German Composers

Schoenberg (1874-1951) is one of the most known composers to come out of this time period. Large self-taught in piano and composition, he saw himself as continuing an old tradition (verses Debussy, for example, who saw himself as rebelling against the tradition). He is largely responsible for the "emancipation of dissonance", meaning that dissonances in music no longer need to resolve. He does away completely with the idea of tension and resolution. He also had a very expressionalist way of writing. This means that it is usually hyper intense, distorted in expression, and full of atonality in order to set the music free from any kind of expectation. This was largely due to the theories by the noted psychologist Freud. Schoenberg was trying to set the subconscious mind free. His Piano Piece Op.33a is only 2 minutes in length but clearly demonstrates these ideas in action.
Anton Webern (1883-1945) was another German composer of this time and a student of Schoenberg. His pieces are most noted for their sparse textures, condensation of expresion, shortness in length of his pieces (most under one minute), focused intensity, and motivic concentration. The biggest piece that he ever wrote for piano was the Piano Variations Op.27 (written in 1936). Many have stated this Webern's music is like Brahms, and should be played in that style...meaning highly expressive and filled with rubato. His death in 1945 was very tragic. He was out during curfew in 1945 smoking a cigar, and was shot dead, accidentally, by American soldiers.
Another student of Schoenberg is the noted composer Alban Berg (1885-1935). His most popular piece of the piano is his Sonata for piano Op. 1 (1908). It is based on tonality very much in the late romantic style and is constructed in sonata allegro form (it even repeats the exposition!!). It is highly chromatic with lots of counterpoint and a sound very reminiscent of Scriabin to my ears.