Berg's Lyric Suite Number Cryptogram

The story that the composer tells in the Lyric Suite annotated score features Alban Berg, Hanna Fuchs and her two children: ‘Munzo’ and ‘Do-do’. It is, moreover, important to note that the secret programme solely refers to Alban Berg, Hanna Fuchs, Munzo’ and ‘Do-do’ in the annotations. It is possible to find the numerological ‘expression’ numbers of these names working from the exact mixture of whole names and first names that Berg uses in his annotations to the score:

Figure 5-24. Name - Conversion - Reduction

A L B A N
(1+3+2+1+5 = 12)
12 = (1+2) = 3

B E R G
(2+5+9+7 = 23)
23 = (2+3) = 5

H A N N A
(8+1+5+5+1 = 20)
20 = (2+0) = 2

F U C H S
(6+3+3+8+1 = 21)
21 = (2+1) = 3

M U N Z O (4+3+5+8+6 = 26)
26 = (2+6) = 8

D O – D O (4+6+4+6 = 20)
20 = (2+0) = 2

ALBAN BERG (3+5) = 8
HANNA FUCHS (2+3) = 5
MUNZO = 8
DODO = 2

(8 + 5 + 8 + 2)

These numbers produce 23 after reduction (8+5+8+2 = 23). There is a particular significance of the mixture of whole and first names: that is, Berg refers only to ‘Hanna Fuchs’ not Hanna Fuchs-Robettin, ‘Dodo’ not Dorothea, and ‘Munzo’ not Franz. Hanna’s husband Herbert Fuchs-Robettin is not represented in the work nor does Helene Berg seem to have been included.

Dale Harris
Copyright Dale Harris c. 2009 All Right Reserved