Music of the 20th

Century
 The start of the 20th century sa
w the rise of distinct musical style
s that reflected a
move away from the conventions
of earlier classical music. These n
ew styles were:
impressionism, expressionism, n
eo-classicism, avant garde music,
and modern nationalism.
The distinct musical styles of the 20th century
would not have developed if not for the
musical genius of individual composers such
as Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel,Arnold
Schoenberg, Bela Bartok, Igor Stravinsky, Ser
gei Prokofieff, and George Gershwin stand
out as themoving forces behind the innovativ
e and experimental stylesmentioned above.C
oming from different nations—France,Austria,
Hungary,Russia, and the United States—thes
e composers clearly reflected the growing glo
balization ofmusical styles in the 20th
century.
Style of music of the 20th century
 IMPRESSIONISM
• One of the earlier but concrete forms decl
aring the entry of 20th century music
• It is a French movement in the late 19th a
nd early 20th century.
• The sentimental melodies and dramatic e
motionalism of the preceding Romantic P
eriod (their themes and melody are easy t
o recognize and enjoy) were being replac
ed in favor of moods and impressions.
IMPRESSIONISM
• With this trend came new combinations
of extended chords, harmonies, whole to
ne, chromatic scales, and pentatonic sca
les
• an attempt not to depict reality, but merel
y to suggest it.
• It was meant to create an emotional moo
d rather than a specific picture.
 Features of Impressionism
• the sounds of different chords overlap
ped lightly with each other to produce
new subtle musical colors.
• Chords did not have a definite order a
nd a sense of clear resolution.
• lack of a tonic-dominant relationship
which normally gives the feeling of fina
lity to a piece, moods and textures, har
monic vagueness about the structure
of certain chords, and use of the whol
e-tone scale.
Features of Imressionism

• Most of the impressionist work

s centered on nature and its b
eauty, lightness, and brilliance.
Composers of
Impressionism Movement
 Claude Debussy
• One of the most important and influential o
f the 20th century composers
• the primary exponent of the impressionist
movement and the focal point for other
impressionist composers.
.He changed the course of musical
development by dissolving traditional rules a
nd conventions intoa new language of pos
sibilities in harmony, rhythm, form,texture,
and color.
Claude Debussy
• born in St. Germain-en-Laye in Fra
nce on August 22, 1862.
• His early musical talents were chan
neled into piano lessons.
• He entered the Paris Conservatory
in 1873.
• He gained a reputation as an errati
c pianist and a rebel in theory and
harmony.
 ClaudeDebussy
• He added other systems of musical compositio
n because of his musical training and using
piano was his exceptional skill.
• In 1884, he won the top prize at the Prix de Ro
me competition with his composition L’ Enfant
Prodigue (The Prodigal Son).This enabled hi
m to study for two years in Rome, where
he got exposed to the music of Richard
Wagner, specifically his opera Tristan an
d Isolde, although he did not share the lat
ter’s grandiose style.
Debussy’s mature creative
period was represented by
the following works:
 Ariettes Oubliees
 Prelude to the Afternoon of a F
aun
 String Quartet
 Pelleas et Melisande (1895)—hi
s famous operatic work that dre
w mixed extreme reactions for its
innovative harmonies and textur
al treatments.
 La Mer (1905)—a highly imaginativ
e and atmospheric symphonic work
for orchestra about the sea
Images, Suite Bergamasque, and E
stampes—his most popular piano co
mpositions; a set of lightly textured
pieces containing his signature work
Claire de Lune (Moonlight)
His musical compositions total more or les
s 227 which include orchestral music, cha
mber music, piano music, operas, ballets,
songs, and other vocal music.
The creative style of Debussy was charact
erized by his unique approach to the vario
us musical elements. Debussy’s compositi
ons deviated from the Romantic Period an
d is clearly seen by the way he avoided m
etric pulses and preferred free form and de
veloped his themes.
 Joseph Maurice Ravel (1875-
1937)
- born in Ciboure,France to a Basque
mother and a Swiss father.
- He entered the Paris Conservatory
at the age of 14 where he studied with
the eminent French composer Gabriel
Faure. During his stint with the school
where he stayed until his early 20’s, he
had composed a number of
Bolero
Joseph Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
• The compositional style of Ravel is mai
nly characterized by its uniquely innov
ative but not atonal style of harmonic tr
eatment.
.It is defined with intricate and sometim
es modal melodies and extended chord
al components.
.It demands considerable technical virtu
osity from the performer which is the c
haracter, ability, or skill of a virtuoso—
a person who excels in musical techniq
ue or execution.
 Ravel’s works include the following:

