In addition to the human costs in lives lost and disrupted, the devastating fires currently razing entire neighborhoods of Los Angeles are causing the loss of important cultural heritage. The Belmont Music Publishers publishing house, exclusively dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the works of Arnold Schoenberg, was completely destroyed by the flames.
All orchestral material (conductor’s score and individual parts for instrumentalists) used for sale and rental, as well as manuscripts and original scores, were reduced to ashes. This destruction represents not only a material loss, but also a major cultural blow. The owner of Belmont Music Publishers and son of the composer, Larry Schoenberg, lost his private home at the same time.
Belmont Music Publishers offered “meticulously edited” versions of the complete catalog of Schoenberg’s works, ranging from early romantic works to twelve-tone compositions.
American exile of Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg took up residence in California in 1936 after leaving Europe in the face of the rise of Nazism and Hitler’s rise to power. He taught at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles (1936-1944). Despite some temptations to return to Europe after the end of the war, he died in California in 1951.
Arnold Schoenberg Vienna Center
Fortunately, the majority of manuscripts and other primary sources relating to Schoenberg were transferred to Vienna in 1998, where the documents are preserved at the Arnold Schoenberg Centre. The losses are therefore not complete.
A Digital Renaissance
Also, Belmont Music Publishers already had digital versions of some works, meaning that public performances of Schoenberg’s compositions are not all jeopardized in the immediate future.
-The publishing house published this message on its website:
“As Belmont Music Publishers begins its recovery, the publishing house remains dedicated to its mission of honoring and preserving the legacy of Arnold Schoenberg. Anyone interested in following our progress is encouraged to visit our website or email us for more information. Although the Pacific Palisades fire destroyed the physical home of Schoenberg’s music, it also launches a new chapter for Belmont Music Publishers – one that will see the flames of Schoenberg’s legacy burn even brighter in the digital age . »
Subscribe to our newsletter! Classical music and opera in 5 minutes, every day ICI
Passionate about the symphony orchestra and the mediation of music, Béatrice is trained in musical interpretation (viola and conducting) at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec, at Laval University and at the École supérieure de musique et de theater in Hannover (Germany). She also holds a master’s degree in musicology from the University of Montreal. She is regularly called upon as a musical advisor and assistant director for transmissions and recordings of concerts by the largest ensembles in Montreal and at the Lanaudière International Festival.
The latest articles by Béatrice Cadrin (see all)
