“Tone” is a slightly revised essay, which was first published in Kontinente in 1955 in Vienna and which was reprinted in the Beiträge 1967, published by the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Musik, after being presented by the South German Radio, Stuttgart, on 24 April 1960 during the “Tage zeitgenössischer Musik.”

“Reminiscence” was written in 1968, based on the essay “Erinnerungen an den Lebenden” in the issue of 23 dedicated to Berg (published in 1936 under the pseudonym Hektor Rottweiler), as well as on extensive unpublished notes from the year 1956.

In the section “The works,” “Analysis and Berg” was written in 1968. The author took the following from his contributions to the 1937 book published by Willi Reich: the analyses of the Piano Sonata, the Op. 2 Songs, the Seven Early Songs, the String Quartet, Op. 3, the Clarinet Pieces, Op. 4, the Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6, and the Lyric Suite. The texts were edited only where deemed absolutely necessary by the author; the general character remained unchanged and nothing substantial was added.

The author was no longer satisfied with his theoretical remarks on Der Wein in Reich's book. He also took into account various criticisms Walter Benjamin leveled at the chapter during a conversation in 1937. The author has therefore subjected it to a complete revision while retaining the purely musical passages. Above all he wished to avoid the pretentions which the old version set up without doing them justice.