 Pavane for a Dead Princess (1899), a s

low but lyrical requiem
 Jeux d’Eau or Water Fountains (1901)
 String Quartet (1903)
 Sonatine for Piano (c.1904)
 Miroirs (Mirrors), 1905, a work for pian
o known for its harmonic evolution an
d imagination,
Ravel’s works include the following:
• Gaspard de la Nuit (1908), a set of demonic-inspired pie
ces based on the poems of Aloysius Bertrand which is a
rguably the most difficult piece in the piano repertoire.
• These were followed by a number of his other significan
t works, including Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (191
1)
• Le Tombeau de Couperin (c.1917), a commemoration o
f the musical advocacies of the early 18th century Frenc
h composer Francois Couperin
• Rhapsodie Espagnole
• Bolero
Ravel’s works include the following:
• Daphnis et Chloe (1912), a ballet commissione
d by master choreographer
• Sergei Diaghilev that contained rhythmic diversi
ty, evocation of nature and choral ensemble
• La Valse (1920), a waltz with a frightening und
ertone that had been composed for ballet and a
rranged as well as for solo and duo piano.
• The two piano concerti composed in 1929 as w
ell as the violin virtuosic piece Tzigane (1922) t
otal the relatively meager compositional output
of Ravel, approximating 60 pieces for piano, ch
amber music, song cycles,ballet, and opera.
Comparative Styles of Debussy and Ravel
• As the two major exponents of French Impressi
onism in music, Debussy and Ravel had crosse
d paths during their lifetime although Debussy
was thirteen years older than Ravel.While their
musical works sound quite similar in terms of th
eir harmonic and textural characteristics, the tw
o differed greatly in their personalities and appr
oach to music. Whereas Debussy was more sp
ontaneous and liberal in form, Ravel was very
attentive to the classical norms of musical struc
ture and the compositional craftsmanship. Whe
reas Debussy was more casual in his portrayal
of visual imagery, Ravel was more formal and e
xacting in the development of his motive ideas.
 ARNOLD SCHOENBERG
(1874–1951)
• born in a working-class suburb of Vien
na, Austria on September 13, 1874. H
e taught himself music theory, but too
k lessons in counterpoint.
• German composer Richard Wagner in
fluenced his work as evidenced by his
symphonic poem Pelleas et Melisande,
Op 5 (1903), a counterpoint of Debus
sy’s opera of the same title.
Schoenberg’s style was constantly underg
oing development. From the early influence
s of Wagner,his tonal preference gradually
turned to the dissonant and atonal, as he e
xplored the use of chromatic harmonies.Alt
hough full of melodic and lyrical interest, hi
s music is also extremely complex, creatin
g heavy demands on the listener. His work
s were met with extreme reactions, either s
trong hostility from the general public or ent
husiastic acclaim from his supporters.
Violin Concerto
His works include the following:
• Verklarte Nacht, Three Pieces for Piano,
op. 11
• Pierrot Lunaire,
• Gurreleider
• Verklarte Nacht (Transfigured Night, 189
9), one of his earliest successful pieces, b
lends the lyricism, instrumentation, andm
elodic beauty of Brahms with the chromat
icism and construction of Wagner
Hismusical compositions totalmor
e or less 213 which include concer
ti, orchestral music, piano music, o
peras, choral music, songs, and ot
her instrumental music. Schoenbe
rg died on July 13, 1951 in LosAn
geles, California, USAwhere he ha
d settled since 1934.
 IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882–1971)
• born in Oranienbaum(now Lomonosov), Russi
a on June17, 1882. Stravinsky’s early music re
flected the influence of his teacher, the Russia
n composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
.But in his first successful masterpiece, The Fire
bird Suite (1910), composed for Diaghilev’s Ru
ssian Ballet, his skillful handling of material an
d rhythmic inventiveness went beyond anythin
g composed by his Russian predecessors.
Firebird Suite
 His Famous Works are:

• The Firebird Suite (1910) - is about

the story of Prince Ivan who works
with the mystical Firebird to defeat a
sorcerer and rescue and captured a
princess of whom he marries.
• The Rite of Spring (1913)
- is a also called the great
sacrifice. It is about how
pagans celebrated the
advent of springs where a
virgin girl is being chosen as
a sacrifice and dances
herself to death
• Petrouchka(1911), featuring shifting
rhythms and polytonality, a signature
device of the composer.
The Rake’s Progress (1951)
Stravinsky’s musical output
approximates 127 works,
including concerti, orchestral
music, instrumental music,
operas, ballets, solo vocal, and
choral music. He died in New
York City on April 6, 1971.
OTHER MUSICAL STYLES
 Primitivism
• is tonal through the asserting of one not
e as more important than the others.
• New sounds are synthesized from old o
nes by juxtaposing two simple events to
create a more complex new event.
• Two well-known proponents of this style
were Stravinsky and Bela Bartok. It eve
ntually evolved into Neo-classicism.
Composers of Primitivism
 BELA BARTOK (1881–1945)

