" A wonderful palace would need to be
built for him, completely out of glass, of course, with wonderful gardens,
large fountains, and colorful exotic birds. And in this glass house would
sit the old man, painting his twelve-tone rows in gigantic notes,
undisturbed by what was going on in the world, while the rest of us,
outside, on the periphery of his glass palace, would build up socialism.
Thus should Schoenberg live until the end of his life, like the Caliphs in
the Thousand and One Nights."
H. Eisler on Schönberg (1944-45)
Remarkable but a very ignored composer
of the twentieth century is the Jewish-German-Austrian, Hanns Eisler.
Remarkable because of the fact that he was one of the most promising
students of
Arnold Schoenberg. Ignored because he composed politically
orientated music: music now described as irrelevant or 'out of date':
thereby neglecting his dedication to the revolutionary
12 tone music
ladder of Schoenberg.
Looking at the situation in the thirties
there might be something to speak for Eisler's radical change to '
Arbeitermusik'.
Eisler born in 1898, Germany, grew up in
Vienna,
Austria. As a young boy he was called for duty in the
First
World war. His experiences in this war and the social revolutions around
the world (like the
Russian October revolution) already formed his musical
views.
In 1919 he receives an invitation from
Schoenberg to join his class (together with
Alban Berg and
Von Webern): in
fact an experimental group to practice Schoenberg's first steps to 12 tones.
Eisler is also the first composer who composed a piece in 12-tone ladder.
After years of study and practicing, the bond Eisler-Schoenberg comes to an
end: their opinions about modern music trends and political ideas differ
too much. Eisler leaves Vienna (1926), and arrives in
Berlin.
Curious about the new media, he jumps onto radio and film, composing songs and themes. His contribution to
cabaret-songs finally brings him together with the German radical poet,
Berthold Brecht. Where
Kurt Weill and
Berthold Brecht later break their collaboration
because of too many
political differences, these political ideas seem to
be the glue for the Brecht and Eisler collaboration. '
Kampflieder', songs that have to
raise awareness to the workers and warn them against the upcoming
Nazi threat. Even in these songs
Schoenberg's influence can still be heard:
it's basically jazzmusic but with atonal side notes.
Eisler's classical background and social awareness makes him
popular with a new generation of film-directors like
Joris Ivens. Music for '
Kuhle Wampe' , '
Die Mutter' and '
Massname' also make him well-known
in political ways: the Nazis, who immediately put him on their
blacklist.
When Eisler is invited to
Vienna (1933) by
Von Webern to demonstrate his compositions he already knows he won't
return to Germany. From
Spain,
France he finally leaves for
America,
(California). Here he rejoins with his teacher Schoenberg and
friend Brecht. In the new world Eisler continues to write for movies and
even writes a book about writing orchestrations for movies (later on to be
the classic book on movie music).
After the war he isn't even save in
America. In 1948 he is accused by the
House Committee of Un-American
Activities of having un-American sympathies; main accuser is a well known
senator:
Richard Nixon. Even support of famous scientists and artists like
Einstein,
Bernstein,
Matisse and
Picasso can't turn down the committee's
decision. He is 'removed' of America and he decides to continue
living in East Germany. Here he arranges several folksongs and composes
the
East German National anthem.
Even in the by him praised
East
Germany he is treated badly. Between 1950 and 1953, when Eisler is
composing the
Dr. Faust Opera, he is accused by the communist authorities
of using to many 'German' elements.
Bittered and disappointed he finally quits composing, to die in 1962,
Berlin.
Links that might give you a jumpstart:
This page originally comes from my homepage and is an English translation from an
article published in my former employer's monthly magazine 'Cypers' (1998/1999).
Donated to the E2 database.
EislerMusic www.eislermusic.com: also has a discussion forum on his music