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Anton Webern (1883-1945)

Anton Webern composerAnton Webern was one of the key figures in the so-called Second Viennese School. A pupil of Schoenberg, he became known for his concise and highly individual atonal and serial compositions. In many ways he was more influential than his teacher. In the postwar years leading figures in the avant-garde like Boulez, Stockhausen, and Dallapiccola, found more substance in his music and forms than in those of Schoenberg. Hence, one often heard -- and still hears -- the term "post-Webern serialism." His mature style was relatively straightforward, featuring simple harmonies and transparent textures, silent pauses, and brevity of expression. While his influence and stature are acknowledged and his music often played, Webern has landed no work in the standard repertory. Much of his music is viewed as difficult and intellectual by the public, though it is in fact comparatively quite approachable, much less challenging than the works of Boulez, Cage and others.
 -  Robert Cummings, All Music Guide

COMPOSITIONS                                                                                                    Webern Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre
2 Pieces, cello and piano (1899)
3 Lieder, voice and piano (1899-1903)
Variations, F/f, string quartet (1903)
Movement, e, string quartet (1903)
Movement, G, string quartet (1903)
Movement, c, string quartet (1903)
8 Early Songs, voice and piano (1901-04)
3 Lieder (after poems by Ferdinand Avenarius), voice and piano (1903-04)
Movement, C, string quartet (1904)
Scherzo and Trio, a, string quartet (1904)
Movement (Schwer), Bb, string quartet (1904)
Im Sommerwind, Idyl for large orchestra after a poem by Bruno Wille (1904)
Movement, D/d, string quartet (1905)
Langsamer Satz (Slow Movement) (Langsam, mit bewegtem Audruck), string quartet (1905)
Movement (Duster und schwer), string quartet (1905)
Sonatensatz (Rondo) (Bewegt), piano (1906)
Rondo (Bewegt), string quartet (1906)
Movement, D/A, string quartet (1906)
Movement (Sehr lebhft), D, string quartet (1906)
Movement, C, string quartet (1906)
Movement, e, string quartet (1906)
Movement, d, string quartet (1906)
Movement, A/E, string quartet (1906)
Movement, d, string quartet (1906)
Movement (Lebhaft), c, piano (1906)
Movement (Sehr bewegt), c, string quartet (1907)
Piano Quintet (Maessig) (1907)
Theme and Variations (Langsam), c#, string quartet (1907)
5 Lieder (after poems by Richar Dehmel), voice and piano (1906-08)
Passacaglia, op. 1, orchestra (1908)
Entflieht auf Leichten Kahnan, op. 2, chorus (1908)
5 Lieder (from Der Siebente Ring), op. 3, voice and piano (1908-09)
4 Lieder (Stefan George, voice and piano (1908-1909)
5 Lieder (on poems of Stefan George), op. 4, voice and piano (1908-09; rev. 1920)
5 Movements for String Quartet, op. 5 (1909)
6 Pieces for Large Orchestra, op. 6 (1909; rev. 1928)
4 Pieces, op. 7, violin and piano (1910; rev. 1914)
2 Lieder (on poems of Ranier Maria Rilke), op. 8, voice and piano (1910; rev. 1921 & 1925)
6 Bagatelles, op. 9, string quartet (1911-13)
5 Pieces for Orchestra, op. 10 (1911-13)
5 Pieces for Orchestra, op. posth (1913)
3 Orchestral Songs, voice and orchestra (1913-1914)
Cello Sonata, cello and piano, op. posth. (1914)
Movement (Lebhaft), string quartet (1914)
3 Little Pieces, op. 11, cello and piano (1914)
4 Lieder, op. 12, voice and piano (1915-17)
Movements (4), string quartet (1917-18)
4 Lieder, op. 13, voice and 13 instruments (1914-18)
6 Lieder (on Poems of George Trakl), op. 14, voice, violin, clarinet, bass clarinet, viola and cello (1917-21)
5 Geisliche Lieder (Sacred Songs), op. 15, voice and piano (1917-22)
5 Canons on Latin Texts, op. 16, voice, clarinet and bass clarinet (1923-24)
Kinderstucke (Children’s Piece) (Lieblich), piano (1924)
6 Volkstexte (Traditional Rhymes), op. 17, voice, violin, viola, clarinet and bass clarinet (1924) 
Movement, string quartet (1925)
Klavierstuck (Im Tempo eines Menuetts), piano (1925)
Satz (Movement/Piece) for String Trio (Ruhig Fliessend), op. posth. (1925)
3 Lieder, op. 18, voice, Eb clarinet and guitar (1925)
2 Lieder, op. 19, chorus, clarinet, bass clarinet, celesta, guitar and violin (1926)
String Trio, op. 20 (1926-27)
Symphony, op. 21, small orchestra (1927-28)
Quartet, op. 22, violin, clarinet, tenor saxophone and piano (1928-30)
3 Gesange from Viae invaie, op. 23, voice and piano (1933-34)
Concerto, op. 24, flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola and piano (1931-34)
Ricercare a 6 (transcription for orchestra from Bach’s Musical Offering)
3 Lieder (on poems of Hildegard Jone), op. 25, voice and piano (1935)
Das Augenlicht, op. 26, chorus and orchestra (1935)
Variations for Piano, op. 27 (1935-36)
String Quartet, op. 28 (1936-38)
Cantata No. 1, soprano, chorus and orchestra, op. 29 (1938-40)
Variations for Orchestra, op. 30 (1940)
Cantata No. 2, soprano, bass, chorus and orchestra, op. 31 (1941-43)


