German lyric poet, whose work was characterized by its aristocratic tone, classical form, and paucity of capitalization and punctuation. Many of his poems were set by composers of the Second Viennese School, notably by Schoenberg in Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, Op. 15 (1909) and the Second String Quartet, Op. 10 (1908) and by Webern in his choral work Entflieht auf leichten Kähnen (1908) and his songs Opp. 3 and 4 (1909).

George and Schenker

There was no personal contact or correspondence between the two men. On October 29, 1927, Schenker purchased two volumes by George at Konnegen’s bookstore in Vienna. In a letter to Jonas of September 23, 1932, Schenker praises a George setting by Otto Vrieslander, "Meine weißen Ara."

In his diary, Schenker recorded two occasions on which he listened to Webern at work as a conductor on Radio Wien:

March 9, 1930: "Radio 11 o'clock under Webern, "Tragic" Overture by Brahms, the Kreuzstab cantata by [J. S.] Bach, Passacaglia by Webern, and Beethoven's Seventh [Symphony]; note for note the most primitive, illicit playing and allowing to be played!"

November 6, 1933: "Webern conducts the Op. 11 [Serenade No. 1 in D major] by Brahms, genuinely free, searching, but sadly not finding."

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