Erich Schmid in Berlin: A Year with Arnold Schoenberg
Jacquelyn Hale, Southern Methodist University
Among the many valuable documents housed at the Zentralbibliothek's Musikabteilung in
Zürich, Switzerland, are works by Erich Schmid, a 20th-century Swiss conductor and composer.
Schmid, better known for his accolades in conducting, was a remarkable composer as well and
remained active in the Swiss musical scene for most of his life. He began composing music at an
early age and, after studying at the Frankfurt Conservatory (1927-30) and receiving the coveted
Frankfurt Mozart Prize for composition (1928), accepted Arnold Schoenberg's invitation to study
composition at the Academy of Arts in Berlin. Perhaps the most "defining moment" in Schmid's
life and musical career was the year he spent with Schoenberg (1930-31) where he composed the
String Quartet, Op. 4, and the Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, Op. 5. Of particular interest is
the fair copy of the String Quartet containing hand-written corrections by Schoenberg which are
later reflected in the final draft. One might expect a work so early in Schmid's oeuvre to be of a
pedagogical or elementary level of composition; however, his direct contact with Schoenberg in
an academic setting produces a string quartet exhibiting a mature style of twelve-tone composition. In fact, Schmid's quartet exhibits many of the features found in Schoenberg's own Third
String Quartet, Op. 30, completed in 1927. The more mature approach to composing with twelve
tones evident in Schoenberg's third quartet is apparent in the quartet by Schmid. Also, both
quartets' opening movements are organized formally in sonata form, use contrapuntal techniques
reflective of 16th- and 18th-century counterpoint, and exemplify traditional features reminiscent of
tonal repertory. Schoenberg's influence on Schmid's quartet is evident from the initial stage of
row construction to the handwritten corrections on the fair copy and the resulting final draft.
Only one year in Berlin, yet such an impact on the life of the young composer, Erich Schmid. A
master, a pupil, and a composition; Op. 4 is a work that appears to be before its time in the life of
a Swiss composer.