A Study Of Alban Berg's Violin Concerto: Context, Analysis, Interpretation

Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, the last complete work of the Austrian composer, is one of the most prominent works in the 20th century. In this study, the author gives a synthetic analysis of the work in all aspects. The thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One is concerned with the historical-social environment Berg faced, the twelve-note technique preparation he had held and the compositional background. Chapter Two, the music stylisitic elements of the work, such as Romaticism and stylisitic mixture, and the context of concerto within the 20th century will be discussed. Chapter Three is the analysis of the unique row and the generalization of the free twelve-note techniques involved in the work. Chapter Four is about the schematic identification of thematic materials and descriptive procession of the concerto. Ultimately, in the Chapter Five, the programmatic and humanistic meanings of the work will be interpreted on the base of preceding discussion, and all of these demonstrates that Berg showed great interests in the deeply strict form, numerology, 'Hauptrhythmus' and religious feeling. In conclusion. Berg's Violin Concerto is proved to be a masterpiece composed with twelve-note techniques and tonal languages, even including the direct quotation of Bach's chorale and the Austrian Carinthian folk song. The synthesis of the multiple music stylistic elements in this work sufficiently demonstrated the typical character of Berg's composition during his mature periods.