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