Shades of Schönberg: explanatory notes

Why everyone seems to hate Schönberg, and why there’s absolutely no need for it.

Arnold.
Schönberg.

Are you starting to tremble yet?

Most of his music is now more than a century old. In 2024, we’ll be celebrating his 150th birthday. And yet his name still provokes nothing but visceral reactions. It’s something Schönberg has always had to contend with. Even during his lifetime, he had to endure an excessive amount of vitriol from the public. Why is that, I wonder?