in the development of his early atonal style. The focus of the following discussion is to

Transcription

1 Webern s Fünf Lieder Op. 3 has been analyzed many times for its significance in the development of his early atonal style. The focus of the following discussion is to investigate Webern s methods for unifying the cycle as a whole. Webern often spoke about unity in music through the ages 1. His ideas are central around the notion that without unity, nothing great can be achieved. It is well known that Webern is noted for the economy of his own compositions, mostly short and intensely compact. So, how does Webern achieve unity throughout this cycle? At first approach, several things are readily apparent: frequent use of wide spanning chords encompassing sevenths, seconds, thirds, and sixths; a general arching contour to the vocal lines marked by the frequent turn of a second, and often ending with a descending fourth (or tritone); polyphonic piano writing; and the preference for triplet rhythms. But these observations are on a more macrocosmic scale than is appropriate for this exceptionally microcosmic composer. The discussion here focuses on the concept of a grounding idea of pitch that Webern uses to generate, and so, unite the five songs. Preliminary to the main discussion, there is some investigation into the findings of Robert W. Wason 2. In fact, Wason s work serves as a starting point. Another element must be investigated as well. This is Webern s use of canonic procedures as a unifying element. Is his use of canon conducive to the unity of the work as a whole, or does it serve only to bring continuity to each song? 1 See, for example Webern, Anton. The Path to the New Music. Edited by Willi Reich. (London; Wein; Zurich; Mainz: Theodore Presser Company, 1960). 2 Bailey, Kathryn, editor. Webern studies. New York: Cambridge University Press,

2 ENCIRCLED D In his essay: A Pitch-Class Motive in Webern s George Lieder, Wason provides detailed analytic remarks on all five songs of Webern s Op.3. Of particular importance is Wason s concept called encircled D. This is a non-transposing phenomenon involving the adjacent pitches: C# (D-flat), D, and E-flat (D#). The upper and lower neighbor notes encircle the pitch D. Wason s discussion focuses mainly on its relationships to larger and smaller formal structures. For example, beginning in m.1 (no. 1), the first melodic statement of encircled D appears in the voice, while a supportive, but incomplete version is seen in the highest piano voice (see score for song I, encircled D is marked in red). Wason also points out that a closer look at the first vocal phrase (mm.1-2) reveals the structure for each successive phrase within the A section. By following the points of emphasis (Dies Lied ((fur)) dich ) [This song ((for)) you ], this framework is shown 3. The <+4,-1,+3> 4 motive contains the essential pitches in the next two phrases as well(see score for song I, motive marked in purple). von kindischem ( of childish ) occurs at T1, and von frommen ( of fervent ) occurs at T2. To further emphasize this construction, Webern removes a nonessential pitch each time. Another instance of encircled D overlaps phrases two and three (mm. 3-4), and, 3 Webern s text setting in this opus is masterful. Rather than following the predominantly iambic meter of the first poem, Webern chooses to obstruct the rhythmic pattern of the meter by writing with rhythms and pitches that truly represent speech patterns. 4 The symbols < > indicate an ordered succession. 2

3 significantly, generates the level of transposition for these phrases (phrase one begins on D, two on Db, and three on Eb). Within the B section (mm. 6-7), Wason points out that encircled D saturates the texture. The first three pitches in m. 6 (voice part) are a retrograde of the opening and are the first statement of encircled D in the section. The left hand of the piano imitates these first pitches over and over again, stating encircled D five more times. The return of the A section is marked by a fermata, a new tempo (etwas langsamer als zu Beginn), and a return of the A material (m. 8). The role of encircled D in the recapitulation is much the same as it was in the beginning, though it no longer serves to generate transposition levels. This time the piano initiates encircled D in m. 8, beat 2½. Again, any suggestion of a D tonality is certainly obscured here by the persitant G# pedal. In the second song, Wason shows that encircled D (012) functions again as generator of transposition levels in the opening measures. In m. 1, Webern presents the motive <+9,-5> in the upper voice of the piano (see score for song II, motive marked in blue). This motive is a minor chord in first inversion, built on C#. Delayed a 16 th note from the first motive is another instance of <+9,-5>, this time a minor chord built on D. Following the complete three-note statement of the d-minor triad, the original c# minor motive occurs again, this time two octaves lower. Wason points out that D and C# (the first two triads) are members of encircled D. So, encircled D seems to be generating transposition levels here in m. 1 much the same as it did in the A section of song 1 3

