To mark Thomas Mann’s 150th birthday and the West Coast premiere of Schoenberg in Hollywood—a new opera by Todd Machover exploring what might have happened if Arnold Schoenberg had composed for Hollywood—this event examines the complex relationship between Mann, Schoenberg, and the film industry.
The opera centers on a real-life meeting between Schoenberg and MGM producer Irving G. Thalberg, who invited him to score The Good Earth. Schoenberg declined due to creative demands and a $50,000 fee. Similarly, Mann explored film adaptations of The Magic Mountain and his Joseph novels, though none materialized. Yet his passion for cinema endured—he frequented theaters, attended premieres, and befriended Hollywood icons like Hitchcock, Lubitsch, and Disney.
This conversation explores the shared aspirations of Mann and Schoenberg, their links to Hollywood, and the broader role of émigré artists in shaping American film music. Composers like Schoenberg, Korngold, Eisler, and Waxman left a lasting impact on the industry while finding refuge and support in 1930s and 1940s Los Angeles.
The event includes a musical performance by pianist Inna Faliks (UCLA).
Learn more about the opera
Learn more about Thomas Mann 150
Attendance
Participants
Doris Berger
Vice President of Curatorial Affairs, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Formerly at the Getty, Skirball Cultural Center, and Kunstverein Wolfsburg. Curator of Light & Noir: Exiles and Émigrés in Hollywood and Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema.
Inna Faliks
Described by The New Yorker as “adventurous and passionate,” Ukrainian-born pianist Inna Faliks is known for her powerful interpretations and innovative interdisciplinary projects. She is Professor and Head of Piano at UCLA and author of Weight in the Fingertips (2023).
Lily E. Hirsch
Musicologist and Writer-in-Residence at CSU Bakersfield. Author of several books, including A Jewish Orchestra in Nazi Germany and Can’t Stop the Grrrls. Her work focuses on music, politics, and gender.
Alex Ross
Music critic for The New Yorker since 1996 and author of The Rest Is Noise, Listen to This, and Wagnerism. He has written extensively on Thomas Mann and the émigré community in L.A.
Hans Rudolf Vaget
Professor Emeritus at Smith College and leading Thomas Mann scholar. Author of Thomas Mann, der Amerikaner and co-editor of Mann’s collected works and letters (GKFA). His research focuses on Mann, Wagner, and Goethe.
