The Composer as the Subject

[TheGSMoeller]

I was listening to Strauss' Sinfonia Domestica earlier and began to think about other composers that used themselves as the subject, or inspiration, of a composition. Strauss inserted movements, themes and melodies into this piece that represented himself, his wife, and their son. I've always been fascinated by this kaleidoscopic, and deeply personal tone poem.

I've been trying to think of other music composed in a similar manner to that of Domestica. Does anyone have a piece of music in mind? And if so, what is the structure of the piece, and what part does the composer's own life and /or experiences play into the music?

Thanks in advance for any replies. 

[Jo498]

Smetana's string quartet "From my life" supposedly depicts several phases from his life, including the onset of tinnitus/deafness in the finale. Although the earlier movements are not as clearly programmatic as e.g. Strauss or Smetana's "Vltava".

[Mirror Image]

I think Mahler's works pretty much attest to being autobiographical even though there's no explicit 'program'. Music doesn't get any more personal than Mahler's.

[Mahlerian]

I think Mahler's works pretty much attest to being autobiographical even though there's no explicit 'program'. Music doesn't get any more personal than Mahler's.

They're not autobiographical, although he drew upon his experience in them.  Mahler came to disdain programs and program music and never took the programs he wrote for his own works seriously, despite the endless reprinting of them in liner notes.

On the other hand, Schoenberg's String Trio and Berg's Lyric Suite are both directly programmatic and autobiographical.  The former recounts the experience of a heart attack and the subsequent recovery, while the latter charts the course of a doomed affair.

[Mirror Image]

They're not autobiographical, although he drew upon his experience in them.  Mahler came to disdain programs and program music and never took the programs he wrote for his own works seriously, despite the endless reprinting of them in liner notes.

On the other hand, Schoenberg's String Trio and Berg's Lyric Suite are both directly programmatic and autobiographical.  The former recounts the experience of a heart attack and the subsequent recovery, while the latter charts the course of a doomed affair.

Mahler's music may not be 'autobiographical', but they're deeply personal and his music says more about him, then it says about anyone else. I feel the same way about Ives' music.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

They're not autobiographical, although he drew upon his experience in them.  Mahler came to disdain programs and program music and never took the programs he wrote for his own works seriously, despite the endless reprinting of them in liner notes.

On the other hand, Schoenberg's String Trio and Berg's Lyric Suite are both directly programmatic and autobiographical.  The former recounts the experience of a heart attack and the subsequent recovery, while the latter charts the course of a doomed affair.

I didn't know that about the String Trio......very interesting indeed!

[DaveF]

The E.D.U. variation at the end of the Enigma Variations - which bloated, pompous tripe Elgar apparently intended as a self-portrait (or was his tongue in his cheek?)  The first variation is Alice Elgar, of course, which is lovely - as is the rest of the piece.  Just that finale...

[Monsieur Croche]

The program of program music has
1.) rarely ever made any real sense to me in connection to what I am hearing. 
2.) rarely ever seemed to 'stick' to the piece upon repeated listening.
This does not include those very clear and blazing flashes where program and music do seem more completely welded, ex. Rimsky-Korsakov ~ Scheherazade.

I think the concept of the OP, as much as some folk do love them programs and programmatic works, puts the listener in peril of not recognizing that no matter what, whether a work strikes them as cerebral and emotionally distant or highly emotive / personal / passionate -- and regardless of the style of [any] era -- every piece that exists is in one way or another a very accurate and full portrait of the composer.


Best regards.

[Karl Henning]

Would Frank Zappa's 200 Motels count? or is that too literal? 

Larry the Dwarf!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Cato]

I think the concept of the OP, as much as some folk do love them programs and programmatic works, puts the listener in peril of not recognizing that no matter what, whether a work strikes them as cerebral and emotionally distant or highly emotive / personal / passionate -- and regardless of the style of [any] era -- every piece that exists is in one way or another a very accurate and full portrait of the composer.

Which is what drove me away from composing...