»… so dass am Schluss in den ganzen Saal von allen Seiten Musik strömt.«

Der Raumklang in Arnold Schönbergs Jakobsleiter

Abstract

This article examines Arnold Schoenberg’s concept of spatial sound in his unfinished oratorio "Die Jakobsleiter" (Jacob's ladder), composed between 1915 and 1922. The focus is on the innovative use of high and distant orchestras, which distribute the sound throughout the hall from multiple perspectives, thereby musically realising the mystical vision of a directionless celestial space. Schönberg’s arrangement of the ensembles – inspired by Gustav Mahler’s 8th Symphony and possibly also by Richard Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’ – aims to establish a connection between the earthly and heavenly spheres, as depicted in the biblical image of Jacob’s Ladder. The article demonstrates how Schoenberg’s spatial sound design corresponds not only technically but also thematically with the idea of the soul’s gradual ascent to God. Furthermore, it highlights historical traditions of polyphonic choral writing and spatial sound concepts by composers such as Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach, which may have served as possible sources of inspiration for Schoenberg’s work.