Webern – Langsamer Satz

Webern – Langsamer Satz (1905)

This early Webern single-movement piece, originally for string quartet exhibits a youthful romanticism that we rarely encounter in the purest and least compromising member of the Second Viennese School’s work. Meandering melodies saturated with lush breezes of tonal harmony envelop the listener in a manner not unlike Schoenberg’s classic Verklärte Nacht. Webern utilised such heightened 19th century language in his early career, this piece reflecting prenuptial memories of an alpine holiday he and his wife had earlier enjoyed. The emotional content of the work is quite tangible and provides a fascinating insight into the early life of the arch-serialist.