone colours (the very last sixteenth-note is played by horn, oboe, muted trumpet, muted trombone, and double bass). It should however be noted that this move from light to dark or woody is perhaps not as remarkable to the ear as the individual transitions between instruments playing a given voice of the chord. Though the instrumentation may seem rather motley at first, if imagined in one's head, it can be seen that Schoenberg made every transition with a great knowledge of orchestration. To take a clear example, the middle voice (on the note Eb3, which is played throughout) begins with bassoon played in a moderately high register. The next beat sees bassoon “give” the note to muted horn, which, when the notes are played in one's head, makes a very logical transition. Horn then transitions to low flute, perhaps less clear in one's head, but still of the same “woody” or “brassy” quality. Flute transitions to high cello, perhaps the biggest contrast in the series, but which is then followed by oboe, an interesting but totally logical choice. This continues on with viola, trombone, back to bassoon, and finally muted trumpet.
Farnsworth 28 The orchestration in these last two parts of the piece is thinner, and cycles between almost every possible colour heard in the entire piece once more.
PITCH ELEMENTS
Example 5: Example 4 above shows the chord on which the entire piece is based, the so-called Farben chord. The outer voices form an A-minor 6/3 chord, while the inner voices spell out E-major (dominant of A), as well as consisting of two perfect fourths in the upper three voices. The chord can also be heard as a major seventh (C-B) and a minor seventh stacked on top of one-another, which gives the chord a very particular sound. Because the chord can be heard in so many different ways, it sounds very rich and colourful to the ear, even without the added timbral effects. The chord is repeated without alterations of pitch in the first three measures of the piece.
MOTIVES Measure four is where the first harmonic change takes place, with the second flute moving to an F. In the fifth measure, F moves to Eb, forming the first motive of the piece. This motive (minor second then major second) has been compared by the scholar Max Deutsch to the B-A-C-H motive, transposed, and without A (B-C-H) (Deutsch 21). It will hereby be known as the B-C-H motive.
Farnsworth 29 The motive is played 5 times between the beginning and â‘ , once for each voice in the fivevoice chord of the beginning. A key characteristic of this motive is that it ends a minor second lower than it begins. This has the effect, when carried out 5 times, of lowering the beginning chord by a semitone. This process finishes at â‘ , where the chord is played again in full, but this time transposed exactly a semitone lower. This semitone pattern will be important throughout the piece. Example 5 shows a piano reduction of the score between measures 3 and 9, with the countertheme taken out. Note how the B-C-H motive begins and ends on the Farben Chord, with the final chord a semitone lower than the beginning chord.
Example 6 The section finishes with another occurrence of the Farben chord. Half a bar before the fermata, and continuing into the fermata are only five instruments; four cellos and a contra-bassoon. They play:
Example 7: 4 muted cellos on the c-string with contra-bassoon playing lowest note
This is simply the farben chord, transposed a half a step, and pushed into the low register. It is a notable occurrence of the chord because it appears here for the first time in a new transposition (with the lowest tone being Cb). This transposition functions as a transitional chord between the two sections.
Farnsworth 30 Though the chord belongs to section ⑥, it is played early, as if to prepare the listener for what comes next. Section ③ deals again with transformation of the Farben chord, and again uses the B-C-H motive to do it. However, the motive is now retrograded [Krebs], and raises the pitch instead of lowering it:
Example 8 The lowest voice here, however, does not undergo the same transformation. This can be seen in the example below. The asterisk marks where the lowest voice should move to E then C#. Though it moves to E, the resolution is delayed. When the Farben chord does return, in the last beat of the first measure of â‘Ł a few bars later, the chord has been transformed again, and built on E.
