The first complete study of one of the most important and controversial musicians of our time, Stuckenschmidt's book discusses all Schoenberg's works, some of them in great detail; it describes Schoenberg's relationship to his forerunners, contemporaries and successors not only in terms of music and the other arts, but also in connection with his social and psychological background.

Many biographical details are revealed for the first time in this book; there had previously been no authoritative account of the last thirty years of Schoenberg's life. This book is thus both a biography of unique interest and a critical study.