Expression in Josef Matthias Hauer’s piano music as exemplified by Klavierstücke mit Überschriften nach Worten von Friedrich Hölderlin Op. 25

Austrian composer Josef Matthias Hauer (1883–1959) went down in history as one of the leading figures of atonal music in the first half of the 20th century and the creator of an original—different from Schönberg’s—conception of twelve--tone technique. Although the principles of dodecaphony developed by the author of Nomos Op. 19 differ significantly from those established by the founder of the Second Viennese School, the most striking thing for the listener is the difference in the expressive sphere that occurs between pieces of both composers.

Fundamental to the issues of Hauer’s form and characteristic poetics is his aesthetic world view, which sets as the goal of his artistic work the idea of spiritual perfection, inspired among others by an esoteric interpretation of Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s beliefs.

The Klavierstücke Op. 25 discussed in this article allows—at least in part—for a more careful reading of this peculiar philosophy, thanks to a guide suggested by the composer himself, namely the poetry of Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843). Through the prism of its short fragments, which constitute the mottoes of the fourteen piano miniatures, we can come closer to justifying and explaining the expressive categories adopted by the composer.

The author analyses the expressive sphere of the work, considering its individual elements within three successive layers of expression: 1) an external one— reflected in the notational convention of the work, 2) an indirect one—concerning the historical and stylistic context, and 3) an internal one—encompassing the space of meaning and narration.