EXPRESS IO N IS M

M A P EH 1 0 - M USI C
EXPRESSIONISM
The term “Expressionism" was originally used
in visual and literary arts and was probably first
applied to music in 1918, especially to Schoenberg
because like the painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866–
1944), he veered away from "traditional forms of
beauty" to convey powerful feelings in his music.
FEATURES:
a high degree of dissonance (quality of sounds that seems
unstable)
 extreme contrasts of dynamics (from pianissimo to
fortissimo, very soft to very loud)
 constant changing of textures
 "distorted" melodies and harmonies
 angular melodies with wide leaps
EXPRESSIONISM
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (1874 – 1951)
 was born on September 13, 1874, in a
working-class suburb of Vienna, Austria
 his works were greatly influenced by
the German composer Richard Wagner
as evident in his symphonic poem
Pelleas et Melisande, Op. 5 (1903), a
counterpoint of Debussy’s opera of the
same title.
EXPRESSIONISM
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (1874 – 1951)
 From the early influences of Wagner,
his tonal preference gradually
revolved to something dissonant and
atonal,
 explored the use of chromatic
harmonies.

EXPRESSIONISM
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (1874 – 1951)
responsible for the establishment of
the twelve-tone system

EXPRESSIONISM
WORKS: Verklarte Nacht
 Three Pieces for Piano, op. 11
 Pierrot Lunaire
Violin Concerto
 Skandalkonzert, a concert of the
Wiener Konzertverein.
Transfigured Night
Pelleas et Melisande

EXPRESSIONISM
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (1874 – 1951)
THREE PIANO PIECES, OP. 11.
- most significant composition of
Schoenberg
- first composition ever to dispense
completely with “tonal” (counterpart
of atonal) means of organization.
EXPRESSIONISM
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (1874 – 1951)

 experienced TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA –
fear of number 13
 died July 13, 1951 in Los Angeles,
California, USA where he settled
since 1934.
EXPRESSIONISM
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (1874 – 1951)

EXPRESSIONISM
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (1874 – 1951)

What genre of movie can this

music be used?
What particular moment in your
life does this music remind you of?

EXPRESSIONISM
 IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882–1971)
 born in Oranienbaum (now
Lomonosov), Russia on June 17,
1882
influenced by his Russian teacher,
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

EXPRESSIONISM
 IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882–1971)
The Firebird Suite (1910)
-his first notable composition, was
composed for Diaghilev’s Russian Ballet.
-went beyond anything written by his
Russian predecessors because of his
skillful handling of material and
rhythmic inventiveness

EXPRESSIONISM
 WORKS OF IGOR STRAVINSKY
Ballet Petrouchka (1911), featuring shifting
rhythms and polytonality, a signature device of the
composer
The Nightingale (1914)
Three Tales for Children (1917)
Duo Concertant (1932)
The Rake’s Progress (1951), a full-length opera
The Right of Spring
Oedipus Rex
The Wedding

EXPRESSIONISM
 IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882–1971)
Wrote approximately 127 works including:
Concerti
Orchestral music
Instrumental music
Operas
Ballets
Solo vocal
Choral music

EXPRESSIONISM
 IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882–1971)

Concerti or concerto
- is a musical composition for a solo
instrument or instruments accompanied
by an orchestra, especially one
conceived on a relatively large scale.

EXPRESSIONISM
IGOR STRANVINSKY

EXPRESSIONISM
 IGOR STRAVINSKY
TAKE HOME ACTIVITY
After listening to the track,
create an artwork inspired by
Petrouchka using any
contemporary medium of arts.
Use any paper available for
your artwork.
EXPRESSIONISM
WORD HUNT: Encircle the words that are related to expressionist music in
the grid below. The words run horizontally, vertically and diagonally.

EXPRESSIONISM