Expressionism Music.ppt

Music 10 - Music of the 20th century

1. MUSIC OF THE 20
TH
CENTURY

2. Expressionism
•VasilyKandinsky, Blue Mountain

3. Expressionism
•Expressionismwasamodernistmovement,
initiallyinpoetryandpainting,originatingin
Germanyatthebeginningofthe20thcentury.
•Itstypicaltraitistopresenttheworldsolelyfrom
asubjectiveperspective,distortingitradically
foremotionaleffectinordertoevokemoods
orideas.
•Expressionistartistssoughttoexpressmeaning
oremotionalexperienceratherthanphysical
reality.

4. Expressionism
•Germanmovement
•Subjectivelookatanindividual’s
internalstrugglesandstrife
•Alsostartedinpainting
•Exploredboldcolors,harsh
dissonances,abstract(form
withoutcontent)images

5. Expressionism
Musicalsimilarities
•Exploredboldcolors,harsh
dissonances-harsherinstrumental
combinations,veryweaksenseof
tonality-sometimes“atonal”(absence
oftonality).Veryabruptharmonies
andmelodies.

6. Expressionism
GoalsofExpressionism
•Capture“beingalive”
•Expressemotionalexperience…
notphysicalreality
•Expressionismalsoindance,
architecture,andmovies

7. Impressionism Expressionism
-Atonal
-Dissonant
-Inner emotions
-Tonal
-Non-emotional
-“Color”
-Non Traditional
harmony
-“New Sounds”

8. Keypoints:
Impressionismwasstillmostlytonal.
Itwasn’taboutemotion,butaboutimages.
Muchofthemusicfocusedoncreatingnew“colors”of
sound
Expressionism:
Wasmostlyatonalandverydissonant.
Focusedonexpressinginneremotions.
Similarities:
Freefromprevioustimeperiodsrulesoftraditionalharmony.
Pushedtheenvelope.
Explorednewsoundsandmusicalideas.

9. MUSICAL GENIUS OF
INDIVIDUAL COMPOSERS

10. Arnold
Schoenberg
•Wasborninaworking-classsuburbofVienna,
AustriaonSeptember13,1874.
•Hetaughthimselfmusictheory,buttooklessons
incounterpoint.
•GermancomposerRichardWagnerinfluenced
hisworkasevidencedbyhissymphonicpoem
PelleasetMelisande,Op5(1903),a
counterpointofDebussy’soperaofthesametitle.

11. Arnold
Schoenberg
•1874-1951
•FollowingtheGermantraditionof
weakeningharmony,polyphonictexture.
•Weakenedtonalitybycreatingthe12-tone
Serialismmethodofcomposition.
•Heandhisfollowersarecalledthe
“SecondVienneseSchool”.

12. Arnold
Schoenberg
•Stylewasconstantlyundergoing
development.
•Histonalpreferencegraduallyturned
tothedissonantandatonal,ashe
exploredtheuseofchromatic
harmonies.

13. WORKS AND COMPOSITIONS
Schoenbergiscreditedwiththeestablishmentofthe
twelve-tonesystem.
•VerklarteNacht, Three Pieces for Piano, op. 11
•PierrotLunaire,
•Gurreleider
•VerklarteNacht(Transfigured Night, 1899), one of his
earliest successful pieces, blends the lyricism,
instrumentation, and melodic beauty of Brahms with the
chromaticism and construction of Wagner.

14. Pierrot Lunaire

15. Verklarte Nacht, Three
Pieces for Piano, op. 11

16. Igor Stravinsky
•(1882-1971)
•RussiancomposeractiveinParis
•WrotemusicforRiteofSpring
ballet(1913)
•Frenchaudienceriotedatits
premiere!

17. Igor Stravinsky
•Hisearlymusicreflectedtheinfluenceofhis
teacher,theRussiancomposerNikolaiRimsky-
Korsakov.
•Hisfirstsuccessfulmasterpiece,TheFirebird
Suite(1910),composedforDiaghilev’sRussian
Ballet
•Nationalisticmusicalstyle

18. WORKS AND COMPOSITIONS
Stravinskyadaptedtheformsofthe18thcenturywithhis
contemporarystyleofwriting.
•Petrouchka(1911),featuringshiftingrhythmsand
polytonality,asignaturedeviceofthecomposer.
•TheRake’sProgress(1951),afull-lengthopera,alludes
heavilytotheBaroqueandClassicalstylesofBachand
Mozartthroughtheuseoftheharpsichord,small
orchestra,soloandensemblenumberswithrecitatives
stringingtogetherthedifferentsongs.

19. RITE OF SPRING

20. THE FIREBIRD SUITE

21. Tonal vs atonal
•Some20thcenturyartmusicis
stillwrittenwithaheavyemphasis
andawarenessofkey.Key
relationshipsarestillbuiltand
explored.
•NOTALL20thCENTURY
MUSICISATONAL!!