From The Two "violin Concerto" A Comparative Study To Look At The Writing Style Of Twelve-tone Sequence Diversity

A. Schoenberg and A. Berg, two of the major members of the new Viennese school, were both the representatives of early atonal music. In 1920s, they began to compose with twelve-tone series early or late. Owing to their different concepts on composing and their personal individualities, these two composers showed their respective features, and brought to light the variety of this composing technique even in the early period of serial composing.This article is based on their Violin Concertos, to show the variety of twelve-tone serial composing, by analyzing and studying the expressional forms of the .twelve-tone series. The base set is the root of a twelve-tone serial composition, therefore, the first comparison is made for it, so that we may roughly know the difference between these two concertos. Then, the article sets out with the vertical and horizontal use of base sets. To examine the different forms of themes, melodies, whole sound (harmony ) and other elements wholly, and put emphasis on harmonic treatment of the whole sound. The basically expressional forms of the base set are the themes and melodies in serial composition. They may be obtained by linear statement of the whole set, set split two or more sets mingled or moved in parallel, and, they are kaleidoscopic, according to the different uses of composers. The whole sound reflects the combination of voices in use of series, and its intention controlling affects any aspect of serial composing. With the base components of harmony-pitch system, chord combination, harmonic progression, counterpoint, and form design, this article analyzes the difference between these two composers on harmony concepts and its expressions in detail. Other elements, such as rhythm, metre, tempo, and dynamics, may play an important role in construction, so the article gives some discussions to them also. In addition, the difference of composition concepts and individualities between these two composers, is a supplementary explanation of the variety. By the analyses and comparisons mentioned above, we may draw a conclusion that they both have shown the variety of serial composing, but in different ways: while Schoenberg, in the process of upholding the basic laws of twelve-tone series, Berg, in the process of combining the traditional elements with serial composing, and making innovation on twelve-tone series. Finally, this article has also laid emphasis on the connections between the tradition and the serial composing of these two composers, appraised ingenuity and inheritance of this composing technique objectively. Thus, to the variety of serial composition, we may have a more overall recognition and understanding.