Example 9: A retrograded B-C-H motive It is now clear that the B-C-H motive is key to the piece, used as an operator to transform the base material (the single chord on which the piece is based), and also as a source of raw intervallic material with which to form melodic elements. In measure 7, the bass clarinet plays F# - E with the following rhythm:
Example 10: Actual pitch shown
Farnsworth 31 This entry does not form part of the B-C-H motif explained above. It could however be read as being related to the second half of the B-C-H motive (i.e. as being related to the descending whole-tone motion). This is the second “layer” of the piece, a new motive, which will be called the counter theme. After sustaining the E for all of bar 8, the theme continues in bar 9 with the same rhythm. At ①, the motive expands further, now consisting of 2 stacked 5ths played by trombone, bassoon, and clarinet. The counter theme continues on the second beat with three “Solo” double basses playing the same rhythm, however with the perfect 5ths beginning on E then moving (down a wholetone) to D. The double basses sustain this chord (D – A – E) just a little longer than the previous group, also ending just before the fermata. The counter-melody will appear again in the second bar of ④, as well as at ⑥, each time consisting of two stacked fifths, with the same rhythm, and descending a whole-tone. Apart from the kaleidoscope of interweaving tone colours, analyzed above, section ④ also introduces a long descending scale in the string section. The first four eighth-notes are a whole-tone scale, but the run quickly turns into a chromatic drive into the bass register. The intervals of a wholetone and a half-tone are, very much related to other passages in the piece, and are therefore a new arrangement of a previously developed element. Because this element does not return, it is not considered as a motif. Another important element is the “dot” motive. This appears for the first time at ③:
Example 11: The dot motive, and its harmonized inversion
Farnsworth 32 Contrasting to the emphasis on line in ②, these short, 32nd-note interjections form an important new motivic element. They effectively make a strong contrast to the texture of mostly sustained notes of the piece. Likewise, because of their very short duration, they act as “dots”, or flecks on the “canvas” of the work. In an analysis of Farben, musicologist Jonathan Cross calls this motive the “leaping-fish” motive, because of their short and sudden appearances, breaking quickly through the calm surface texture of Farben and disappearing as fast as they have come (Cross 227). The motive consists of a major 7th and a minor third. This varies a little only at the end of the first bar of ③, where the lower voice plays a major 9th. Though it is slightly less so with the harmonized (descending) inversion of the dot motive, it also is similar in construction to the Farben chord, and outlines certain aspects of it. Though it is not an exact match, the major 7th and minor 3rd constructions are very similar. Furthermore, it could be said that the motive is based on an inversion of the first interval of the B-C-H motive (descending minor second), with an added octave leap (making a major seventh).
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS Looking at the techniques used by Schoenberg in Farben, it is clear that the composer had a very radical concept for the piece. Instead of melodic or rhythmic variations, Schoenberg varies tone colour in order to keep the listener's interest. This is a groundbreaking idea. With this piece, Schoenberg shows that timbre can play just as important a role in composition as any other aspect. Farben is also written in a way that breaks timbre free of its association to the melodic line. By allowing chords and melodies to be segmented and played by a constantly changing constellation of instruments, Schoenberg states that tone colour need no longer be so strongly bound to the musical line. To illustrate this, consider a melody played on violin. The melody consists of several elements:
Farnsworth 33 pitch, rhythm, and timbre. The latter of these changes either negligibly or not at all over the course of the piece. Therefore, pitch and rhythm dominate, resulting in the strongest impression on the listener being that of melody (i.e. a combination of rhythm and pitch). In Farben, there are many areas, such as the beginning, where the former two factors, pitch and rhythm, are so undermined as to disappear almost entirely from the ear's field of perception. This leaves timbre as the central element heard by the listener. Furthermore, elements such as the counter-melody, and the dot motive add contrasts to the field of shifting colours. These begin to build a musical “picture” that is quite a strong departure from the contemporaries of Schoenberg, as well as other pieces by the composer himself during this time (Ringer 107). It is also a picture that can be closely compared to the techniques that Kandinsky uses in his paintings of the era.
A COMPARISON Though many books are quick to point out the philosophical similarities between Schoenberg and Kandinsky, few go in depth and examine exactly why these two artists immediately saw the similarities in each others work. It has been shown in this essay that the transition to to the abstract in visual art can be explained as a move away from figurative art and towards an art showing the “inner nature” of the object. This led to an acknowledgement of the abstractness, and therefore emancipation, of the line, and the colourfield. As seen in Kandinsky's Improvisation 19, these two elements were treated with a new freedom, which led to the birth, in Kandinsky's work, of the abstract. It is now high time to argue that Farben contains exactly the same aesthetic concepts, however they obviously manifest slightly differently, due to the different medium.
