Skip to content

If... [Alban] Berg departs so radically from tradition…

“If... [Alban] Berg departs so radically from tradition, through his substitution of a symmetrical partitioning of the octave for the asymmetrical partionings of the major/minor system, he departs just as radically from the twelve-tone tradition that is represented in the music of Schoenberg and…” quote by George Perle
Download Open image
“If... [Alban] Berg departs so radically from tradition, through his substitution of a symmetrical partitioning of the octave for the asymmetrical partionings of the major/minor system, he departs just as radically from the twelve-tone tradition that is represented in the music of Schoenberg and Webern, for whom the twelve-tone series was always an integral structure that could be transposed only as a unit, and for whom twelve-tone music always implied a constant and equivalent circulation of the totality of pitch classes.”

George Perle

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Radical departures from tradition involve redefining pitch organization, shifting from asymmetrical to symmetrical systems.

In simple terms: Changing musical rules reshapes art.

Key Takeaway

Explore new musical structures.

Themes

innovation tradition structure

Mood

analytical curious

Type

academic critical

When to use this quote

  • composing
  • music education
  • analysis of modern works

Key Concepts

Music theory composition aesthetics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does symmetry affect musical perception?
  • What risks arise when breaking tradition?
A Different Perspective

Listeners may find radical changes unsettling.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by George Perle

Explore all 3 George Perle quotes

More Circulation quotes

Browse all 225 Circulation quotes