Death and Dissonance

In 1935, 1945 and 1951, a tight-knit trio of weird, controversial composers all died spectacular deaths. The first died of blood poisoning, after a botched DIY surgery. The second was caught in the crossfire of a military sting in Ally-occupied Austria. And the third — the eldest of the three — died on exactly the day that an old soothsayer had predicted, years prior.

Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern and Alban Berg — collectively known as the Second Viennese School — may have been the three defining musicians of their time. CBC Music's interactive feature, Death and Dissonance, tells the story of how the early 20th century killed them all.