The drama Lulu is the culmination of Berg's musical style. The great significance of the composer's personal life for the opera and other compositions is evident in his use of quotation. This takes the form of self-quotation (Wozzeck is quoted in Lulu) and of borrowing from other composers. The Lyric Suite quotes Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony and Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, and the Violin Concerto quotes a Bach chorale and a Carinthian folksong. When borrowings are text-related, the unstated text is highly significant. Quotations are used to convey a program or for dramatic purposes.

Works: Berg: Lyric Suite (13-18, 256), Lulu (29, 256), Violin Concerto (255-57), Wozzeck (256).

Index Classifications: 1900s

Contributed by: Cathleen Cameron