A Survivor from Warsaw
Listening Guide
Performed by the Bamberger Symphoniker, conducted by Horst Stein, Hermann Prey, narrator
Composer: Arnold Schoenberg
Composition: A Survivor from Warsaw
Date: 1947
Genre: 12-tone composition for small orchestra, male chorus, and narrator
Form: through-composed
Nature of Text: Narration of Germans' treatment of Jews in Warsaw during WWII
Performing Forces:orchestra, male chorus, and narrator
What we want you to remember about this composition:
Timing
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Trumpet introductory fanfare built from 12-tone row.
Trumpets, snare drum, clarinets.
Irregular rhythmic figures built from 12-tone row.
12-tone chordal structures built from 12-tone row.
Celli (cellos) enter with rhythmic motif.
Brief medodic motifs move between celli, woodwinds, trumpets, and strings.
Rhythms are derived from the 12-tone row and are irregular.
12-tone based chordal structures continue throughout piece.
Xylophone added.
Clarinet added.
Clarinet completes instrumental introduction.
Narrator enters.
Instrumentation and dynamics are altered to match rise and fall of phrases in narration.
French Horn enters.
Narration.
Narration much more intense and trumpet fanfare underscores this change.
Narration.
Bass drum begins a steady pulse with snare drum and xylophone irregular rhythms as drama in narration increases.
Narration switches to German.
Narrator begins to shout in German.
Narration switches back to English.
Strings play tremolo in background.
Narration becomes more introspective.
Strings become more lyrical to underscore change in story.
Orchestra.
Orchestra interlude decreases the intensity of the moment.
Narrator returns.
Narration.
As narrator says "faster and faster" the music begins to accelerate as well.
Male chorus.
Men begin to sing the Jewish prayer Shema Yisroel accompanied by strings.
Brass and woodwinds are used as interjections throughout this section.
Brass join chorus.
Intensity in Chorus and Orchestra build.
Brass continue as chorus ends.
Brass and strings build to big climactic moment and conclude piece at 8:01.