WORKS BY GENRE                                                                                                 Webern Links   ~ top of page ~
Orchestra
Im Sommerwind, Idyl for large orchestra after a poem by Bruno Wille (1904)
Passacaglia, op. 1, orchestra (1908)
6 Pieces for Large Orchestra, op. 6 (1909; rev. 1928)
5 Pieces for Orchestra, op. 10 (1911-13)
5 Pieces for Orchestra, op. posth (1913)
Symphony, op. 21, small orchestra (1927-28)
Concerto, op. 24, flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola and piano (1931-34)
Ricercare a 6 (transcription for orchestra from Bach’s Musical Offering), orchestra (1935?)
Variations for Orchestra, op. 30 (1940)

Chorus w/Orchestra
Das Augenlicht, op. 26, chorus and orchestra (1935)
Cantata No. 1, soprano, chorus and orchestra, op. 29 (1938-40)
Cantata No. 2, soprano, bass, chorus and orchestra, op. 31 (1941-43)

Choral
Entflieht auf Leichten Kahnan, op. 2, chorus (1908)
2 Lieder, op. 19, chorus, clarinet, bass clarinet, celesta, guitar and violin (1926)

Chamber
Variations, F/f, string quartet (1903)
Movement, e, string quartet (1903)
Movement, G, string quartet (1903)
Movement, c, string quartet (1903)
Movement, C, string quartet (1904)
Scherzo and Trio, a, string quartet (1904)
Movement (Schwer), Bb, string quartet (1904)
Movement, D/d, string quartet (1905)
Langsamer Satz (Slow Movement) (Langsam, mit bewegtem Audruck), string quartet (1905)
Movement (Duster und schwer), string quartet (1905)
Rondo (Bewegt), string quartet (1906)
Movement, D/A, string quartet (1906)
Movement (Sehr lebhft), D, string quartet (1906)
Movement, C, string quartet (1906)
Movement, e, string quartet (1906)
Movement, d, string quartet (1906)
Movement, A/E, string quartet (1906)
Movement, d, string quartet (1906)
Movement (Sehr bewegt), c, string quartet (1907)
Piano Quintet (Maessig) (1907)
Theme and Variations (Langsam), c#, string quartet (1907)
5 Movements for String Quartet, op. 5 (1909)
6 Bagatelles, op. 9, string quartet (1911-13)
Movement (Lebhaft), string quartet (1914)
Movements (4), string quartet (1917-18)
Movement, string quartet (1925)
Satz (Movement/Piece) for String Trio (Ruhig Fliessend), op. posth. (1925)
String Trio, op. 20 (1926-27)
Quartet, op. 22, violin, clarinet, tenor saxophone and piano (1928-30)
Concerto, op. 24, flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola and piano (1931-34)
String Quartet, op. 28 (1936-38)

Solo Instrument
2 Pieces, cello and piano (1899)
4 Pieces, op. 7, violin and piano (1910; rev. 1914)
Cello Sonata, cello and piano, op. posth. (1914)
3 Little Pieces, op. 11, cello and piano (1914)

