The impulse came through a commision by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation in Boston. Suffering from eye problems, Schönberg could write only the particell of the composition (short version of the score) which he began on August 11, 1947 and finished on August 23, 1947. The score was completed by René Leibowitz.
At the first performance in spring 1947 in New Mexico, USA, the work was played twice. On hearing it for the first time the audience (1500!) reacted with a respectful, shocked silence. Only after the repetition it was given a full ovation.
With this work of profound emotional depth Schönberg broke the "l'art pour art" postulate that he himself had established.
Historical background 
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