When Arnold Schoenberg first revealed to the world his technique for 12 Tone Composition in the Piano Pieces Op 23, he was at once departing from the tradition of tonality that had served the great classical and romantic figures and laying down a gauntlet to future generations of composers.
Ivan Hewett seeks traces of Schoenberg's idea in the music of the last 80 years, visiting composers in Vienna, where Schoenberg is now considered part of the holy tradition, talking to second generation Schoenbergians, including Alexander Goehr and Gunther Schuller, and canvassing a selection of younger composers of differing styles, including Unsuk Chin, Tansy Davies and Dai Fujikura.
First broadcast 11th September 2005, BBC Radio 3 Produced by Alan Hall
