Arnold Schoenberg: The great archive of the composer was destroyed in the Los Angeles fires

Schoenberg’s son, Larry, 83, said the sheet music was stored in an outbuilding behind his home. Both buildings were destroyed in the fires that occurred last week.

Other Schoenberg memorabilia including photographs, letters and posters were also destroyed.

“For a company focused solely on Schoenberg’s works, this loss is not only a physical destruction of property, but also a profound cultural blow,” said Larry.

He described the collection as “essential” for musicians who rely on “carefully selected editions” of his father’s back catalogue.

Arnold Schoenberg was born into a Jewish family in Vienna in 1874. He achieved great success as a composer in Berlin before fleeing to the United States in 1933 to escape Nazi persecution.

He eventually settled in Los Angeles, where he continued his groundbreaking compositions. He was known for his atonality and his 12-tone technique, which departed from conventional harmonies. He died in Los Angeles in 1951 at the age of 76.

Belmont said in a statement that it hopes to create digital copies of the scores.

“We hope that in the near future we will be able to “rise from the ashes” in a fully digital form,” the information states.

Most of Schoenberg’s original manuscripts are kept in a museum in Vienna, Austria.

Firefighters are still struggling to control the massive wildfires that broke out in Los Angeles in early January. So far, they have killed at least 24 people, destroyed thousands of buildings and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes.

Two large fires are still raging in Los Angeles, including the largest in the Palisades, which has burned more than 24,000 acres.