The discovery of a miniature score of Alban Berg's Lyric Suite annotated by the composer for Hanna Fuchs-Robettin confirms that a secret program existed for this composition. A detailed description of the annotated score indicates the personal significance of the compositional practices and musical language of the work, including use of musical quotations from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, from Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony (also text-related), and from Berg's own Wozzeck to convey the program. This discovery suggests that there is personal significance in Berg's compositional techniques in other works and raises questions concerning the unfinished third act of Lulu and the authenticity of source materials formerly considered reliable.

Index Classifications: 1900s

Contributed by: Cathleen Cameron