New Music at Darmstadt: Nono, Stockhausen, Cage, and Boulez (Music since 1900)

New Music at Darmstadt explores the rise and fall of the so-called 'Darmstadt School,' through a wealth of primary sources and analytical commentary. Martin Iddon's book examines the creation of the Darmstadt New Music Courses and the slow development and subsequent collapse of the idea of the Darmstadt School, showing how participants in the West German new music scene, including Herbert Eimert and a range of journalistic commentators, created an image of a coherent entity, despite the very diverse range of compositional practices on display at the courses. The book also explores the collapse of the seeming collegiality of the Darmstadt composers, which crystallised around the arrival there in 1958 of the most famous, and notorious, of all post-war composers, John Cage, an event Carl Dahlhaus opined 'swept across the European avant-garde like a natural disaster.' Cover 1 Contents 9 Musical examples 10 Figures 11 Tables 12 Preface 13 Chronology of major events at Darmstadt, 1949–61 17 Abbreviations 25 Introduction Music after catastrophe 27 Wolfgang Steinecke and Ludwig Metzger 27 Hermann Heiß and Wolfgang Fortner 40 The early years 49 Part I The accidental serialists 59 1 Arrivals 61 Maderna and Nono 61 Schoenberg and Adorno 74 Goeyvaerts and Stockhausen 77 The ‘Wunderkonzert’, 1952 94 The Webern evening, 1953 115 A question of priorities? 128 2 Schools 136 Adorno, ‘Das Altern der Neuen Musik’ 136 Getting institutionalised: an atelier for autonomous music? 142 Metzger contra Adorno 155 Nono and Stockhausen: music, language, and serial technique 167 Excursus October 1954, Donaueschingen and Cologne 182 Part II Chance encounters 191 3 Precursors 193 Wolfgang Rebner and American experimental music 193 Stefan Wolpe and David Tudor, 1956 197 ‘Alea’, 1957 210 Earle Brown, Music for Cello and Piano 219 4 The Cage shock 222 Arrangements 222 Concert 226 Lectures 228 Translation 242 Reaction 246 Setting music free? 251 5 In Cage’s wake 255 Cage, Nono, and the Darmstädter Beiträge 255 Preparations for ‘Musik und Graphik’ 257 ‘Musik und Graphik’ 262 Critical response to ‘Musik und Graphik’ 271 Boulez and the Third Piano Sonata 278 Nono 281 Earle Brown and Hodograph I 286 Responses to Nono 288 Leaving 1959: three snapshots 300 ‘Vieldeutige Form’ (‘Ambiguous Form’), 1960 302 ‘Vers une musique informelle’ 313 Metzger, ‘Das Altern der jüngsten Musik’ 318 Steinecke’s death 321 Conclusion A stranger in paradise? 326 Bibliography 330 Unsigned newspaper articles by date 349 Index 350 New Music At Darmstadt Explores The Rise And Fall Of The So-called 'darmstadt School', Through A Wealth Of Primary Sources And Analytical Commentary. Martin Iddon's Book Examines The Creation Of The Darmstadt New Music Courses And The Slow Development And Subsequent Collapse Of The Idea Of The Darmstadt School, Showing How Participants In The West German New Music Scene, Including Herbert Eimert And A Range Of Journalistic Commentators, Created An Image Of A Coherent Entity, Despite The Very Diverse Range Of Compositional Practices On Display At The Courses. The Book Also Explored The Collapse Of The Seeming Collegiality Of The Darmstadt Composers, Which Crystallised Around The Arrival There In 1958 Of The Most Famous, And Notorious, Of All Post-war Composers, John Cage, An Event That, Carl Dahlhaus Opined, 'swept Across European Avant-garde Like A Natural Disaster'. The Accidental Serialists. Arrivals -- Schools -- Excursus : October 1954, Donaueschingen And Cologne -- Chance Encounters. Precursors -- The Cage Shock -- In Cage's Wake. Martin Iddon. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 304-323) And Index. The first full-length English-language discussion of the Darmstadt New Music Courses, showing the rise and fall of the 'Darmstadt School'