Seven interlinked essays on Habsburg Vienna in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries focus on the intersection of politics and culture and the achievements of the city's geniuses.

Michael Gielen, Charles Rosen, and Carl E. Schorske, historian, analyze the complexities of Schoenberg's atonal Opus 16. "This work embodies Schoenberg's early efforts to artistically plunge into the self, and its dissonance, subtle shadings of timbre, and pervading sense of agony are discussed." Includes biographical background, film clips, photographs and period art.--Container.