Tragic Loss in Los Angeles Wildfires: 100,000 Scores by Composer Arnold Schoenberg Destroyed
LOS ANGELES — A devastating blow to the music world as at least 100,000 scores by the pioneering 20th century Austrian-American composer Arnold Schoenberg have been lost in the raging Los Angeles wildfires.
The sheet music, housed at his family’s music production company, was consumed by the flames in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood last week, leaving a void in the musical community.
While the original manuscripts were spared, the collection of music owned by Belmont Music Publishing served as a vital resource for orchestras and musicians, according to Leon Botstein, director of the American Symphony Orchestra.
Schoenberg’s son, Larry, 83, shared that the sheet music was stored in a building behind his house, both of which were tragically destroyed in the fires, along with other priceless Schoenberg memorabilia like photographs, letters, and posters.
“This loss is not just a physical destruction of property, but a profound cultural blow,” expressed Larry in a statement, emphasizing the importance of the collection for musicians who relied on the meticulously curated editions of his father’s works.
Arnold Schoenberg, born into a Jewish family in Vienna in 1874, made a significant impact as a composer in Berlin before seeking refuge in the US in 1933 to escape Nazi persecution. Settling in Los Angeles, he continued his innovative compositions, known for atonality and his revolutionary 12-tones technique.
In response to the loss, Belmont Music Publishing expressed hope to create digital copies of the scores, aiming to “rise from the ashes” in a digital form in the future.
Despite the ongoing battle against the wildfires that started in early January, claiming lives, destroying properties, and displacing residents, firefighters in Los Angeles are still working tirelessly to contain the blazes, including the massive fire at the Palisades which has already scorched over 24,000 acres.
