Text: Rainer Maria Rilke
1914/15
Universal Edition, Wien
“My music recognized the pictorial words in the same way as the abstract ones: it furthered the obvious presentation of the whole and its details, according to its meaning within the whole. Now, if a performer speaks about a passionate sea in a different tone of voice than he uses for a calm one, my music does nothing else but provide an opportunity to do so, and supports this. The music will not be as agitated as the sea; rather, it will be differently so, as the performer will be.” (Arnold Schönberg, Analysis of the Four Orchestral Songs, op. 22, 1932)
In relation to God, the poet or the artist is not merely a mediator or proclaimer, but is instead the actual creator. God is his likeness, a guarantor of the legitimate course of the world that genius alone allows to unfold and be acknowledged.