Schoenberg, A Survivor from Warsaw

I have a more sympathetic view of Schoenberg than many of my friends, and I think that owes something to the fact that one of the first works of his that I encountered was A Survivor from Warsaw. I have always had a particular interest in music with narration. (Professor Carol, I think, has a more sympathetic view of Schoenberg as a result of Pierrot Lunaire.) I also had an undergraduate composition teacher who subscribed strongly to Schoenberg’s methodology, which was not at all unusual in the 1970s.

Whatever derogatory things you may have heard about Schoenberg (some of them may even be true), set them aside and approach this piece from a different angle. You won’t find hummable melodies and intuitive form. You may find a very powerful expression of a very troubling historical event.

Stories invite you to see yourself in the dramatic situation. But I doubt many of us can imagine being a Jew living in the sewers of Nazi occupied Warsaw. We can’t conjure up the fear, hunger, and desperation. Music can enhance our imagination and make those things more palpable, just as a movie score adds the necessary dramatic punch. Schoenberg’s disorienting music seems particularly apropos here.

The text is a fictional presentation of the holocaust. Commentators have pointed out historical inaccuracies in various details, which Schoenberg conceded. The narration seems to move from the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to a concentration camp. But Schoenberg is focused on the psychological effects. The work ends with a men’s chorus singing the Shema Yisrael.

The performance begins at 1:39. If you want to practice your Italian beforehand, listen to the conductor’s introductory remarks.

The full text of the narration can be found here.