Piano
Sonatensatz (Rondo) (Bewegt), piano (1906)
Movement (Lebhaft), c, piano (1906)
Kinderstucke (Children’s Piece) (Lieblich), piano (1924)
Klavierstuck (Im Tempo eines Menuetts), piano (1925)
Variations for Piano, op. 27 (1935-36)

Vocal
3 Lieder, voice and piano (1899-1903)
8 Early Songs, voice and piano (1901-04)
3 Lieder (after poems by Ferdinand Avenarius), voice and piano (1903-04)
5 Lieder (after poems by Richar Dehmel), voice and piano (1906-08)
5 Lieder (from Der Siebente Ring), op. 3, voice and piano (1908-09)
4 Lieder (Stefan George, voice and piano (1908-1909)
5 Lieder (on poems of Stefan George), op. 4, voice and piano (1908-09; rev. 1920)
2 Lieder (on poems of Ranier Maria Rilke), op. 8, voice and piano (1910; rev. 1921 & 1925)
3 Orchestral Songs, voice and orchestra (1913-1914)
4 Lieder, op. 12, voice and piano (1915-17)
4 Lieder, op. 13, voice and 13 instruments (1914-18)
6 Lieder (on Poems of George Trakl), op. 14, voice, violin, clarinet, bass clarinet, viola and cello (1917-21)
5 Geisliche Lieder (Sacred Songs), op. 15, voice and piano (1917-22)
5 Canons on Latin Texts, op. 16, voice, clarinet and bass clarinet (1923-24)
6 Volkstexte (Traditional Rhymes), op. 17, voice, violin, viola, clarinet and bass clarinet (1924) 
3 Lieder, op. 18, voice, Eb clarinet and guitar (1925)
3 Gesange from Viae invaie, op. 23, voice and piano (1933-34)
3 Lieder (on poems of Hildegard Jone), op. 25, voice and piano (1935)


WEBERN  LINKS                                                                                                      Works by Genre   ~ top of page ~
Anton Webern - Analysis of Five pieces, Op. 10 (1913) (Thierry Alla)
Anton Webern: Five Songs on Poems by Stefan George, Op. 4 (Nancy Thuleen)
Anton Webern, the Mad Scientist of Modernist Music (Norman Lebrecht, Andante.com)
Anton Webern - The Path to the New Music (Willi Reich, Internet Archive)
Anton Webern's Jone Poems (Lauriejean Reinhardt)
Bagatellen, op. 9 and Streichquartett, op. 28 (McGill University)
Building a Classical Music Library: Anton Webern (Guardian.co.uk)
How to Approach the Music of Anton Webern (WikiHow)
Langsamer Satz in E Flat Major for String Quartet (Edition SilverTrust)
Satz and Trio, op. 20  (McGill University)
The Twelve-Note Music of Anton Webern: Old Forms in a New Language (Kathryn Bailey, books.google.com)
Webern's Obituary (Erwin Stein, The Musical Times)

Composer website
Composer website (site by John Craton)
Composer website (site by Bill Hammel)

Webern @ Wikipedia
Webern @ About.com
Webern @ Answers.com
Webern @ Artissimo
Webern @ Austrian National Tourist Office
Webern @ Classic Cat
Webern @ Classical Archives
Webern @ Classical Composers Database
Webern @ Classical Music Pages
Webern @ Classical Net
Webern @ ClassicsToday
Webern @ composition:today
Webern @ CultureKiosque
Webern @ Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
Webern @ economicexpert.com
Webern @ Find A Grave
Webern @ Karadar Classical Music
Webern @ Lori Kennedy's Webpage
Webern @ Music & Vision
Webern @ Music Academy Online
Webern @ The Music Chamber
Webern @ MusicWeb International
Webern @ mymusicbase.ru
Webern @ MySpaceMusic
Webern @ NationMaster
Webern @ Naxos
Webern @ The New York Times
Webern @ NNDB
Webern @ W.W. Norton
Webern @ Paul-Sacher-Stiftung
Webern @ Piano Society
Webern @ REAL.com
Webern @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Webern @ Universal Edition
Webern @ Webern On Line

Streaming Audio
Webern @ ChoralWiki
Webern @ The Classical MIDI Connection
Webern @ Classical Music Archives
Webern @ last.fm
Webern @ NPRmusic
Webern @ Rhapsody

Recordings
Webern @ ArkivMusic
Webern @ ClassicsOnline

Webern @ YouTube

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