Musical space organisation exemplified by variations for piano op. 27 by Anton Webern

Abstract

Musical space, as one of the focal preoccupations of composers in the 20th century (especially in its second half), is also present in the works of the composer Anton Webern (1883-1945). Specificities of musical space organisation in his works can be presented as broad register ranges, sudden changes in register, oscillations of the musical flow between intonational and tonal centres and inability to 'anchor' to one stable tonal/intonational/modal area. These characteristics will be viewed through the analysis of his Variations for piano, Op. 27 (1936). The analysis will apply the methodology adapted from Eero Tarasti's semiotics of musical space. According to this methodology, musical space can be 'inner' (refers to the organisation of tonal pitches) and 'outer' (organisation of registers, i.e. textural organisation). Following the key structural moments, the manner of musical space organisation is revealed in the piece.