Farnsworth 34 The treatment of the farben chord is such that it is analogous to a changing field of colour. Just as the field of blue that dominates the canvas in Improvisation 19 could be said to “modulate” between different hues of blue, the Farben chord could be said to modulate to different hues as well. Practically, this is done by transposing the chord, using the B-C-H motive explained in the analysis (see Example 5). In Jonathan Cross' analysis, he explains the staggered entries of the motive allow “new vertical combinations [to be] achieved”(Cross 226). This could be compared directly to the gradients present between the slightly different colours of blue in Kandinsky's work. Just as the B-C-H motive makes a slow and gradual transition from one “hue” of the farben chord to another, the brushstrokes in Improvisation 19 transition from one colour to another, with resulting in-between colours appearing at the edges. The counter-melody motive could be seen as the musical incarnation of the painterly line. Just as in the work of Kandinsky, the line is not influenced by its surroundings, is totally independent, but still plays a part in making up the composition as a whole. This essay's analysis of Improvisation 19 explains how the “descending comet” in the uppermiddle of the painting is an example of line and field interacting with one-another as independent elements. In Farben, a similar situation can be found in the bar after ①. Here there is a cluster of notes playing at the same time:
Farnsworth 35
Example 12 The sustained notes of the counter-melody could be said to be interfering, or influencing the Farben chord. Indeed, it seems logical to think that the addition of three double basses, trombone, bassoon, and clarinet, with new, dissonant notes would influence the general impression of this particular measure. This is an example of “line” interfering with “field”. This example could perhaps be better illustrated with musical terminology; the sustained notes of the counter-melody add to the Farben chord “ostinato” in this measure, creating a cluster-chord which conceals from the listener the appearance of a new transposition and instrumentation of the Farben chord until the fermata is reached, at which time the counter-melody tones are cut off, and the new transformation of the Farben chord sounds alone. The dot motive also makes for a very straight-forward comparison to visual art. In Cross's analysis, he calls this same motive the “leaping fish” motive. This is for the way that it breaks through the surface of the orchestral carpet, but disappears almost as quickly as it has arrived. Even looking at the motive written in the score gives an idea of the effect it has on the listener in performance (see example 10)
Farnsworth 36 Improvisation 19 doesn't contain very many of Kandinsky's enigmatic dots or spots. A better example to consider would be a painting such as Black Lines (1913), where black spots add sharp contrast to the field of colour underneath (see appendix 1). In comparing Farben to the art of Kandinsky, it should also be noted how independent the different elements of the piece are from one another. Though linked together by common intervals (see analysis), the elements (Farben chord, counter-melody, and dot motive) are almost completely separate. Jonathan Cross mentions this as well, explaining that “[there are] 3 layers in this piece, which seem to be independent of one another, while acting often at the same time� (Cross 227).
CONCLUSION In comparing Farben with Improvisation 19, it is hoped that the transdiciplinary nature of the analysis will aid in the comprehension of both pieces simultaneously. Showing the common aesthetic values of both artists will hopefully point out that the two shared a very similar viewpoint in respect to the future of art, especially in regards to abstraction. The shortcomings of one artists or art-from should be made up by the advantages of the other. If this is done correctly, then a superior total-picture of each work should be achieved. Indeed, Farben becomes much clearer when looked at through the lens of visual art than it does through the lens of music. And Improvisation 19 becomes much less alien to the viewer, when looked at through the lens of music. Often in abstract art, the precise reasoning behind decisions made becomes hard for the viewer or listener to understand. However, the use of terminology, traditions, and concepts of other forms of art (in this case either music or visual art) turns the decision-making process into one that is much more approachable for the art receiver. Kandinsky himself used this technique extensively while developing what would become his
Farnsworth 37 theories of abstract art. He often describes pictures in musical terms, in order to better express his reasoning. In conclusion, though Improvisation 19 was given only a cursory treatment in relation to Farben, hopefully this essay will provide readers with a better understanding of the artworks of both Kandinsky and Schoenberg during this crucial period in art history.
