Public Figure Profiles

Anton von Webern

Anton Friedrich Wilhelm von Webern (3 December 1883 – 15 September 1945), now most often known simply as Anton Webern, was an Austrian composer whose music was among the most radical of its milieu in its sheer concision and steadfast embrace of then novel atonal and twelve-tone techniques. With his mentor Arnold Schoenberg and his colleague Alban Berg, Webern was at the core of those within the broader circle of the Second Viennese School, which included, among others, Theodor W. Adorno, Heinrich Jalowetz, and Ernst Krenek. Little known in the earlier part of his life, mostly as a conductor with mixed reputation, he came to prominence and increasingly high regard as a composer, teacher, vocal coach, choirmaster, and especially as a conductor mostly during Red Vienna. Webern's work influenced contemporaries Luigi Dallapiccola, Krenek, and importantly even Schoenberg himself. As a tutor, Webern guided and variously influenced Arnold Elston, Frederick Dorian (Friederich Deutsch), Matty Niël, Fré Focke, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Philipp Herschkowitz, René Leibowitz, Humphrey Searle, Leopold Spinner, and Stefan Wolpe. Amid Austrofascism, Nazism, and World War II, Webern remained nevertheless committed to taking the "path to the new music," as he styled it in a series of private lectures (delivered in 1932–1933 but unpublished until 1960); and he continued to write some of his most mature and later celebrated music while being increasingly ostracized from official musical life as a "cultural Bolshevist," losing all of his students and conducting work and being reduced to taking occasional copyist jobs from his publisher, Universal Edition.

Following his death shortly after World War II, Webern became more widely celeberated and influential than ever before, albeit through pedagogy often lacking full context, and his work was taken by composers in directions far beyond any residual post-Romanticism and Expressionism on the path to the new music indeed. His gradual innovations in schematic organization of pitch, rhythm, register, timbre, dynamics, articulation, and melodic contour; his later adaptation and generalization of imitative contrapuntal techniques such as canon and fugue; and his inclination toward athematicism, abstraction, and lyricism all greatly informed and oriented European, typically serial or avant-garde composers such as Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luigi Nono, Bruno Maderna, Henri Pousseur, and György Ligeti. Less so in the United States, meanwhile, his music attracted the interest of Elliott Carter, whose critical ambivalence was marked by a certain enthusiasm nonetheless; Milton Babbitt, who ultimately derived more inspiration from Schoenberg's twelve-tone practice than that of Webern; and particularly Igor Stravinsky, to whom it was very fruitfully reintroduced by Robert Craft, and without which Stravinsky's late works might have taken different shape. Among the more cosmopolitan and interdisciplinary New York School, John Cage and Morton Feldman both cited the staggering effect of its sound on their own music, first meeting at a performance of the Symphony, Op. 21, and even singing the praises of Christian Wolff distinctly as "our Webern." A richer and more historically informed understanding of Webern and his music began to emerge in the later half of the 20th century in the work of scholars Kathryn Bailey, Julian Johnson, Felix Meyer, Anne Shreffler, as archivists and biographers (most importantly Hans and Rosaleen Moldenhauer) gained access to sketches, letters, lectures, audio recordings, and other articles of or associated with Webern's estate.

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Some of their strengths

Anton von Webern has many admirable traits.

Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Energetic, Imaginative, Creative, Loyal, Optimistic, Intelligent, and Kind.

Adventurous and Independent

According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Anton von Webern is someone who is an adventurous, independent, and energetic person, who is insightful, imaginative, generous, and honest. A person who is known for being a good communicator.

Warm and Caring

Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Anton von Webern well know them as someone who can be warm, caring, and compassionate, like a lamp or torch.

Methodical and Exacting

According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Anton von Webern as someone who is careful, methodical, and a perfectionist.

A person who forms successful business partnerships, who appreciates the variety the world has to offer, who takes a frugal approach to life and tends to be a workaholic, and who engages in things that let them express their opinion.

Charismatic and Instinctual

Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Anton von Webern is someone who handles stress better than most people, and who tends to have a powerful charisma and convictions.

They are also someone who is reflective, mysterious, and purposeful, who enjoys quiet and solo work, and who thrives in positions where there is no need to report to someone else.

Optimistic and Quick-witted

According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Anton von Webern tends to be someone who is optimistic and spontaneous, and who has a clear and analytical mind. Who can be witty, with a happy-go-lucky- nature that makes others cheerful, and who possesses an adventurous zest for life.

Some of Anton von Webern's challenges

While Anton von Webern has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.

For example, Anton von Webern can be Impulsive, Sensitive, Careless, Suspicious, Stubborn, Hesitant, and Narcissistic.

Impulsive and Careless

One of Anton von Webern's key challenges is that they are someone who can be impulsive and careless.

Anton von Webern must also exercise caution as they can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.

Sensitive and Critical

Anton von Webern is someone who can be insecure, critical, and pessimistic, who can have difficulty relaxing, can be possessive and jealous, and who can have difficulty listening to others' opinions and perspectives and make hasty decisions.

Irritable and Callous

Finally, Anton von Webern also can be short-tempered, childish, insensitive, and careless at times.

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