1. General Characteristics of 20 th Century Music Tonality dissolves Melodies erratic, wide leaps, irregular rhythms and unexpected notes Rhythmic freedom Length is unpredictable Tone and colour experimentation

2. Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring), Opening Section What is this music’s genre? What is Primitivism? Describe the nature of the rhythms in this excerpt? What is the primary harmonic language? It it mostly consonant or dissonant? How is this achieved? To what degree is this music experimental? How was it received by early audiences?

3. Arnold Schoenberg Madonna from Pierrot Lunaire (1912) What is Expressionism? Who wrote the original poetry? What is it about? Does the music reflect this? Why is this music considered atonal? What is sprechstimme? How is it used here?

4. Arnold Schoenberg Theme and Sixth Variation from Variations for Orchestra, Op. 31 (1928) What is the twelve tone technique? How is it applied here? Why does Schoenber use a Classical form or Theme and Variations here? What are Retrograde, Inversion and Retrograde- Inversion tehcniques?

5. Boulez, Structures I, Book I, for Two Pianos What is total serialism? How does it control this piece?

6. Alban Berg (1885-1935) Wozzeck, Act III, Scenes 3, 4, and 5 What is the story? How does the music reflect that? What is the tonality of this work? Berg borrows musical structures from the past. What are they and why does he use them? There is symmetry embedded throughout this piece. Where is one example? How does Berg make use of leitmotives?