Excerpt from "Metzler's Great Music Encyclopedia 4.0"
BERG, Alban, *2/9/1885 Vienna, †12/24/1935 ibid.; Austrian composer. He came from a wealthy family of the Viennese upper middle classes; his father, who had come to Vienna from Nuremberg in 1867, ran a business for devotional objects. Berg who for a long time could not decide whether to dedicate himself to music or literature due to his dual talent began composing in 1900. Initially in literature and thereafter exclusively vocal music. Through the mediation of his brother he was introduced to Schönberg who taught him composition during the period 1904-10. The first instrumental compositions were written under Schönberg's guidance, including as his "journeyman's piece" the Piano Sonata op. 1 which was completed in the summer of 1908 as well as other songs. (Berg published a compilation in 1928 under the title ''Seven Early Songs'' and also set the piano accompaniment for orchestra). ...
Note: Translated from the German version of ''Metzlers Großes Musiklexikon 4.0'' (Metzler's Great Music Encyclopedia 4.0) into English
