Book contents
- Schoenberg in Context
- Composers in Context
- Schoenberg in Context
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Musical Examples
- Notes on Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Part ISchoenberg in Place
- Part IIMore than a Composer
- Part IIIApproaches to Composition
- Part IVParadoxes and Predicaments
- Part VSchoenberg’s Others
- Part VIViennese Institutions
- Chapter 23Café Culture
- Chapter 24Empire
- Chapter 25Theatre
- Chapter 26Psychoanalysis
- Part VIIPerformers and Critics
- Part VIIIIdeas, Beliefs and Interventions
- Further Reading
- Index
Chapter 24 - Empire
The Habsburgs
from Part VI - Viennese Institutions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 September 2025
Book contents
- Schoenberg in Context
- Composers in Context
- Schoenberg in Context
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Musical Examples
- Notes on Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Part ISchoenberg in Place
- Part IIMore than a Composer
- Part IIIApproaches to Composition
- Part IVParadoxes and Predicaments
- Part VSchoenberg’s Others
- Part VIViennese Institutions
- Chapter 23Café Culture
- Chapter 24Empire
- Chapter 25Theatre
- Chapter 26Psychoanalysis
- Part VIIPerformers and Critics
- Part VIIIIdeas, Beliefs and Interventions
- Further Reading
- Index
Summary
This chapter discusses the political contexts of Arnold Schoenberg’s life in the final decades of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (c.1889–1922). The rulers of that empire, members of the Habsburg Dynasty, faced a number of crucial challenges that they ultimately were unable to overcome. These included numerous military defeats of course, but also internal dynastic problems relating to overstretched resources, Italian Unification and shifting attitudes toward religion and the Papacy, and a dynastic shift in its male members’ policies toward women. Schoenberg experienced the end of more than 600 years of Habsburg rule in Austria. This epochal shift would have consequences for his thought and music.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Schoenberg in Context , pp. 241 - 249Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.0 A
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
The HTML of this chapter conforms to version 2.0 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), ensuring core accessibility principles are addressed and meets the basic
(A)
level of WCAG compliance, addressing essential accessibility barriers.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Full alternative textual descriptions
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
Visual Accessibility
Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Structural and Technical Features
ARIA roles provided
You gain clarity from ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes, as they help assistive technologies interpret how each part of the content functions.
You gain clarity from ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes, as they help assistive technologies interpret how each part of the content functions.