who was Arnold Schoenberg and what was so innovative about his work?
Arnold Schoenberg was born as Arnold Schönberg in 1874. His (Ashkenazi) family lived a middle-class life in the traditional Jewish district (formally ghetto) of Leopoldstadt (today the second district of Vienna). His father Samuel was originally from Bratislava, his mother Pauline from Prague. Despite of Pauline Schönberg being a piano teacher, Arnold was largely self-thought and is said to have taken only counterpoint lessons with the composer Alexander von Zemlinsky (who later became his brother-in-law). Arnold Schoenberg wrote his first noteworthy compositions in his twenties, when he made a living orchestrating operettas. He gradually earned himself a respectable reputation and big players like Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss recognised his work. Schoenberg is described as a very intellectual man, passionate but difficult to work with. In 1898 he converted to Protestantism and would remain a Lutheran until 1933. His style continued to develop and become increasingly experimental.