description Die Jakobsleiter Overview
Die Jakobsleiter (Jacob's Ladder) is an unfinished oratorio by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg, begun in 1922 and abandoned in 1923. The work sets a text written by Schoenberg himself, depicting a spiritual journey toward God as souls ascend through various stages of consciousness. Despite remaining incomplete, Die Jakobsleiter represents a critical transitional period in Schoenberg's compositional development, bridging his earlier atonal works and his later twelve-tone technique.
help Die Jakobsleiter FAQ
What is the story of Schoenberg's Die Jakobsleiter?
Die Jakobsleiter depicts a spiritual journey in which souls pass through different stages of consciousness as they seek God. Arnold Schoenberg wrote the text himself and began the oratorio in 1922.
Is Die Jakobsleiter complete?
No, Schoenberg abandoned the oratorio in 1923, leaving it unfinished. Performances use the surviving score and are shaped by the work's incomplete status.
Why is Die Jakobsleiter important in Schoenberg's music?
The oratorio belongs to Schoenberg's period of searching for a new musical language beyond traditional tonality. Its spiritual subject and large choral design connect it with his later interest in religious and philosophical themes.
Is Die Jakobsleiter based directly on the Bible?
Its title refers to Jacob's ladder, but Schoenberg's text is not a straightforward setting of the biblical narrative in Genesis. The work uses the image as part of a wider allegory about spiritual ascent and human souls.
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