Early 20th Century

1
Early 20th Century

• Radical breaks in tradition
• New developments in
• Technology
• Science
• Art

2
General Characteristicsof 20th Century Music

• Tone color
• Atonality
• Often erratic melodies
• Harsh dissonance
• Rhythm - far more complex

3
New Chord Structures
Polychord
Quartal and quintal harmony
Cluster
4
Another approach use 2 or more keys at once

• Polytonality (bitonality)

5
Rhythm

• Rhythmic vocabulary expanded
• Emphasis on irregularity and unpredictability
• Polyrhythms

6
Modernism Movementaffected all the arts

• Literature
• Painting
• Sculpture
• Architecture
• Music

7
Selected styles of Modernism

• Impressionism
• Primitivism
• Neoclassicism

8
Impressionism

• developed by French painters trying to capture
  their first impression

9
Impression Sun Risingby Claude Monet
10
Water Lilies, Reflections of Weeping Willowsby
Monet
11
Literary MovementSymbolists

• The parallel to the Impressionist movement in
  painting
• Writers emphasized
• Fluidity
• Suggestion
• Musical effects of words

12
Impressionism Musical Characteristics of
Impressionism
13
Claude Debussy1862 - 1918

• French Impressionist composer
• New style of writing for the piano
• An essential part of modern classical music

14
Claude Debussy
15
Artistic MovementPrimitivism

• Artists reaction to modern society moving away
  from its primitive condition

16
(No Transcript)
17
Igor Stravinsky1882 - 1971

• Russian nationalist composer
• Primitivism and Neoclassicism
• Bold experimenter
• Percussive use of dissonance

18
Igor Stravinsky
19
Artistic MovementNeoclassicism

• Forms from previous periods, particularly 18th
  century
• Uses earlier techniques to organize 20th century
  harmonies and rhythms

20
Aaron CoplandOne of Americas most decorated
composers

• American, 1900-1990
• Wrote music in modern style
• Drew from American folklore for topics

21
Aaron Copland
22
Leonard Bernstein 1918 - 1990

• 20th Century Cultural Hero

23
Chapter 19 The American Musical

• Similar to an opera, but musical has spoken
  dialogue

24
George GershwinCreator of the Golden Age of
American Theater

• American, 1898-1937

Wrote popular music, musical theatre, and serious
concert music
25
George Gershwin 1898 - 1937
26
Andrew Lloyd Webber

• English composer known for many successful
  musicals

27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29
Music for Films

• Music sets mood, helps establish characters, and
  creates a sense of place time in a film
• Sample Psycho (1960) Shower Scene
• Bernard Herrmann, composer
• Soundtrack albums

30
John Williams

• Best known for his film scores
• Noted composer of concert works and ceremonial
  music
• Renowned conductor
• Sample

31
John Williams
32
The End