Music in the 20th Century

20th Century Culture and the Arts

Cultural Background Impact on the Arts

Cultural Background

• Technology and Scientific Advancements

• Economics

• World Conflict

• Psychological Research

• Age of Diversity, Age of Eclecticism

Impact on the Arts

• The arts reflected culture’s diversity, eclecticism.

• Artists tended to be of three sorts: those that sought to overthrow the status quo, to shock; those that experimented and seldom perfected; those that combined the two, who honored the past but felt free to move beyond it.

Visual Arts

• Impressionism

Claude Monet

(1840-1926)

French

• Cubism, Surrealism

Pablo Picasso

(1881-1973)

Spanish

• Abstract

Wassily Kandinsky

(1866-1944)

Russian

• Modernism

Henri Matisse

(1869-1954)

French

Classical Music in the 20th Century

• Music from 1900 to 1950– Musical Elements– Variety of Styles

• Music After 1950

Music Elements

• Melody– Music relied less on melody– Irregular, unbalanced melodies– Angular, instrumental in conception

• Rhythm– Hallmark – one of the most striking elements– Increasingly complex, irregular meters and

accents, use of polyrhythms

• Harmony– No single accepted harmonic language– New chords: polychord, quartal, tone cluster– Atonality – freedom from a tonal center,

greatly dissonant

• Texture– Homophonic– Renewed interest in polyphony (counterpoint)

• Timbre/Orchestration– Became more important than ever– Trend toward smaller orchestra with a leaner sound

(economics)– Emphasis on percussion– Less emphasis on a blended sound

• Dynamics– Gradual, less extreme

• Form– Divergent

• Genres– Vocal: Mass, Requiem, art song, opera– Instrumental: Symphony, Concerto, String Quartet

Musical Styles

• Impressionism

• Nationalism

• Neoclassicism

• Expressionism

• Serialism

• Avant-garde

Impressionism

• Transition style from late 19th century to early modernism

• Sought to suggest, rather than to define

• Impacted by impressionist art and literature

Claude Debussy

(1862-1918)

French

“Prelude to the Afternoon of a

Faun”

Nationalism

• Encouraged use of authentic national songs, dances, stories

Aaron Copland

(1900-1990)

American

“Appalachian Spring”

Neoclassism

• Revived the techniques, forms and musical styles characteristic to Renaissance, Baroque and Classical music

• Introduced 20th century elements of sound within these older styles

Igor Stravinsky

(1882-1971)

Russian

“Rite of Spring”

Expressionism and Serialism

• Sought to express inner emotions (as opposed to Impressionism)

• Abandoned tonality, used 12-tone scale

• Total Serialism

Arnold Schoenberg

(1874-1951)

Austrian/American

“Vorgefühle” from Five Pieces for Orchestra

Avant Garde

• Sought to overcome years of neglect in the musical elements: timbre and rhythm

• Public often disassociated from this style

• Styles: Aleatory (chance), electronic, multimedia, digital

Edgard Varese

(1883-1965)

French

“Poeme Electronique”

Classical Music Traditions Since 1950

• Important Influences: women’s movement, economics of composing, computer and digital improvements

• Eclectic, diverse styles: electronic, computer generated, serialism, romantic revival (melodically centered)

Folk and Popular Styles

• Jazz

• Music Theatre

• Rock

Jazz• America’s Musical Art• Major contribution of the Black culture to the contemporary

culture• It was a player’s art.

• Styles:– Ragtime: 1890’s, keyboard, Scott Joplin– Blues: 1920’s, Bessie Smith– New Orleans Dixieland: 1920’s, dance music– Swing: 1930’s, Big Band, Louis Armstrong– Bebop: 1940’s, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker– Cool Jazz: 1950’s, Dave Brubeck– Latin and Soul Jazz: 1960’s and 1970’s– Fusion: 1980’s to Present

Music Theatre

• Flourished with jazz in the first half of the 20th century

• Maintains a strong presence today• Began with operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan

(England)• Important Composers: George M. Cohan,

Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Leonard Bernstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim

Rock

• Grew from two streams in the 1950’s: white country music and black rhythm and blues

• Huge influence of the black culture• Recording studios of Chicago, St. Louis and New York

were instrumental in the popularization of rock and its importance as a commodity

• 1960’s: British invasion, soul• 1970’s: disco, funk, punk, reggae• 1980’s: new wave, rap• 1990’s: grunge, pop• 2000’s: alternative