4 (illustrated with red dots). Wason also shows that in m. 4, Webern completes the entire encircled D on the text Nur Lacheln (But laughing ). This time, the minor triad is built on E-flat. The only melodic statement of encircled D occurs at the overlap of mm. 6-7, where it bridges the A and B sections. In the third song, Wason s discussion focuses mainly on the middle section (mm. 7-10). Here he shows that encircled D plays a similar part as in the middle section of song 1. It continually asserts itself, which results again in a pedal D. He also mentions the importance of encircled D s only melodic statement in m. 14, as articulator of a significant formal mark. In song 4, Wason s encircled D appears only melodically. He emphasizes the importance of the two times in which encircled D does appear, citing their structural significance. Occurring only in m. 5 and m. 11, encircled D punctuates the text, and divides it into two equal halves of six lines each. Wason also notes that the occurrences of encircled D in song 4 are in an expanded form similar to the B section of song 1 5. Wason makes no mention of encircled D in his discussion of song 5, though he does investigate the importance of the pitch D in general. THE GRUNDGESTALT An important compositional technique in the first song is Webern s use of the trichord in general, particularly those encompassing a minor second. Wason has 5 The pitches C#, D, and Db are expanded to include E-natural as in song 1, mm. 6 (beat 3) 7. However, the added E-natural in song 1 is discussed in terms of canonic relationship below. 4

5 discovered the importance of encircled D (trichord 012) throughout the opus, but has not discussed the (01*) 6 set as a unifying element in non-encircled D trichords. These sets are fundamental to the motivic and harmonic language of the work as a group, and serve as a major unifying element. To borrow a term from Schoenberg, the (01*) trichord set seems to be Webern s grundgestalt. The grudegestalt is: A term used by Schoenberg for basis of coherence in a musical composition. According to Schoenberg: Whatever happens in a piece of music is the endless reshaping of the basic shape There is nothing in a piece of music but what comes from the theme, springs from it and can be traced back to it; to put it still more severely, nothing but the theme itself ( Linear Counterpoint, 1950). Schoenberg neither defined Grundgestalt precisely in musical terms nor provided examples from the literature. Rather, inferences must be drawn from his writings on related topics, his own musical analyses and accounts from his students. 7 The Grudgestalt is an important part of Schoenberg s musical thinking; at the heart is the truism that music must be comprehensible in order to create intellectual and emotional satisfaction. The most direct means through which this is achieved is by the frequent repetition of the basic motif. Sometimes the repetition will be exact, As for Schoenberg in literal transpositions, inversions, augmentations, diminutions and retrogrades. More often, repetition involves variation, where the features and noterelations of the motif are not strictly preserved. This process, which Schoenberg called developing variation, is meant to overcome the monotony potentially created by exact repetition; it also produces new motivic forms adapted to fulfill various compositional 6 The symbols ( ) indicate a pitch class set. In this case, (01*) is any trichord that begins with a half-step in prime form. 7 Schiano, Michael J. Grudgestalt, vol. 10 of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2 nd Ed. Edited by Stanley Sadie. (London; New York: Macmillan, 2001):