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APPENDIX 1:PLATES (Kandinsky Schwarze Striche I) (Kandinsky Improvisation 19)
Improvisation 19, 1911 Oil on Canvas, 120,0x141,5 cm Munich, St채dtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus
Black Lines (Schwarze Striche I) (1913) Oil on Canvas, 129,4x131,1 cm New York, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
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APPENDIX 2:KANDINSKY'S NOTES ON FORM Extracted from: Hauer, Matthias, ed. Wassily Kandinsky Gesammelte Schriften 1889-1916. Munich: Prestel Verlag, 2007. Print.
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APPENDIX 3:ORCHESTRAL SCORE OF “FARBEN” Extracted from: Schönberg, Arnold. "Fünf Orchesterstücke Op. 16." Leipzig: C.F. Peters, 1909. 60. Print.
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WORKS CITED Cramer, Alfred. "Schoenberg's Klangfarbenmelodie: A Principle of Early Atonal Harmony." Music Theory Spectrum 24.1 (2002): 1-34. Print. Cross, Jonathan. "Fünf Orchesterstücke Op. 16." Arnold Schönberg. Interpretationen Seiner Werke. Ed. Gruber, Gerold W. Vol. 1: Laaber-Verlag, 2002. 216-28. Print. Dabrowski, Magdalena. Kandinsky: Compositions New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1995. Print. Deutsch, Max. "Das Dritte Der "Fünf Orchesterstücke" Opus 16 Ist Eine Fugue." Arnold Schönberg. Ed. Heinz-Klaus Metzger, Rainer Riehn. Musik-Konzepte - Die Reihe Über Komponisten. Munich: Johannesdruck Hans Pribil KG, 1980. 20-28. Print. Hahl-Koch, Jelena, ed. Wassily Kandinsky Und Arnold Schoenberg Der Briefwechsel. Vol. 3. Stuttgart: Hatje, 1993. Print. Hauer, Matthias, ed. Wassily Kandinsky Gesammelte Schriften 1889-1916. Munich: Prestel Verlag, 2007. Print. Kandinsky, Wassily. Concerning the Spiritual in Art. 1912. Trans. Sadleir. The Doucuments of Modern Art. Vol. 5. New York: George Wittenborn, Inc, 1947. Print. ---. Improvisation 19. 1911. Städische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, München. ---. Schwarze Striche I. 1913. Städische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, München. Lebensztejn, Jean-Claude. "Passage: Note on the Ideology of Early Abstraction." Paths to Abstraction 1867-1917. Ed. Maloon, Terence. Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2010. Print. Maloon, Terence. "Towards Abstraction." Abstraction: Paths to Abstraction 1867-1917. Ed. Maloon, Terence. Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2010. Print. Ringer, Alexander. Arnold Schönberg: Das Leben Im Werk Struttgart/Kassel: Verlag J. B. Metzler, Bärenreiter, 2002. Print. Robbins, Daniel. "Vasily Kandinsky: Abstraction and Image." Art Journal 22.3 (1963): 145-47. Print. Roth, Michael S.Intensity and the Ordinary: Sex, Death, Aggression and Guilt. The Modern and the Postmodern Rec 25.3.13. Video Lecture. Wesleyan University2013. Rufer, Joseph. Die Komposition Mit Zwölf Tönen Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1966. Print. Schoenberg, A., and L. Stein. Structural Functions of Harmony. London: Bloomsbury House, 1969. Print. Schönberg, Arnold. "Fünf Orchesterstücke Op. 16." Leipzig: C.F. Peters, 1909. 60. Print. Siegwart, Peter. "Die Blaue Stunde ". Zürich: Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, 2013. Lecture. Wasserman, Fred. "Schoenberg, Kandinsky, and the Blue Rider." Ed. Wasserman, Esther da Costa Meyer and Fred. New York: Scala Publishers Ltd., 2003. 17-36. Print.