.jpg)
Belmont Music, the publisher and repository for the works of 20th century musical titan Arnold Schoenberg for six decades, has been destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire currently burning in Los Angeles.
In a statement, Schoenberg’s son Larry said, “The fire that ravaged the Pacific Palisades community in early January left a trail of devastation, and unfortunately, Belmont Music Publishers was among its most significant casualties. The entire inventory of sales and rental materials—comprising some manuscripts, original scores, and printed works—has been lost in the flames. For a company that focused exclusively on the works of Schoenberg, this loss represents not just a physical destruction of property but a profound cultural blow.”
Schoenberg’s entire range of works had been housed by Belmont Music in L.A. since 1965, thirty years after the Austrian pioneer of twelve-tone theory was appointed a visiting professor at UCLA. Works lost in the fire included the composer earlier, more tonal works such as his 1911 composition Gurre-Lieder to the ground-breaking Pierrot Lunaire.
"Belmont’s role in preserving and distributing these masterpieces was invaluable for musicians and scholars alike, who turned to the publisher for access to authentic, carefully edited editions of Schoenberg’s challenging but transformative music,” Larry Schoenberg said.
“While we have lost our full inventory of sales and rental materials, we are determined to continue our mission of bringing Schoenberg’s music to the world,” Belmont Music said in an issued statement. “We hope to rebuild our catalog in a new, digital format that will ensure Schoenberg’s music remains accessible for future generations."