Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the origin, content, and development of the musical thought of Heinrich Schenker and Arnold Schoenberg, two of the most influential and intriguing musicians of the twentieth century. It analyses Schenker's and Schoenberg's understanding of the genius as the true artist who realizes the tone and the ideas of freedom, God, and immortality for themselves and others, a belief that draws on Goethe and Arthur Schopenhauer. The book shows how Schenker's re-compositions in performance and listening play a role for him comparable to Schoenberg's compositions in seeking God. It draws a connection between the phenomenon of suspended tonality and Schoenberg's alienation in his emulation of the genius, both of which start with "Ich darf nicht dankend", toward the end of his transformation period.