6 functions that become necessary as the piece progresses. In a masterwork, even so-called transitional passages and cadential figures are developing variation. Looking back to the first song in m. 1, the piano plays two four-note chords in the right hand, and an E in the left. These 6 notes encompass all five of the possible (01*) sets (see attachment A). Within this one measure, the piano part supplies nearly the entire thematic language for the piece. In m. 1, the voice part begins with the melodic statement of (012), the most basic form of the (01*) trichord sets (for all trichord illustrations, see relevant score and refer to the color key, which is included on each). Overlapping mm. 1-2, this set is expanded to (013) with the last note of m. 1, and the first two notes of m. 2. In m. 2, (013) is stated again with the first three pitches. Pitches two, three, and four of the same measure are a further expansion of the trichord, now (014). The entire A section continues in this way, with overlapping trichord sets. The only exception occurs in m. 4 with the last vocal pitch of the A section (E-natural). This pitch does not belong to any adjacent (01*) set in m. 4. However, Webern seems to have followed the implication of George s punctuation (Tränen ) [tears ], continuing the set through m. 5 and into m. 6. The E-natural, G-flat, and E-flat make the set (013) and tie the A and B sections together. Even the transitions then are marked by the developing variation of the ground idea. The B section is clearly defined by the ritardando, the lowest note of the piece, and the rhythmic and melodic doubling of voice and piano (m. 6). The section begins with an inverted retrograde of the opening vocal pitches and so also encompass the (012) 6

7 trichord. The second vocal phrase (m. 7) contains an expansion of this concept, the T1 of the first phrase resulting in another (012) trichord. This phrase contains the highest pitch of the piece (E), cleverly set to the word leicht (light). The (01*) trichord is present most frequently in the piano part here. The left hand begins on beat two of m. 6 by recalling the first four vocal notes of the section. It then anticipates the voice s transposition by adding E-natural then G-natural. At this point the left hand of the piano is completely saturated with the (01*) trichord, containing all possible types. The piano figures also create the effect of a pedal tone D. The left hand continually returns to D, which is also the lowest note in mm. 6 (beat 2) 7 (beat 3). The voice part for the remainder of the song is completely saturated with (01*) sets except for the last Bb in m. 10. The situation here is similar to the solitary E at the end of m. 4. In that case, the pitch E served as a bridge between the A and B sections. Now in m. 10, the Bb bridges the gap between the first and second songs. The first pitch in the voice of song two is an F. Taken with the last two notes of song one (E and Bb), the F completes trichord (016). Also, taking only the last Bb from song one and adding it two the first two pitches from song two, the result is trichord (015). This overlapping of sets has been consistent throughout song 1 and occurs between songs 1 and 2 in exactly the same way. Moving now to song 2, (Im Windesweben ) [In weaving wind] m. 1, it is clear that Webern is using minor 6/4 chords as a motivic unit, and that a majority of them (occurring mm.1-5) are encircled D members. However, as in the previous song, the 7

8 underlying fabric seems to be the (01*) trichord set. The first three notes of the piano form the set (014). Notes 2, 3, and 4 (4 being D-natural) form the set (013). Notes 4, 5, and 6 form the set (016). This overlapping of (01*) sets is present here in song 2 as it was in song 1, seen throughout the piano and voice part. In fact, in the voice part of the A section alone (mm. 1-6) contains 20 instances of trichord (01*). A bridge into the B section occurs in m. 6 with the ritardando and the only melodic statement of Wason s encircled D (012). This is similar to the bridge in song 1 between the A and B sections, this time containing the set (012) instead of (013). There is also something very significant going on in the piano part in these two measures (6-7). Beneath the surface of voice and piano s right hand is another part of the bridge. Beginning with the final pitch (A) in m. 6 in the left hand, is an inverted T6 of the voice s previously stated (012). Webern also seems to have forecast this relationship just before the voice s statement. The second and fourth sixteenth notes of beat 2 in m. 6 are the two transposition levels for the (012) trichords of this formal division. The exact division between the A and B sections is ambiguous. In m. 7, Webern introduces a new set of motives (<+2,+7,+6> and <+2,+7,-5>) that make up most of the B section. Though m. 7 could be seen as the beginning of the B section, the downbeat of m. 8 seems a more accurate choice because the original tempo is restored, and the vocal line at the end of m. 7 looks and sounds more like an anacrusis than anything else. In the B section, Webern appears to have strayed from the strict use of the (01*) trichord. With the exception of a few (012) and (013) sets and a restatement of the 8

