A terrible fire in Los Angeles reduced the Belmont Music publishing house to ashes, taking with it priceless musical treasures: manuscripts and original scores by the legendary composer Arnold Schoenberg. An irreparable loss for the world’s musical heritage…
The terrible fires that have been burning Los Angeles for several days have claimed one more victim in the cultural world. According to sources close to the matter, the publishing house Belmont Music, specializing in the promotion of the works of composer Arnold Schoenberg, was completely ravaged by the flames. A disaster which reduced priceless musical treasures to ashes, including manuscripts and original scores by the master of contemporary music.
Unique archives gone up in smoke
The news was announced by Larry Schoenberg himself, the son of the composer and director of Belmont Music. In an emotional statement relayed on social networks, he confirmed that the entire stock of the publishing house had been destroyed in the fire, taking with it unique pieces of musical heritage:
My father’s manuscripts and original scores have disappeared forever, consumed by the flames. It is an immense loss for the memory of his work.
Larry Schoenberg, son of Arnold Schoenberg and director of Belmont Music
If the bulk of the composer’s archives are fortunately preserved in Centre Arnold Schoenberg of Vienna, his hometown, the destroyed documents still represented an important part of his artistic heritage. Belmont Music in fact held the original material used by the musicians to play Schoenberg’s compositions, scores annotated by the master’s hand.
A hard blow for the memory of the composer
Born in 1874 in Vienna, Arnold Schoenberg is considered one of the greatest musical revolutionaries of the 20th century. A pioneer of atonality and dodecaphonism, he profoundly influenced generations of composers. Founder of the Second Vienna School, he had to flee Austria after the Nazis came to power in 1933, who considered his music “degenerate”.
Exiled in the United States, Schoenberg settled in Los Angeles where he taught at the University of California. It was there that he died in 1951, leaving behind an immense and revolutionary work. Masterpieces that have forever changed the face of contemporary music, like Lunar Pierrot, The Transfigured Night or his unfinished opera Moses and Aaron.
An appeal to the musical world to preserve the work
Faced with this tragedy, Larry Schoenberg wants to be combative. Despite the loss of these unique archives, he assures that Belmont Music will continue its mission of promoting his father’s work. An essential work of memory to transmit to new generations the artistic heritage of the composer:
We are determined to continue bringing Schoenberg’s groundbreaking music to the world. His work must continue to live and inspire the musicians of today and tomorrow.
Larry Schoenberg
For this, the director of Belmont Music calls for the mobilization of the musical world. He invites orchestras, ensembles and performers to take on Schoenberg’s compositions, to introduce them to as many people as possible. A vibrant appeal so that the flame of Viennese genius continues to burn, beyond the tragedy of the fires.
For its part, the publishing house plans to turn more towards digital to continue its distribution work. Although the original scores have disappeared, the essential remains: the revolutionary music of Arnold Schoenberg, whose visionary accents continue to resonate.
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