Berg's Sonata op. 1 and its relation to Wagner's Tristan

In his analysis of Berg's Piano Sonata op. 1 Adorno focuses on the work very much from the perspective of its extreme motivic economy, and consequently mainly in relation to Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony op. 9. He also, of course, discusses it in terms of ‘continuous transition, ’ but certainly, and rather curiously, gives this aspect of the work less emphasis. The relation to Wagner is not really mentioned in the analysis of the Sonata in Berg: Der Meister des kleinsten Übergangs, although the Wagnerian influence is considered at some length in connection with Berg's music in general. But although Adorno, in emphasizing the importance of Wagner's influence on Berg, does not follow this through in his analysis, he does drop some hints in the article ‘Berg and Webero - Schonberg's heirs’ (1930) suggesting a link with Tristan which I would like to pursue in more detail here. In doing this I hope to show that, even where Adorno's own interpretations are fragmentary and lacking in careful and consistent analysis to back up his insights, they can, if regarded as aperçus needing critique and further development, lead to valuable new perceptions.

The suggestion that there is a strong link between Berg's music in general and Wagner's Tristan in particular warrants being followed up by means of immanent analysis - particularly in the case of the Sonata op. 1, given the special significance Adorno attaches to it within Berg's total compositional output.