MU160 S.9

Impressionism and Neo-Classic

Age of Musical Diversity

 Tristan Chord effect – Tonality

Breakdown

 Musical elements change – melody,

harmony, texture, colours, techiques,
performances

 Life changed – World expanded: more

technology, freedom, Individualism

 New techniques: glissando, polychord,

fourth chord, cluster tone, bitonality,
ostinato

Impressionisn

 focuses on a suggestion and an

atmosphere

 Whole tone scale

 Short form of composition : prelude,

nocturne, arabesque

 Colors, mood, misty atmosphere

Claude Debussy(1862-1918)
Maurice Ravel(1875-1937)

 Music painter
 Pentatonic scale – whole tone scale
Ex. F# G# A# C# D#

Tones Colors, Effect of Sound

Claire de lune,
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune;
Ravel –
Bolero,
Pavane pour une infante défunte

Neoclassicism

 Igor Stravinsky(1882-1971)

 Paul Hindemith(1895-1963)

 Is marked by emotional restraint,

balance, and clarity

 Use musical form and stylistic features

of earlier periods – use earlier
techniques to organize 20thharmonies
and rhythms.

Igor Stravinsky

 Friend of Picasso(1881-1973)

 Dramatic changes of style :early russian

folk with large orchestra to 20th
harmonies with chamber

 Firebird/The Rite of Spring to Symphony

of Psalms/Petrushka

 Colours, rhythms, Clarity and Bitonality

 Petrushka Chord : C major triad with an

F sharp major triad

Expressionism

 Explore inner feeling rather than

depicting outward appearances

 Germany, Austria 1905-1925 ( WWI )

 Rejected conventional prettiness, may

seem “ Ugly “

 Communicate the tension and anguish

of the human psyche

 Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Anton

Webern, Bela Bartok

works

 The Scream

 Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder

 Pierrot Lunaire

 12 tones system

 Atonality

 Alban Berg’s Wozzeck

 Avant-garde, Atonality, Sprechstimme

The Americans

 George Gershwin(1898-1937)

 Aaron Copland(1900-1990)

 Popular songs and musical comedies as

well as jazz-flavored orchestral works
and opera

 Jazz,Pop plus Classic

 Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris,

Someone to Watch Over Me

Aaron Copland

 A leading American composer : Pioneer

 The Dean of American Composer

 Appalachian Spring

Musical styles Since 1950

 Increased Use of 12 tones system

 Serialism

 Chance Music

 Minimalist

 Quotations

 Return to Tonality

 Electronic Music

 Mixed Media

 New Concepts of Rhythm and Form