Arnold Schoenberg's Die glückliche Hand

136 Pages·2016·19.99 MB·English

Durham E-Theses
Arnold Schoenberg’s Die gl(cid:252)ckliche Hand: Artistic
Self-Envisioning in the Early Modernist Era
TOOKE, DANIEL,JASON
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TOOKE, DANIEL,JASON (2015) Arnold Schoenberg’s Die gl(cid:252)ckliche Hand: Artistic Self-Envisioning in
the Early Modernist Era, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online:
http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11579/
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Abstract
Arnold Schoenberg’s Die glückliche Hand: Artistic Self-Envisioning in the Early Modernist
Era: This thesis focuses on Arnold Schoenberg’s stage work Die glückliche Hand (1913), a major
composition of Schoenberg’s early atonal period, but one that has been less extensively studied by
scholars. It argues that this work sheds considerable light on Schoenberg’s self-envisioning as
creative artist during a crucial phase of his development, and is best understood as a Künstleroper
with strong autobiographical resonances. The first chapter seeks to situate the piece in relation to
other notable Expressionist stage works of the period, demonstrating how it can be seen to
constitute an Ich-Drama with strong resemblances in both conception and dramaturgical design
to stage works by Wassily Kandinsky and August Strindberg. The second chapter attempts to
explore the symbolism of its libretto, elucidating connections with the work of three noted
contemporary writers—August Strindberg, Otto Weininger, and Stefan George—who exerted an
appreciable influence on Schoenberg’s worldview and artistic self-concept. Intrinsic to this self-
concept were fin-de-siècle constructs of the artist as tortured, embattled genius, in possession of
higher spiritual truths but destined to remain the target of uncomprehending hostility and
persecution. Particular attention will be given to Strindberg’s autobiographical prose work Inferno
as a likely source of inspiration for Schoenberg, as well as George’s major collection of poems Der
siebente Ring. The conclusion sketches how the paradigm of artistic self-envisioning in Die
glückliche Hand arguably remained central to Schoenberg’s self-understanding in later life.

Arnold Schoenberg’s Die glückliche Hand:
Artistic Self-Envisioning in the
Early Modernist Era

Daniel Tooke

Thesis prepared for accession to the degree of
Master of Arts by Research
Submitted to the Music Department, Durham University
March 2015

Contents
List of Illustrations ................................................................................................................................... vii
Statement of Copyright......................................................................................................................... viii
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. ix
Introduction ............................................................................................................ xi
Chapter 1: Genesis of a Dramatic Concept ....................................................... xvii
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Synopsis ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Die glückliche Hand and contemporary Austro-German Expressionism ...................................... 7
Technical and conceptual aspects of Expressionist drama ................................................................ 9
Three categorisations of Expressionist Drama................................................................................... 12
Kandinsky and the Geist Drama .................................................................................................. 14
Schoenberg and Kandinsky .................................................................................................................... 14
Der gelbe Klang ........................................................................................................................................ 15
Schoenberg and aspects of the Geist drama ....................................................................................... 18
Strindberg and the Ich Drama ...................................................................................................... 26
Strindberg as an early exponent of Expressionist ideals ................................................................... 28
To Damascus as dramatic prototype .................................................................................................... 34
Chapter 2: Symbolic Projections of the Modern Artist ..................................... 45
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 47
The Gerstl Affair ............................................................................................................................ 50
Overview of events ................................................................................................................................... 51
Ramifications for our understanding of Die glückliche Hand ........................................................ 53
Weininger, Gender and Genius in Die glückliche Hand .......................................................... 57
Gender roles in Sex and Character ....................................................................................................... 59
Genius in Sex and Character ................................................................................................................. 61
Schoenberg’s Self-Concept as Artist ........................................................................................... 65
Schoenberg and Strindberg’s Shared Affinities ......................................................................... 71
v
Schoenberg’s ‘persecution complex’..................................................................................................... 71
Shared superstition .................................................................................................................................. 77
Jacob Wrestles, Séraphita and Swedenborg ........................................................................................ 80
Inferno as possible inspiration for Die glückliche Hand .................................................................. 86
Stefan George and the Artist as Hero ......................................................................................... 91
Antagonism towards the outside world and the elevation of genius ............................................. 93
The battle of the heroic artist ................................................................................................................ 95
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 99
Appendix I: Strindberg’s Thanks ............................................................................................... 101
Appendix II: From Strindberg’s Inferno ................................................................................... 105
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 107

vi
List of Illustrations

Fig. 1: Schoenberg’s envisaged sunrise backdrop for Scene II; Oil on cardboard, dated no later than
October 1910 ....................................................................................................................................................... 2
Fig. 2: The Man's leitmotif, b.28-9 ................................................................................................................ 22
Fig. 3: The Woman's leitmotif, b.36-7.......................................................................................................... 22
Fig. 4: Schoenberg's sketch of the Man's pose for the colour crescendo ............................................... 33
Fig. 5: Letter to Schoenberg from Hermann Bahr, 18th April 1909 ...................................................... 72
Fig. 6: Page from Schoenberg's War-Clouds diary .................................................................................... 78
Fig. 7: Schoenberg's painting of the opening scene, with 13 heads visible; painted before October
1910 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 80
Fig. 8: Critic I, 1909 or 1910 ........................................................................................................................... 90
Fig. 9: Schoenberg's painting of the Man, before October 1910 ............................................................. 97

All illustrations, with the exception of musical examples, are from the online archive of
Schoenberg’s paintings and drawings made available by the Arnold Schoenberg Institute
(www.schoenberg.at) and are used by permission of Belmont Music Publishers.
vii
Statement of Copyright
The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published
without the author's prior written consent and information derived from it should be
acknowledged.
viii