~ Early 20th Century ~ Serialism, The Twelve-Tone Method and composers

Serialism Serialism – a compositional technique that uses sets to describe musical elements (ex. dynamics, pitches, duration) and allows for the manipulation of those sets. Began with the 12-tone technique which treats the 12 notes of the chromatic scale equally. The music avoids being in a specific key. The basis of the 12-tone technique is the tone row, an ordered arrangement of the twelve notes of the chromatic. The tone row chosen for the basis of the piece is called the PRIME ORDER/SERIES. Total serialism is VERY controlled. Reactions to this TOTAL control was movements toward minimalism and indeterminancy.

To write a 12-tone row: Using all the notes in a chromatic scale, pick an “order” to play them. Ex. A, C#, E, G#, F, A#, C, D, F#, D#, B, G. This is your prime series To complete your composition you’ll need to create the other rows – Retrograde – the prime series in reverse. Inversion – the intervals of the prime series inverted. (ex. If there is an ascending minor third, it becomes a descending major third.) retrograde inversion – the inversion in reverse order.

Arnold Schöenberg 1874 - 1951 Viennese composer (Austrian-born) composer who took the styles of late Romanticism toward total abandonment of the tonal and harmonic conventions, opening up an important new dimension. Schöenberg, a violinist, conductor, theorist and teacher, is best known as an innovator of the twelve-tone technique His technique moved composers away from Romanticism. Life long fasicination with numerology and a deeply rooted fear of the number 13

Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 – No. 8 (Nacht) & No. 13 (Enthauptung) Enthauptung is German for Decapitation Nacht is German for night A setting of 21 poems by the French poet Albert Girard, in German translations for Sprechstimme and five instrumentalists. Sprechstimme – speaking voice – is a type of delivery somewhere between speech and song. It is an eerie sound that reflects the world of madness depicted in Girard’s poety.

Alban Berg 1885 - 1935 Austrian Composer Studied composition with Schöenberg with very little previous formal music education Wrote music in Schöenberg’s style, however, he applied a freer, more lyrical and expressive approach. Used twelve-tone technique to create expressionist operas

Wozzeck (based on Büchner’s Play) Wozzeck is a labourer who earns extra money for his family by allowing himself to be used for experimental testing. He makes sacrifices for his family, then finds out that his fiancée is sleeping with a military officer. He loses it… The music does not establish a key, yet Berg is able to utilize many musical techniques to create unity overall – leitmotifs for example.

Anton Webern 1883 - 1945 Austrian composer, musicologist and conductor Studied composition with Schöenberg Applied serial technique to rhythmic as well as melodic material creating highly-organized music. Utilized the 12-tone technique and used it to the extreme. Even though he made use of the serial techniques, Webern kept close ties with tradition methods composing German Lieder and arranging many other classical pieces.

Symphonie, Op. 21 (1928) Webern used strict polyphonic methods and the 12-tone system to create this piece. The piece has 2 movements that use a specific tone row: Ruhig, schreitend - The first movement has three very clear sections played as a canon. Variationen - The second uses a variation technique