Die Anfänge der seriellen Musik

The concept of serial music, which emerged in the context of the Darmstadt Summer Courses for New Music in the early 1950s, stands for a main current within the compositional techniques of the 20th century. The beginning of this music, characterized by euphoria and a spirit of optimism on the part of the composers, gave rise to the creation of myths and legends within the musicological literature, some of which were initiated and nurtured by the composers, and which were rarely characterized by a precise knowledge of the compositions and their genesis.

The contributions in this volume attempt to close this gap, at least in part, by taking an in-depth look at important works by four different composers from the early days of serial music. Despite many parallels and references, the studies not only reveal four completely different approaches, but also make it clear that some of the judgments and attributions of previous music historiography are at least premature and questionable.

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