9 opening four vocal pitches (m. 8), the section is comprised of the four-note motives mentioned above. The first (<+2, +7, +6>) is the only one that is found in the voice part. It also occurs more frequently than the other in the piano part (occurring 8 times where <+2, +7, -5> occurs only 3 times). This motive holds some unifying significance as it is built of the same tetrachord (0125) as the opening vocal pitches in song 1, and contains the most fundamental trichord (012). In m. 9, the voice has three overlapping (012) trichords. The two on the outside (F#, G, Ab) surround the center (012), which is G, Ab, A-natural. This trichord occurs at the highest vocal register of the entire opus, in the most basic form (two falling minor seconds, also (012)), and is at the same transposition level as the second trichord of the bridge between the A and B sections. The final tritone from song 2 in the piano s highest voice is picked up in m. 1 of song 3, still in the soprano voice. Webern taps into the initial chords of m. 1 much as he did with the initial chord in song 1. Beginning with the last two sixteenth notes of m. 2, he extracts pitches from the m. 1 chords to create an ostinato figure (see attachment A). This figure <-11, +3, +4> continues through the first section, until breaking down in m. 5. The voice part begins with an upward leap of a perfect fourth, and by the third pitch it completes trichord (015). As in the two previous songs, it soon begins the (01*) overlapping. The second vocal phrase, beginning at the anacrusis to m. 3 ( die einzigen Frühen ) [ early, alone ] also starts with an ascending perfect fourth. The first five pitches of m. 3 include two (012) trichords (overlapping on the C-natural) and a central (013) trichord. Webern repeats this figure <+1, -2, -1, -10> in the following 9

10 measure, transposing it down a half-step. Similar treatment of adjacent rhymes occurred in song 1. Here, einzigen Frühen ( early, alone ) and Hasel blühen ( hazels bloom ) are linked by the T-1 of the first rhyme. In song 1, Morgengärten klingt es ( morning garden it sounds ) and ein leichtbeschwingtes ( weightless wings ) were linked by the T+1 of the first rhyme. The opening (015) and the perfect fourth then return to articulate the final vocal phrase of the section on Ein Vogel pfeift (A bird whistles ). A new section (m. 6) is marked by the change back to 2/4, a near stopping of rhythm in the piano, and a new vocal character. The voice is now characterized by wide leaps, most prominently the descending major seventh. These <-11> gestures are reminiscent of the ostinato s characterizing <-11> (mm. 2-4, marked in blue). In fact, they surround the ostinato s fixed D#, E-natural, Leuchten ( brightness ) (D, D#) and streift er- ( touches warms ) (E-natural, F#). Mm contain some interesting word painting using the trichord (01*). The text refers to paling light, a bare field, and a gray tree ( bleicht brach grau ). Webern confines his use of the trichord to the most essential ( bare ) [ brach ] trichord (012) for this entire description. Not until the promise of spring and flowers in mm ( Blumen streut vielleicht Der lenz uns nach. ) does he expand to include the sharpest contrast (016). Also notable is the return of the original material in m. 10. The language remains confined to (012) in the voice, but Webern overlaps this idea with the return of the first theme, marked by its ascending perfect fourth ( Das Feld ) [the field]. Webern punctuates the closing of 10

11 this section much as he did in m. 6, having the piano play similarly voiced 6-pitch chords with very minimal motion. The final chord is also linked to the opening chords in song 1, as they are both constructed of the (012356) set, and contain all possible trichord sets (see attachment A). The final vocal gesture also adds closure with its statement of the perfect fourth, now descending. In m. 1 of song 4, Webern presents a series of 5 pitches. As in song 1, m. 1; and the final chord of song 3, these five pitches grouped together contain all possible (01*) sets. With fermatas on both sides of the figure, it occurs as a prelude, setting up the language for the piece. The voice enters at the anacrusis to m. 2, its first three pitches are trichord (013). At beat 2 of the second measure, the voice has a statement of (012). The trichords begin to overlap and by the end of m. 3, the voice has stated 6 (01*) trichords including all but (016). In fact, trichord (016) occurs only once during this song. It is notable that Webern saves the sole (016) trichord for m. 9, where the text is gediehn 8. The end of the A section is marked by two overlapping (012) sets on the text Rasenbeetes (flowerbed). Also, the opening figure (marked in purple) appears twice in this measure (5), overlapping, as did the two (012) trichords in this measure. The figure occurs first in variation, and begins again on E, this time in original form. Mm. 6-7 form a short B section, and include some vivid word painting using varied forms of the opening motive. The sweeping piano gestures illustrate the whirling dust 8 The poetry here loosely translates to: Throughout nature not yet flourishing are the fruit and leaves. not yet flourishing accompanies the only (016) trichord of the song, and (016) marks the greatest possible growth of the (01*) sets. 11

