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Two fragments by J.E. Cirlot I … Era un hombre Lejano. Su triste matemática juntaba Ceniza y pensamientos. J.E. Cirlot, In memoriam
II … En tus doce sonidos se levanta Un candelabro nuevo, zodiacal, Vencido el candelabro planetario. Permuta lo que ora, lo que canta, Inspiración del centro cenital, Música del sistema necesario. J.E. Cirlot, Homenaje a Schönberg Two contemporary testimonies
I. Robert Gerhard in a BBC radio interview He loved his window…. He had his table right against the window. And he lifted his eyes up from the score Moses and Aron, which, as you know, he finished the second act in Barcelona in that room—this signed at the end "Barcelona, 10th of March, 1932." When he lifted his eyes from the score, what he saw was that fantastic panorama. It was a smallish room. It had a small upright piano, a table perhaps, a sofa, and a few armchairs and that was all. And Mrs. Schoenberg and my wife sat at the back of the room chatting lustily, you know, with quite without the slightest regard for that man composing there on the window because Schoenberg insisted. He wanted them to talk loud. He hated to hear somebody whispering. I’m sure he listened with a kind of a... with a quarter of his ear, and when something came up that was gossipy, you know, he joined the ladies. He jumped up and joined the ladies and mixed in the conversation. When he had enough, he went back to his table, sat down, and was concentrated the next instant, deeply concentrated, completely oblivious, deaf to the latest conversation.
II. A 1925 Catalan concert review No fue menor la expectación motivada por el anuncio de la sesión que en 29 de abril de 1929 se dedicó a Arnold Schönberg, compositor vienés, de procedimientos atonales ultramodernos, en abierta rebelión contra todo lo establecido, de una originalidad rayana en la extravagancia y cuya música (...) suena en los oídos de los no iniciados como una caótica confusión de ritmos y disonancias, provocando en todos los públicos, sin excluir el de Barcelona, apasionadas discusiones, no siempre mantenidas dentro de los límites de la corrección y el mutuo respeto. Essential chronology 1913 Casals performs Schoenberg’s arrangement of the Concerto for Cello by Georg Matthias Monn (1717-50)1923 Robert Gerhard sends Two Sketches for piano to Schoenberg and becomes his student in Vienna and, later, Berlin 1925 Festival Arnold Schoenberg in Barcelona and other Catalan towns; Pierrot Lunaire, Kammersymphonie, a selection of songs and other compositions are performed 1931 Schoenberg arrives in Barcelona in October. Settles in a modernista sunny house 1932 Writes Moses und Aron and Klavierstück Op. 33b. Nuria Schoenberg (later Nono) is born in Barcelona and is baptized by musicologist and priest Higini Anglès. Anton Webern conducts Verklärtenacht and Acht Lieder Op. 6, among other compositions 1933 Casals and Schoenberg plan future concerts in Barcelona, including an arrangement for cello and orchestra of the Monn keyboard concerto 1936 Alban Berg premieres his Violin Concerto in Barcelona; Erwartung is also performed 1956 Tàpies, Brossa, Cirlot and other members of Dau al Set place a plaque at the Schoenbergs’ former residence in Barcelona
In memoriam [Schoenberg] J.E. Cirlot Una voz en el fondo mueve la aparición azul de la montaña y quema todavía su muerte en la memoria. Arnold desamparado por los aires remotos de aquel pozo solloza con las manos manchadas por la tinta de los tiempos. Fuegos negros llenan su corazón de cementerios. Y suena la armonía desuniéndose de dolientes tejidos, de formas funerales, de luz triste, desnuda en el amor. De las paredes caen dulces pedazos sonoros, himnos conmocionados. Flautas, oboes, violines, violoncelos, pianos: llanto puro. Universos sin tono resplandecen y todo responde a una Mirada lejanísima. Un estado confuso, con rostros santamente acariciados, calles, ruidos, ciudades con palabras y mansiones de trabajo.
Hay hombres que levantan su cabeza a través de la piedra. Su destino es decir lo que sufriendo también se reconstruye a ritmos roncos, y pone junto al mármol de los templos su cuerpo de carbón o meteorito. Yace solo Arnold, mientras coronas pálidas tejen con un platino instrumental la callada riqueza de tu signo.
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