Fans of 20th-century music are mourning a painful loss in the recent Southern California fires: the destruction of a huge collection of scores by composer Arnold Schoenberg.
Belmont Music Publishers, which specialized in the music of the avant-garde master and was run by one of his sons, lost its entire inventory in the wildfire that began roaring through Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7. Although, thankfully, no original Schoenberg manuscripts were in the now-destroyed building, it contained an estimated 100,000 scores and parts, according to The New York Times.
These scores were routinely lent to orchestras and chamber groups that were performing Schoenberg’s works. While there are other ways to obtain this material, Belmont was the go-to source for many musicians, and its loss will make these scores more difficult to obtain.
“The entire inventory of sales and rental materials — comprising some manuscripts, original scores, and printed works — has been lost in the flames,” wrote Larry Schoenberg, 83, in a press release. “For musicians, access to Belmont’s meticulously curated editions of Schoenberg’s works was an essential resource.
“For a company that focused exclusively on the works of Schoenberg,” he added, “this loss represents not just a physical destruction of property but a profound cultural blow.”
Larry Schoenberg told the Los Angeles Times that the now-lost collection also included correspondence and score notes from major conductors such as Zubin Mehta and Claudio Abbado. “When the conductors return the scores, they put a lot of information in there. That’s really crucial for performances,” he told the newspaper. “And that’s all gone.”
In his press release, Larry Schoenberg, whose home was destroyed in the fire as well, added that the company and its catalog will be reborn in a different form.
“While we have lost our full inventory of sales and rental materials, we are determined to continue our mission of bringing Schoenberg’s music to the world,” his statement said. “We hope to rebuild our catalog in a new, digital format that will ensure Schoenberg’s music remains accessible for future generations.”
