Heinrich Schenker

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Heinrich Schenker (19 June 1868 – 14 January 1935) was an Austrian music theorist whose writings have had a profound influence on subsequent musical analysis. His approach, now termed Schenkerian analysis, was most fully explained in a three-volume series, Neue musikalische Theorien und Phantasien (New Musical Theories and Phantasies), which included Harmony (1906), Counterpoint (1910; 1922), and Free Composition (1935). Born in Wiśniowczyk, Austrian Galicia, he studied law at University of Vienna and music at what is now the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna where his teachers included Franz Krenn, Ernst Ludwig, Anton Bruckner, and Johann Nepomuk Fuchs. Despite his law degree, he focused primarily on a musical career following graduation, finding minimal success as a composer, conductor, and accompanist. After 1900 Schenker increasingly directed his efforts toward music theory, developing a systemic approach to analyze the underlying melodic and harmonic material of tonal music. His theories proposed the presence of fundamental structures (Ursatz) occurring in the background (Hintergrund) of compositions, which he illustrated with a variety of new specialized terms and notational methods. Schenker's view on race has come under scrutiny and criticism in the 21st century.

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Early years and education Heinrich Schenker was born in Wiśniowczyk, Austrian Galicia in 1868 to a Jewish family of Johann Schenker and his wife, Julia (née Mosler). Schenker's father was a doctor who had been allowed to settle in Wiśniowczyk, a village of only 1,759 inhabitants, according to the 1869 census. There is very little information about Schenker's parents. Moriz Violin, Schenker's life-long friend recalled Schenker describing "the seriousness of the father and the hot temper of the mother". Schenker was the fifth of six children: Markus (allegedly died 1880 in Lemberg); Rebeka (allegedly died 1889 in Gradiska); Wilhelm, a doctor; Schifre; and Moriz (Moses), born 31 August 1874. There is little documentation concerning Schenker's childhood years. Schenker himself said nothing about his secondary-school education. His musical instincts must have been discovered at an early age, for he went to Lemberg (present-day Lviv, Ukraine) and studied with Carl Mikuli and then continued his studies in Berezhany. Schenker received a scholarship to move to Vienna, where his family followed. Documents at the University of Vienna show him on the roster at the beginning of the 1884/85 season, where he pursued a law degree. In addition to his studies at the University…Citește mai mult

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Composer and performer After graduating the University of Vienna with a law degree, Schenker devoted himself entirely to music. His first major opportunity came with Maximilian Harden, editor of Die Zukunft [The Future] who published his earliest writings. Publications in other periodicals followed. Surviving letters in Schenker's archive suggest that during his schooling Schenker had no income and survived purely by gifts from supporters. He continued this practice after graduating. Schenker dedicated his Inventions op. 5 to Irene Graedener (maiden name Mayerhofer). On her death (9 August 1923), he recalled in his diary that it was at her house that he was able to find himself and realize his future calling. At this point in his career, Schenker saw himself primarily as a composer and tried to ingratiate himself as a means of promoting his compositions. Several letters attest to his meetings with Eduard Hanslick. By 1900, Schenker was actively trying to promote his musical compositions as evidenced by correspondence with Ignaz Brüll, Karl Goldmark, Eugen d'Albert and Ferruccio Busoni. The dedications of his published compositions are another clue to the identities of those who were sympathetic and possibly gave money to enable Schenker's works to be published, although there…Citește mai mult

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Theorist Having failed to gain recognition as a composer, conductor, and accompanist, by 1900 he shifted his focus increasingly on problems of musical editing and music theory, though years later he still felt proud of his compositions. According to Federhofer, compositional activity for Schenker was not a means to an end in itself but a pedagogical one, a path to understanding the desires of a composer. Over time, Schenker saw how traditional understanding of music was disappearing and felt it necessary to revise music and theory lessons and remove later editorial additions from musical texts. Already in his 1895 article "Der Geist der musikalischen Technik" he spoke of the adulteration of contemporary music editions of classical composers and advocated the use of Urtext editions. Already with his first publication, "A Contribution to the Study of Ornamentation", Schenker understood his theoretical work to be a long-range pursuit. When he tried to get his Harmony (the first part of his New Musical Theory and Fantasies) published by Breitkopf & Härtel, it was rejected, the publisher citing Hugo Riemann's work to have covered all that was necessary. Max Kalbeck reported on his unsuccessful attempt to get the work published by N. Simrock. Though…Citește mai mult

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In all the years he has never failed to visit me, spend hours with me and all sorts of to learn from me. He describes himself as one of my students, and that fills me with no little pride. In 1908, Schenker had hoped for an appointment at the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst (today the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna). However, the conflict between his beliefs and the need to compromise to work within an academic system ultimately thwarted the opportunity. Even as late as 1932–33, Furtwängler tried to intercede with Ludwig Karpath to obtain a position for Schenker, without success. Despite the lack of success, Schenker was gratified by Furtwängler's words. Schenker never taught in a school but most often taught in his house at the piano. His fees were not inexpensive, but he demonstrated a fierce loyalty to his students. Though he could be unsparing in his criticism, the goal of his teaching was on the acquisition of a comprehensive musical education intertwined with the art of performance, as they were dependent on each other. Understanding the artwork was the object and purpose of his teaching, where theory and practice were an inseparable unity.