12 described by the text ( Fern fliegt der Staub ). The vocal part in these measures consists of the most basic (012) set with the pitches G, F#, and Ab. A new section begins in m. 8, articulated by the fermata and a new tempo marking (Etwas langsamer als zu Beginn.). This section is somewhat problematic to define formally because its construction does not, at first, seem to match either of the two preceding sections. However, the most logical choice seems to be A. The A section (mm. 2-5) and this section (mm. 8-11) are four measures in length, the second and third measures of each section have very similar textures and characters, and they both contain the same closing vocal line (the only exact repeat in the entire opus). A is characterized by the familiar overlapping of (01*) trichords, and a very clear presentation of the (012) trichord in the final measure. The last two pitches in the vocal line of song 4 were Eb and C#. Webern bridges songs again here, repeating these two pitches in the piano s outer voices (m. 1, song 5). The chords themselves are also significant. The first consists of two overlapping (013) trichords (C, C#, Eb and- Eb, E, F#). The second has been expanded and includes overlapping (013) and (014) trichords (C, C#, Eb and- Eb, E, G). These chords repeat in m. 2, their expansion painting the voice s description of the stretching tree (Kahl reckt der Baum ). In response to the contents of the opening piano chords, the vocal part begins in m. 2 with the same two trichords (013) and (014). It then extends further to (015) until the mention of winter mist ( winterdunst ) at which point it shrinks back to (012). The opening piano figure continues, beginning to break down in m. 3. The bass 12

13 slowly begins to descend as a counter-melody emerges in the soprano voice, and the vocal line continues with its overlapping trichords. At deinen Traum auf stiller Reise (your dreams of quiet journey), Webern subtly illustrates the text by having the vocal line journey (Reise) in a generally rising motion while the underlying trichord set (014) remains still. More word painting occurs as Er dehnt die Arme_ (he stretches his arms) in mm The chords of m. 1 have made a modified return in m. 7, and in m. 8 the F from the beginning is now two octaves lower than it was originally. Also, the piano s right hand chord is a full octave higher than in m. 1. In m. 2, Webern painted the stretching tree ( reckt der baum ) with a subtly expanding chord. Here, he paints the tree s extension ( Er dehnt die arme ) by taking the associated chords to the registral extremes. The piano then has a dramatic descent to the a tempo at m. 9, the pitches of which are extracted from the opening chords. Measure 9 also marks the beginning of a new section, once again bridged by the voice s common trichord (014). The overlapping (01*) trichord continues to fill the voice part in this section, and the piano part takes on a similar character to the A section following the abandonment of the opening chords. The counter-melody becomes more supportive of the voice in m. 10, doubling and harmonizing the vocal line on the text dieser Gunst ( [with] favor). The text Früling (Spring) is painted in such a remarkable way that it has caused some speculation concerning the composition date of this particular song 9. As the voice reaches its A at the downbeat of m. 13, the piano plays a perfect fifth based on F in 9 Erhard Karoschka, Studien zur Entwicklung der Kompositionstechnik im Frühwerk Anton Weberns (Ph.D. dissertation, Tübingen, 1959), p.45. Cited in Wason, p

