Alban Berg biography photo and music

Alban Berg (1885-1935)

A seminal figure in the "Second Viennese School," Alban Berg forged a unique and intensely expressive musical language that bridged the late Romantic era with the radical innovations of atonality and the twelve-tone technique. Born in Vienna, Berg's formal musical training began in 1904 under the tutelage of Arnold Schoenberg, a mentorship that profoundly shaped his compositional approach alongside his fellow student, Anton Webern.

While embracing Schoenberg's principles, Berg never fully abandoned the emotional depth and lyricism of the Romantic tradition. His music is characterized by its powerful dramatic intensity, rich harmonic palette, and often haunting melodies. He masterfully integrated traditional forms and structures into his avant-garde idiom, creating works that are both intellectually rigorous and deeply moving.

Berg's relatively small but impactful output includes two groundbreaking operas, Wozzeck (1925) and Lulu (finished posthumously in 1979), both cornerstones of 20th-century opera. His instrumental works, such as the Lyric Suite for string quartet and the poignant Violin Concerto "To the Memory of an Angel" (his last completed work), showcase his distinctive blend of systematic composition with profound human emotion. Despite his early death at age 50, Berg's legacy endures as one of the most significant and captivating voices in modern music.