The World of Music 6th edition Part 4 Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13: Music of the Twentieth Century
Modern Classical Music Diverse Conventional Instruments Traditional Techniques Unconventional Techniques Unconventional Instruments Often Complex Blurred Tonality Longer Melodies Difficult, Puzzling Forms Timbre and Rhythm over Melody and Harmony Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Impressionism Style from French Painting Philosophy Monet Renoir Reaction against Intellectual German Music Favored Delicate Instruments Flute Harp Strings Claude Debussy Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918) French Rejected Traditional Practices Influences Painters Poets Gamelan Music (of Indonesia) Excelled at Works for Piano and Orchestra Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Experimental Music Avant-Garde Composers in Every Generation Experimental Works Varying Degrees of Success Two Types of Composer One Who Uses Proven Techniques One Who Wants to Develop Original Techniques Igor Stravinsky Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) Russian Became American Citizen Style Contributions Rhythmic complexity Innovative Orchestration Original Uses of Tonality Reinvention of Other Material Baroque and Classical Forms Jazz Russian Folk Melodies Representative Works Ballets The Firebird Petrushka The Rite of Spring Opera, The Rake’s Progress Chamber Work, The Soldier’s Tale Opera-Oratorio Oedipus Rex Symphony of Psalms Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Atonal Music and Serialism Atonality Literally Means, “No Tonality” Alternative to Major and Minor Keys Serialism Uses the 12 Tones in a Fixed Row No Traditional Scales No Traditional Chords Row May be Altered Reversed Upside Down Transposed Combinations of the Above (i.e. Reversed and Transposed) Arnold Schoenberg Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Arnold Schoenberg (1874 – 1951) Austrian Became an American Citizen Early Works Post-romantic Style Disjunct Melodies Small Ensembles Irregular Phrases Complex and Fragmentary Sound Controversial Representative Works Verklärte Nacht Five Pieces for Orchestra Pierrot Lunaire Variations for Orchestra Opera, Moses and Aaron Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Electronic Music Began in 1950’s Synthesizers Computer-Generated Music Invention of Magnetic Tape Recording Musique Concrète Altered Speed of Tape Reversed Tape Splicing of Tape Synthesizers Computer-Generated Music MIDI Edgard Varèse Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Edgard Varèse (1883 – 1965) French (Came to America) Promoted Experimental Music Conducted Wrote Articles Participated in Classes and Seminars Lifelong Interest in Science and Technology Representative Pieces Hyperprism Octandre Intégrales Ionization Déserts Poème Électronique Ecuatorial Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Chance Music Also Called Indeterminate music Performer is Allowed to Create Randomness Chance Elements (Dice, etc.) Improvisation Large-scale Structure Provided by Composer Pieces Never Performed the Same Way Twice John Cage Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
John Cage (1912 – 1992) Known for Original Ideas Prepared Piano Items (Screws, Paper, Erasers, etc) Placed on Strings Inside a Piano Can Sound like a full Percussion Ensemble Chance Music Less Control for the Composer Accept What you Get Multiple Radios Simultaneously Playing on Stage 4’ 33” of “Silence” from Performer (Audience, Theater, and Surroundings Create the Music.) Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Bela Bartók (1881 – 1945) Hungarian Ethnomusicologist Preserved Folk Songs of Hungary Field Recordings Used These Melodies in his Compositions Extended Interest to Other Parts of Europe/Africa Representative Works Mikrokosmos Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta Concerto for Orchestra 6 String Quartets 3 Piano Concertos Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Neo-Classical Music Return to Structures/Aesthetics of the Past Forms of Previous Periods Using Modern Language Possible Traits Control Order Emotional Restraint Minimal Instrumentation Transparent Texture Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Minimalism Seeks Great Effect from Minimal Material Began in 1960’s Philip Glass Terry Riley Reaction Against Serialism Traits Extensive Repetition Slow, Subtle Changes Rhythm Chords Other Elements Tonal Style Other Similar Styles Jazz Rock Indian Music African Music Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Chapter Summary Why do you think modern audiences prefer music from previous periods? How “modern” is the music heard in Hollywood Blockbuster films? How has the infusion of technology into the art of music affected its development? Has the turbulent Twentieth Century created art forms that have a different function from those of previous periods of history? Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century
Image Credits Slide 11 C Squared Studios/Getty Images Part IV Listening to Western Classical Music Chapter 13 Music of the Twentieth Century