Five Orchestral Pieces

Documentary based on the innovative composition Five Pieces for Orchestra, Opus 16 by Arnold Schönberg. In 1909 the piece marked a turning point in the classical music tradition and in the life and work of Schönberg. With this composition, the famous composer made the revolutionary step from tonality to antonality and laid the foundation for Modernism in classical music. The piece is performed by the Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by the German conductor Michael Gielen. Director Frank Scheffer transformed the structure and character of the composition to match the style of the film. The pianist Charles Rosen and the author Carl Schorske are also interviewed in the film. They provide their views on the importance of the composition and put it in the context of Vienna around 1910.