Arnold Schönberg-Villa, Mödling

The Arnold Schönberg-Villa, also known locally as the Schönberg-Haus, is a cultural gem nestled in the picturesque town of Mödling, Austria. This charming villa, located at Bernhardgasse 6, was home to the renowned composer Arnold Schönberg from 1918 to 1925. Today, it stands as a museum, offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into the life and work of one of the 20th century’s most influential musical figures.

Schönberg's Time in Mödling

Arnold Schönberg moved into this elegant villa in the spring of 1918, renting a spacious apartment for 200 Kronen per month. The apartment, situated on the elevated ground floor, comprised several rooms, including a bathroom, a vestibule, and a glazed veranda, which Schönberg meticulously furnished over time. His workspace was a treasure trove of musical instruments, including a piano, harmonium, violins, viola, and cello, alongside his extensive library, a writing desk, and a standing desk where he often worked.

During his time in Mödling, Schönberg founded the “Society for Private Musical Performances” in the autumn of 1918. As the president of this society, which included 19 members from his circle of students and friends in Vienna, Schönberg organized private concerts that were unique in their approach. Applause and expressions of disapproval were forbidden, and works were often repeated to help audiences better understand modern music. Besides teaching at the Schwarzwald School until 1920, Schönberg also offered private composition lessons in his Mödling home to students such as Alban Berg, Anton Webern, and other notable composers.

Schönberg’s Mödling residence was frequently visited by international guests, including Francis Poulenc and Darius Milhaud. Milhaud fondly recalled a delightful afternoon spent at Schönberg’s home, where the composer discussed his operas The Lucky Hand and Expectation amidst walls adorned with his own paintings, featuring faces and eyes everywhere.

The villa gained historical significance as the birthplace of Schönberg’s “method of composition with twelve tones related only to one another.” As recounted by Josef Polnauer in 1959, a pivotal moment in music history occurred one February morning in 1923 when Schönberg gathered close friends and students in his Mödling home to explain the principles of his method, illustrating them with examples from his latest compositions.

Life in the Villa

After the death of his wife Mathilde in October 1923, Schönberg planned to move to Vienna but struggled to find a suitable apartment, leading him to remain in Mödling. The villa became quite crowded, shared with his son Georg, daughter Trudi, son-in-law Felix Greissle, and newborn grandson Arnold. In a letter to the Vienna City Council in December 1923, Schönberg expressed his urgent need for more space, highlighting the lack of a reception room, a sleeping room, and an adequate workspace for his books, music, and instruments.

In August 1924, Schönberg married Gertrud Kolisch, the sister of his student Rudolf Kolisch, in the Evangelical Parish Church in Mödling. His 50th birthday in September 1924 was celebrated with a laudatory article in the local press, recognizing his revolutionary impact on music. However, in August 1925, Schönberg was appointed as the successor to Ferruccio Busoni at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin, leading him to give up his Mödling apartment in October and eventually move to Berlin in late 1925 or early 1926.

The Villa as a Museum

The Arnold Schönberg-Villa narrowly escaped demolition in the 1970s, thanks to the efforts of music critic Walter Szmolyan and publisher Elisabeth Lafite. In 1972, the villa was placed under historical protection and purchased by the International Schönberg Society (ISG) with subsidies from Lower Austria, the city of Mödling, the city of Vienna, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Art. The villa was restored and inaugurated as a museum on June 6, 1974, in the presence of Schönberg’s descendants and then-Minister of Science Fred Sinowatz.

Today, the museum showcases Schönberg’s original instruments, donated by his heirs, and features a research library with a duplicate of his estate filmed in Los Angeles. The ISG regularly hosts concerts, including the Schönberg Serenades, and organizes composition and interpretation courses at the villa.

A visit to the Arnold Schönberg-Villa is a journey through the life and legacy of a musical pioneer. The museum’s permanent exhibition, with its array of pictures, display boards, video and audio stations, and original furniture, offers an immersive experience that brings Schönberg’s world to life. Whether you are a music enthusiast, a history buff, or simply a curious traveler, the Arnold Schönberg-Villa in Mödling is a must-see destination that promises to inspire and enlighten.