The song cycle by Arnold Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunaire, and specifically the song Der

Mondfleck, encompasses the pitiable tragedies of Pierrot Lunaire, a representative of the

archetypical sad clown, his high hopes constantly extinguished through events beyond his

control. In looking at the meaning of the poem itself, at first, the reader believes that the white

spot of the bright moon is simply moonlight, serving to set the scene of nighttime and the

advent of Pierrots expedition to have success in life. However, the tone of the poem changes in

the next stanza, as Pierrot notices the spot, and the reader realizes it is some kind of stain on

his jacket, rather than moonlight. As Pierrot continues to rub at the stain, he is overcome with

poisonous anger at his inability to remove the spot, and the reader understands that the white

spot is actually a part of him, and it cannot be removed. More figuratively, it is commonly known

that the moon is associated symbolically with various thematic concepts and cultural

associations, but one that particularly resonated with me in regard to this poem was the moons

association with madness and lunacy. Perhaps Pierrot, in this case, is held back in his attempts

to seek fortune and adventure by his growing recognition of his decaying psyche. The poems

rather indifferent tone toward Pierrots distress reveals a certain irony to the work (And so he

goes, swollen with poison); the character of Pierrot represents the laughably unfortunate sad

clown, whose high hopes are dashed by societys indifference to his suffering, and in Girauds

own writing, he shows indifference to Pierrot as well.

Ultimately, it seems as though the complex structure of the counterpoint Schoenberg

delicately constructs to fuel the ironic and satirical nature of this poem goes unnoticed by the

listener of the piece. This must, in large part, be due to the fact that these subtle canons and

fugues are occurring underneath the vocalist, who has a very interesting sprechstimme line on

her own that draws the immediate attention of the listener. The other instrument parts, therefore,

serve as an auditory backdrop, setting the overall mood of the piece in its unsettling, sarcastic

nature. Much of this intricate counterpoint is completely inaudible as well, as it is nearly

impossible for a listener to pick up the large-scale palindromes of the violin and cello by merely

listening to the work. Additionally, Schoenberg allows the texture of the piece to be

contrapuntally dense, with very little emphasis on arrival points and repeated motives; the fugue

entrances and canons are occurring all at once, without breaking through the texture to be

noticed. However, it might also be difficult for a listener to grasp onto the musical motives

presented by Schoenberg in this work due to its atonal nature; to the Western ear that is not

used to listening to such complicatedly woven structures of atonality, it can be difficult to pick up

on motivic elements, when the music features a multi-layered texture and no tonal center or

harmony to which one can attach him- or herself.

Nevertheless, in listening to the work, one might easily perceive the rather satirical tone

that is prevalent in Schoenbergs writing which enhances the irony of the text through the more

obvious aesthetic qualities Schoenberg creates. Not only does the mood of the piece appear to

have an unsettling sound, in terms of the singers lack of tonality amongst unstable-sounding

harmonies and complex textures of the accompaniment, but the counterpoint, on a closer look,

also is largely reflective of the overall tone of the poem. Specifically, the palindromic nature of

the cello and violin parts correlate to the poems repetition of the phrase a white spot of the

bright moon, which occurs at the very beginning, the middle, and end of the poem. At first, the

phrase appears to have a literal meaning, and throughout the poem that meaning transforms

into one of symbolism, possibly representing Pierrots lunatic state. This transition is therefore

represented by the gradual transformative palindrome of the violin and cello lines, as halfway

through the piece, around the point at which the voices retrace their steps in measure 10 (which

coincides with the vocalists second statement of the repeated phrase, the turning point in the

text of the poem), the cello switches from following the violin in canon to leading. Also, the

instability of the poems tone and Pierrots shifting attitude are accentuated through the

interweaving clarinet and piccolo parts as they switch from imitative canonic counterpoint to
mirroring each other in intervals. The complexity of the moving parts of this musical machine

altogether generate the possibility of psychological distress within Pierrot, and his anger at the

fact that he cannot make this spot of the moon leave him.

Schoenbergs writing in Der Mondfleck reflects a drive to create an artistic product

representative of an emotional state and psychological setting, an effort that can be associated

with the expressionist movement. Although this poem is told in third person about Pierrot, the

reader and listener are able to discern Pierrots psychological struggle internally, and Giraud

attempts to evoke the distress of the main character through the description of Pierrots

thoughts and actions. For example, and perhaps most graphically, Giraud writes, And so he

goes, swollen with poison,/rubbing and rubbing til early morning, a clear image that implies the

distress and frustration Pierrot is experiencing at that moment. However, Girauds apparent

indifference to Pierrots struggle also accentuates the more subtle emotional quality of the

poem, as we are to feel pity for Pierrot, even when the poet does not. These emotions are also

realized in Schoenbergs writing, in which he employs the satirical and unsettling sound of

sprechstimme style, along with atonal counterpoint and very thick textures to suggest Pierrots

own instability. In terms of my reaction to the piece, from a purely auditory standpoint, I felt that I

had a difficult time navigating through its complexity and making sense of it, and I was

constantly distracted by the business of the texture. Due to these elements, and my lack of an

auditory sensitivity to atonality, I was unable to take much meaning from it, even after several

listenings. However, after spending much time analyzing the score and seeing the intricacies of

Schoenbergs craft, I was able to glean a better understanding of the piece and its meaning, and

perhaps Schoenbergs intention for the piece. In summation, I believe that a work such as this is

best appreciated through careful analysis, much as one appreciates a poem or a finely-tuned

machine, rather than an impressionist painting; the structure and design are very important to

the overall appreciation of the work, not just the finished, briefly performed product.