14 the left hand, while the initial dissonance of the right quickly resolves to tonic. So, the frozen tree s hope for spring is unmistakably marked with an F major chord. Also, the final measure threatens to resolve to F major (or at least Fmaj7). The suspended sixth in the tenor voice could easily slide down to fill the fifth and double the third of the chord, but of course that does not happen. It is still winter and the tree remains frozen, hoping for spring ( er im Eise noch Früling hofft!). CANON What better way to understand concepts of unity within a piece of music than to consider the views of the composer himself? Here is a quote from The Path to the New Music as Webern discusses a five-part tenor motet by Ludwig Senfl: Here we see the beginnings of polyphony based on this principle of repetition, in the sense that the various simultaneous parts are not unrelated; a relationship is produced among them- the third, fourth and sixth parts sing the same thing. How is it possible for several parts to sing the same thing one after the other? That s the essence of canon, the closest conceivable relationship between several parts. The fact that they sing the same thing at different moments makes unusual cleverness necessary. But the reason is always the urge toward the greatest possible unity. The successive entries meant that the opening motive took on greater importance. At first it isn t exact canon, but at the outset there was always the need for each part to enter as the preceding one had done, precisely to create a relationship 10 Returning to the first song, Webern s own use of canon is evident (for illustrations concerning canon, see relevant score, and follow the key, which is included with each song). Though almost never strictly carried out, his use of this procedure is fundamental 10 Webern, Anton. The Path to the New Music. Edited by Willi Reich. (London; Wein; Zurich; Mainz: Theodore Presser Company, 1960). 14

15 to the development of material and achieving unity. The canon begins with the voice in m. 1, loosely followed by the piano in m. 2. The exception is the added G-natural in the piano part (this note is later added to the voice s repeat of the same phrase in m. 9). At first, the E and B-flat of allein (alone) seem not to be echoed in the piano, but the soprano notes of the following two chords (m. 3) serve to complete the canon of the first phrase. Also, these two pitches occur frequently in all voices of the piano accompaniment of mm The second vocal phrase (m. 3) is similarly imitated in m. 4 of the piano. In m. 5 the piano s upper notes begin to restate the kindischem Wahnen ( childish dreams ) pitches, but the statement is truncated by the arrival of the B section at the pick-up to m. 6. The anacrusis to m. 8 (the return of A) reveals the completion of the kindischem Wahnen notes within the chord. The B section (mm. 6-7) begins with the piano doubling the voice part an octave above and with an added third. Webern s canonic procedures in this section help to saturate mm. 6-7 with the (01*) trichord sets. The canon seems to get hung-up on the first four notes. Immediately following the doubling of the first four notes, the left hand begins a canonic variation on the notes and adding the note E, which could be seen as foreshadowing the voices rising transposition 11. The A material returns in m. 8, yet another transposition of the <+4, -1, +3> motive, appearing here in the reduced form as in m. 4. It is interesting that the piano never imitated m. 4 of the A section and here, the 11 The piano s move from E-flat to E-natural anticipates the half-step transposition from Durch Morgengarten to ein leicht beschwingtes. 15

16 material is stated again, once again ignored in terms of canon. In m. 8, the piano leads the canon, which is followed completely by the voice in mm The piano again assumes the role of imitator in mm , following the voice s m. 10 statement in augmentation. Webern continues his use of canonic elements in song 2. In this song, the relationships are slightly more complex than the easily discernable canon of the first song. The voice part beginning with the pick-up to m. 2 and continuing through m. 3 will be called phrase A. Phrase A is typified by a steady eighth-note and triplet rhythm, and a predominantly trichordal (01*) construct. Phrase A is also 14 notes in length. Phrase A is imitated by the right hand of the piano in mm. 3-5 (the second half of beat 1 in m. 3 through the first beat of m. 5). This imitation will be called phrase A*. Phrase A* imitates phrase A and so shares the trichordal construct. However, its rhythm is now accelerated and it is 19 notes in length. Another imitative element is present within these first six measures. Mm. 1-2 in the piano are made up mostly of the <+9,-5> motive and will be called Phrase B. Phrase B ends in m. 3 when the piano begins phrase A*. Phrase B is imitated by the voice part in mm. 4-5 (not including the pick-up to m. 6). These measures, which are also made up of the <+9,-5> motive, will be called Phrase B*. This complicated imitative exchange has one more interesting factor. Phrase A contains only 14 notes while its imitator (Phrase A*) contains 19. However, if phrase B* is viewed as the interrupter of phrase A, then the pick-up to m. 6, and the first four 16