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In his later years Schenker complained of fatigue. He and Jeanette would spend summers usually in the Tyrolean mountains, most often in the town Galtür. In his correspondence with Victor Hammer, Schenker revealed that he was very near-sighted which hindered him from obtaining a better understanding of painting. Additionally he suffered from goiter and obesity, reasons for which he was granted a permanent exemption from military service. Already in 1914, he had been diagnosed with diabetes which necessitated frequent visits to the doctor and an enforced diet (which Schenker did not always keep). Even towards the end of life, Schenker worked steadily. He corrected proofs for Free Composition from 16 to 23 December 1934. He commented negatively on a radio broadcast of 30 December 1934, but then heard Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus in a live broadcast from the Vienna State Opera and declared it a "most brilliant performance". On a medical examination of 4 January 1935, he received an unfavorable report, noting symptoms including the swelling of his feet and extreme thirst. He was taken to a sanatorium for an insulin therapy. Jeanette recorded Schenker's final moments in his diary:

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From within a slight stupor I heard him say "... From..." "From what?" I say, "we'll still be with one another" – and I make a sudden gesture, because I did not understand. He continued: "from... from the St. Matthew Passion something occurred to me..." These were the last words of my beloved.

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Schenker died on 14 January 1935, age 66 at 2 AM, the cause of death listed as diabetes and arteriosclerosis. He was buried on 17 January at the Wiener Zentralfriedhof, Gate 4, Group 3, Series 4, number 8. The inscription on his grave reads: "Hier ruht, der die Seele der Musik vernommen, ihre Gesetze im Sinne der Großen verkündet wie Keiner vor ihm" (Here lies he who examined and revealed the laws concerning the soul of music like none other before him). Jeanette Schenker stayed in Vienna after the Anschluss. Persecuted for being Jewish, she was rescued twice from the Nazis before being arrested and transported on 29 June 1942. She died in Theresienstadt on 8 January 1945.

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Schenker's views on race German chauvinism is sprinkled throughout Heinrich Schenker's theoretical writing. In Der freie satz, he suggests linear progressions can be used as a kind of "Blutprobe" (blood test), because they are indicative of German musical genius. He argues Beethoven passes this test, despite his Flemish ancestry. Schenker's work occasionally contained other toxic discourse, such as his analysis of Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 101 which shoehorns in racist comments about France and Senegal. Music theorists have often analyzed Schenker's views on race. In 2019, Philip Ewell argued Schenker's hierarchical analysis was emblematic of a "white racial frame" around the entire field of music theory. He viewed Schenker's racial prejudices as formative of his music theory. Ewell also suggested that music theorists "whitewashed" Schenker's views. Journal of Schenkerian Studies editor Timothy L. Jackson organized a special issue responding to Ewell's argument. Jackson's barbed contribution depicted Schenker as misunderstood and defended the cloistering of the theorist's pseudoscientific musings to prevent them from undermining Schenker's genuine insights. In a blog post, Columbia University linguist John McWhorter asked, "If Ewell's claim is that music is racist when involving hierarchical relationships between elements, then we must ask where that puts a great deal…Citește mai mult

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Ein Beitrag zu Ornamentik. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1904. Revised 1908. English translation: "A Contribution to the Study of Ornamentation", translated and edited by Hedi Siegel. The Music Forum 4 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1976), pp. 1–139. Harmonielehre. Neue Musikalische Theorien und Phantasien part 1. Stuttgart: J. G. Cotta, 1906. English translation: Harmony edited and annotated by Oswald Jonas, translated by Elisabeth Mann Borgese. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1954 (edition with some cuts in text and music examples) Kontrapunkt, vol. 1. Neue Musikalische Theorien und Phantasien part 2. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1910. English translation: Counterpoint: a translation of Kontrapunkt. Translated by John Rothgeb and Jürgen Thym, edited by John Rothgeb. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987. Beethovens neunte Sinfonie: eine Darstellung des musikalischen Inhaltes unter fortlaufender Berücksichtigung auch des Vortrages unter der Literatur. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1912. English translation: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony: a Portrayal of its Musical Content, with Running Commentary on Performance and Literature as well. Translated and edited by John Rothgeb. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992. Kontrapunkt, vol. 2. Neue Musikalische Theorien und Phantasien part 2. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1922. English translation: see volume 1. Der Tonwille: Flugblätter zum Zeugnis unwandelbarer Gesetze der Tonkunst einer neuen Jugend…Citește mai mult

