Ron Chaplin is diving into the so-called Second Viennese School (good show):

>I remember reading somewhere that only a
>expert can identify a particular Baroque composer without knowing the music
>being played.  Can the same be said about the composers of the New Vienna
>School? Their music seems so much alike to me.

I -think- I could, they all sound different to me.  Schoenberg is easily
enough identifiable, but then...sometimes not.  He really is all over
the place.  His early, middle and late stuff is all really different IMO.
"Verlarkte" is pretty...easy IMHO as far as ol' Arnold goes.  I'm not sure
why.  Webern wrote so little that it would be hard to fool somebody who was
familiar with him.  Berg sounds different and distinctive, I think he chose
different, uh, styles of tone rows? I'm not sure how to say it.

Certainly they are distinctive sounding, to me.  And I could probably pick
out Telemann from Handel, or Bach...but throw a Torelli, Corelli, and
Albinoni concerto grosso at me and I'd be lost!  Swirling ladders of
scales...dizzy...disoriented...too many violins...period
instruments...recorders...

>BTW, are there other composers in the School?

AFAIK: Not really.  As is there's not really a school.  But if there was,
them 3 would be it.  FWIW.

Try the Berg Piano Sonata Op. 1 and Webern's short pieces for String
Quartet.  Small doses, small doses.  You get used to it.

Bob K., con Concierto de Aranjuez en la radio