17 notes 12 in that measure complete the 19 note phrase. These five notes share the rhythmic character of phrase A, and are also built from the most basic form of the trichord, all belonging to the same set (012). The second half of this song certainly contains elements of imitation. To define this section in terms of canon, however, may be somewhat of a stretch. In m. 7, the piano s soprano voice presents the theme <+2, +7, -5>. The voice part begins phase two of the canon, delayed an eighth-note, with the modified <+2, +7, +4>. Delayed a sixteenth-note from the voice, the bass enters with its own <+2, +7, +4>. This triple canon quickly breaks down, becoming a loose two-part canon at best. Though the definition of canon may not hold water, the intensely imitative quality of this section achieves the clarity and unity for which Webern was undoubtedly striving. In song 2, the canonic elements were more difficult to define. In song 3, the element of imitation appears altogether lost. Here, Webern seems to favor recurring motivic figures and ostinato for unity. In the A section, he uses a recurring ascending perfect fourth, a five-note motive (the transposed figure in mm. 3-4), and an ostinato figure (all discussed previously). Webern draws on ostinato again in the B section in mm In these measures, there are two separate patterns. The first occurs in the piano s right hand, consisting of a soprano D# (Eb) moving up to E and an alto F moving 12 The remaining notes of mm. 6-7 are not included because they form the only melodic statement of encircled D. Also, they serve as a bridge between sections A and B and are viewed as punctuation rather than members of the previous phrase. 17

18 down to Eb. The second ostinato occurs in the piano s left hand and consists of a tenor A# moving up to B and a bass E moving down to D 13. Songs 4 and 5 are virtually devoid of canonic procedures. Within the first two songs, the canonic element played a strong role in unification. Within the remaining three however it appears that Webern abandoned the process. Yet, the textures of 3,4,and 5 are still polyphonic. Why did Webern abandon a process that could only serve to further unite the opus? Perhaps there was some fear of monotony. Maybe this adds to the basis for further investigation into the composition dates of the songs. In any case, it seems that the idea of the canon serving a unifying element for the cycle as a whole is unfounded. In considering the role of the (01*) trichord as a grounding element, the conclusion seems to be the opposite. From the onset, Webern presents these trichords with unmistakable clarity. The volume of these trichords is remarkable, as is Webern s use of the trichord for word painting. His tendency to precede a song with a reservoir from which to draw any possible (01*) trichord types also supports this interpretation. Wason was interested in investigating the possibility of a non-transposing motive acting as the central idea, thus giving the opus some sort of tonal implication, or at least placing more weight on one specific pitch-class. Freeing encircled D from its confines and acknowledging it as a crucial element in the development of thematic material allows the 13 For another view of this section, see Wason, p

19 concept to take on an added dimension, providing further insight into Webern s methods of unification. 19

20 BIBLIOGRAPHY - Bailey, Kathryn, editor. Webern Studies. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996) - Eimert, Herbert, and Stockhausen, Karlheinz, editors. Anton Webern. Volume 2 of Die Reihe. (London; Wein; Zurich; Mainz: Theodore Presser Company, 1955). - Griffiths, Dai. So who are you? : Webern s Op. 3 No. 1. Analytical Strategies and Musical Interpretation. Edited by Craig Avery and Mark Everist. (New York; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996): Lester, Joel. Analytical Approaches to Twentieth-Century Music. (New York; London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1989). - Moldenhauer, Hans, compiler. Anton Von Webern Perspectives. Edited by Demar Irvine. (Seattle; London: University of Washington Press, 1966). - Moldenhauer, Hans, and Moldenhauer, Rosaleen. Anton Von Webern: A Chronicle of His Life and Work. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979). - Perle, George. Serial Composition and Atonality: An introduction to the Music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. 6 th edition. (Berkeley; Los Angeles; Oxford: University of California Press, 1991). - Sadie, Stanley, editor. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 29 Volumes. 2 nd edition. (London: Macmillan, 2001). - Webern, Anton. The Path to the New Music. Edited by Willi Reich. (London; Wein; Zurich; Mainz: Theodore Presser Company, 1960). 20