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Editions with or without explanatory texts Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel. Klavierwerke. Neue kritische Ausgabe von Heinrich Schenker. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1902. Handel, Georg Frideric. Zwolf Orgel-Concerte fur Klavier zu 4 Handen bearbeitet von Heinrich Schenker. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1904. Bach, Johann Sebastian. Chromatische Phantasie und Fugue, Erläuterungsausgabe. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1909. English translation: J. S. Bach's Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue: Critical Edition with Commentary. Translated and edited by Hedi Siegel. New York: Longman, 1984. Beethoven, Ludwig van. Die letzten fünf Sonaten von Beethoven. Erläuterungsausgabe der Sonate A-Dur, op. 109. Kritische Edition mit Einführung und Erläuterung. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1913. Beethoven, Ludwig van. Die letzten fünf Sonaten von Beethoven. Erläuterungsausgabe der Sonate A-Dur, op. 110. kritische Ausgabe mit Einführung und Erläuterung. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1914. Beethoven, Ludwig van. Die letzten fünf Sonaten von Beethoven. Erläuterungsausgabe der Sonate A-Dur, op. 111. kritische Ausgabe mit Einführung und Erläuterung. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1916. Beethoven, Ludwig van. Die letzten fünf Sonaten von Beethoven. Erläuterungsausgabe der Sonate A-Dur, op. 101. kritische Ausgabe mit Einführung und Erläuterung. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1921. Beethoven, Ludwig van. Sonate Op. 27, Nr. 2 (Die sogenannte Mondscheinsonate) mit 3 Skizzenblättern des Meisters. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1921. Beethoven, Ludwig van. Klaviersonaten, nach den…Citește mai mult

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Non-theoretical articles, reviews and essays "Johannes Brahms. Fünf Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte, Op. 107", Musikalisches Wochenblatt, Jahrgang 22 (1891), pp. 514–517. "Hermann Grädener. Quintett No. 2, Cmoll für Pianoforte, zwei Violinen, Viola und Violoncell, Op. 19", Musikalisches Wochenblatt, Jahrgang 23 (1892), pp. 214–216. "Johannes Brahms. Fünf Gesänge für gemischten Chor a cappella, Op. 104", Musikalisches Wochenblatt, Jahrgang 23 (1892), pp. 409–412, 425, 437. "Mascagni in Wien", Die Zukunft, Band 1 (1892), pp. 137–139. "Eine jung-italienische Schule?", Die Zukunft, Band 1 (1892), pp. 460–462. "Mascagnis "Rantzau'", Die Zukunft, Band 2 (1893), pp.280–284. "Anton Bruckner. Psalm 150 für Chor, Soli und Orchester". Musikalisches Wochenblatt, Jahrgang 24 (1893), pp. 159ff. "Ein Gruß an Johannes Brahms. Zu seinem 60. Geburtstag, 7. Mai 1893", Die Zukunft, Band 3 (1893), p. 279. "Notizen zu Verdis Falstaff", Die Zukunft, Band 3 (1893), pp. 474–476. "Friedrich Smetana", Die Zukunft, Band 4 (1893), pp. 37–40. "Der Sonzogno-Markt in Wien", Die Zukunft, Band 4 (1893), pp. 282ff. "Anton Bruckner", Die Zukunft, Band 5 (1893), pp. 135–137. "Die Musik von heute. (Neue Variationen über ein altes Thema.)" Neue Revue, Jahrgang 5, Band 1 (1894), pp. 87ff. "Johannes Brahms. Phantasien für Pianoforte, Op. 116", Musikalisches Wochenblatt, Jahrgang 25 (1894), pp.…Citește mai mult

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Zwei Clavierstücke, op. 1. Vienna: Ludwig Doblinger, n.d. [1892]. Reprint Vienna, Doblinger, 1982. No. 1: Etude. No. 2: Capriccio. Serenade für Waldhorn. Unpublished. Played by Louis Sawart and Heinrich Schenker in Vienna, 5 November 1893 and 5 March 1894. Fantasie, op. 2. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1898. Sechs Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, op. 3. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1898, 1901. No. 1: Versteckte Jasminen (Detlev von Liliencron) No. 2: Wiegenlied (Detlev von Liliencron) No. 3: Vogel im Busch (Detlev von Liliencron) No. 4: Ausklang (Ludwig Jacobowski) No. 5: Allein (Ludwig Jacobowski) No. 6: Einkleidung (Wilhelm Müller) Fünf Klavierstücke, op. 4. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1898. No. 1: Andante, C minor No. 2: Allegretto grazioso, G major No. 3: Andante con moto e rubato, B flat minor No. 4: Allegretto poco agitato e rubato, E flat major No. 5: Quasi allegretto, D major Zweistimmige Inventionen, op. 5. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1898, 1901. No. 1: Allegro amabile, G major No. 2: Con moto appassionato e con molto sentimento, F sharp minor No. 3: Vivace, quasi presto, D minor No. 4: Allegro deciso, A major 3 songs for mixed chorus a capella, op. 7 No. 3: Vorüber (Johanna…Citește mai mult

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Nicolas Meeùs. "Écrits de Schenker" (in French). Théorie et analyse schenkériennes. Extensive list of Scheker's writings on theory, on the website of the EuroT&AM Schenker Documents Online, Ian Bent, ed. Free scores by Heinrich Schenker at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)