The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have left a trail of destruction, claiming lives, homes, and precious belongings, including irreplaceable works of art and music. Among the losses is a collection of music by renowned composer Arnold Schoenberg, known for developing the 12-tone technique in musical composition. The archive of scores and parts, totaling around 100,000 pieces, was stored in a building behind the home of Schoenberg’s son, Larry Schoenberg, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which was hit hard by the fires.
Larry Schoenberg, who runs Belmont Music Publishers, a company that rents and sells Schoenberg scores, expressed his devastation at the loss, stating, “We lost everything.” While the original Schoenberg manuscripts were spared, the archive of copies was crucial for upcoming performances of Schoenberg’s pieces. The collection was described as an “indispensable resource” by Leon Botstein, the music director of the American Symphony Orchestra.
Born in Vienna in 1874, Schoenberg fled to California in 1933 to escape the Nazis and continued his musical career there. Despite the loss of the archive, Schoenberg’s former home in Brentwood was reportedly unharmed by the fires. The impact of the wildfires extended beyond music to the art community in Los Angeles, with many artists losing their homes, studios, and life’s work.
Painter Kathryn Andrews, who evacuated her home in Pacific Palisades before it was destroyed, shared her experience of losing a valuable art collection built over two decades. She described the emotional toll of losing not just material possessions but also the sense of community and connection to nature. The fires also ravaged local galleries, destroying exhibitions and artwork, such as the ten-painting show by Mary Anna Pomonis at Alto Beta in Altadena.
The losses were felt deeply by artists like Rachelle Sawatsky, Tara Walters, and Kelly Akashi, who lost their homes, studios, and decades worth of work in the fires. The destruction of artwork, personal belongings, and creative spaces has left a profound impact on the artistic community in Los Angeles. Despite the devastating losses, artists like Ross Simonini found solace in the outpouring of support from the art community, turning their grief into a deeper sense of human connection.
The wildfires in Los Angeles have not only destroyed physical structures but also the creative expressions and livelihoods of many artists. The resilience and solidarity of the art community in the face of such loss highlight the strength and unity that can emerge from tragedy.
