On the Origins of Schoenberg’s Sprechgesang in Pierrot Lunaire

Abstract

This work investigates in detail the relationship between speech and sprechgesang in Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, and shows the relations and transformations between the intonational contours of the spoken text and the corresponding melodic segment contours in Schoenberg’s score. It gives additional support to a previous study, in which it was demonstrated that Schoenberg’s sprechgesang originated from the syllable structure of Hartleben’s German text (rhythm), and from German speech intonation (melodic segment contours). With this present study and the previous one, completion of the analysis of the seven melodramas of Part II of Pierrot Lunaire is achieved.