The violence and suddenness of this emancipation from tradition was influenced by turbulent events in Schoenberg's life at the time: his wife Mathilde had recently eloped with the painter Richard Gerstl (who committed suicide when Mathilde returned to her husband), and in the professional sphere, his work was increasingly being met with hostility or incomprehension, as at the premiere of the Second String Quartet in 1908.
The radical change brought about by this emancipation from established norms was shaped by the turmoil in Schoenberg's personal life: his wife Mathilde had recently left him for the painter Richard Gerstl (who ultimately took his own life upon her return), and in his professional career, his work was met with growing resistance or confusion, as evident at the premiere of the Second String Quartet in 1908.