Between the Wars

Joseph Matthias Hauer (1883 Wiener Neustadt/Lower Austria - 1959 Vienna, Illustration: Portrait of the aging composer) organized his row differently than Schönberg, as analogous to the intervalic relationships of tonal music in 6 Tropes. His German Singspiel (German opera with spoken dialogue) Die schwarze Spinne (1932), which centers on destroying the dangerous black spider, is based on only one twelve-tone row. Descriptive orchestration and melodies that support speech clarity bring this work closer to traditional listening habits with the desire for harmony. Crass stage effects are unknown to Hauer; his system is based mainly on philosophical considerations. (M. Saary)