• born in Nagyszentmiklos, Hungary

(nowRomania) onMarch 25, 1881,t
o musical parents.
• He started piano lessons with his m
other and later entered Budapest R
oyalAcademy of Music in 1899.
BELA BARTOK (1881–1945)

• his first nationalistic poem, Kossut

h in 1903.
• In 1906, his first collection of 20 H
ungarian folk songs was published.
• He was concert pianist as he trave
lled exploring the music of Hungari
an peasants.
 BELA BARTOK (1881–1945)

• most famous for his Six String Qua

rtets (1908–1938)
• His musical compositions total mor
e or less 695
• In 1940, the political developments
in Hungary led Bartok to migrate to
the United States, where he died o
n September 26, 1945 in New Yor
k City, USA.
 His works include :
• Concerto for Orchestra (1943), a five-
movement work composed late in Bar
tok’s life, features the exceptional tale
nts of its various soloists in an intricat
ely constructed piece
.Allegro Barbaro (1911) for solo piano i
s punctuated with swirling rhythms an
d percussive chords
 His works include :

• Mikrokosmos (1926–1939), a set

of six books containing progressiv
e technical piano pieces
• Duet for Pipes
 Neo-Classicism

• a moderating factor between the em

otional excesses of the Romantic per
iod and the violent impulses of the so
ul in expressionism.
• The neo-classicist style was also use
d by composers such as Francis Pou
lenc, Bela Bartok,Igor Stravinsky, Pa
ul Hindemith, and Sergei Prokofieff.
 SERGEI PROKOFIEFF (1891–1953)
• is regarded today as a combinatio
n of neo-classicist, nationalist, and
avant garde composer. His style i
s uniquely recognizable for its pro
gressive technique,pulsating rhyth
ms, melodic directness, and a res
olving dissonance.
 SERGEI PROKOFIEFF (1891–1953)

• Born in the Ukraine in 1891,

Prokofieff set out for the St.
• Petersburg Conservatory equipped
with his great talent as a
• composer and pianist. His early
compositions were branded
• as avant garde and were not
approved of by his elders
 His works includes;
• notably the ballet Romeo Juliet
• the opera War and Peace.
• Peter and the Wolf - a light hearte
d orchestral work intended for chil
dren
• Symphony no. 1 (also called Clas
sical Symphony)
• CONCERTO IN C MAJOR, OP. 26,
NO. 3
FRANCIS POULENC (1899–1963)
• One of the relatively few composers
born into wealth and a privileged soc
ial position
• was amember of the group of young
French composers known as “Les Si
x.”
• a successful composer for piano, voi
ce, and choral music.
 His works are:
• harpsichord concerto, known as Concert
Champetre (1928)
• the Concerto for Two Pianos (1932)
• Concerto for Solo Piano (1949) written for
the Boston SymphonyOrchestra.
• Les Mamelles de Tiresias (1944)
• Dialogues des Carmelites (1956),
• La Voix Humane (1958)
Poulenc’s choral works
• Poulenc’s vocal output
• Stabat Mater (1950)
 Other members of “Les Six”
• Georges Auric (1899–1983) wr
ote music for the movies and r
hythmic music with lots of ene
rgy.
• Louis Durey (1888–1979) used
traditional ways of composing
and wrote in his own, personal
way, not wanting to follow form.
 Other members of “Les Six”
• Arthur Honegger (1882–195
5)- liked chamber music and th
e symphony. His popular piece
Pacific 231 describes a train jo
urney on the Canadian Pacific
Railway.
Other members of “Les Six”

• Darius Milhaud (1892–1974) was

a very talented composer who wrot
e in several different styles.
.Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983)
was the only female in the group.
 Avant Garde Music
• closely associated with electronic mus
ic
• dealt with the parameters or the dime
nsions of sound in space
• exhibited a new attitude toward music
al mobility, whereby the order of note
groups could be varied so that musica
l continuity could be altered.
GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898–1937)
• was born in NewYork to Russian Je
wish immigrants.
• His first song was written in 1916 an
d his first Broadway musical La La L
ucille in 1919
• His older brother Ira was his artistic c
ollaborator who wrote the lyrics of hi
s songs
• He died in Hollywood, California, U.S.
A. on July 11, 1937.
“Father of American Jazz”
His famous works were:
• Rhapsody in Blue (1924)
• An American in Paris (1928)
• Porgy and Bess (1934)
• His musical compositions total
around 369
LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918–1990)
• Born in Massachussetts,USA
• his philosophy was that the univer
sal language of music is basically
rooted in tonality.
• He achieved pre-eminence in two
fields: conducting and composing
for Broadwaymusicals,dance sho
ws, and concert music.
LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918–1990)

• As a lecturer, Bernstein is fondly r

emembered for his television seri
es “Young People’s Concerts” (19
58–1973)
 His famous compositions were:
• Tonight from the movie West Side St
ory (1957), an American version of R
omeo and Juliet (a tragic story), whic
h displays a tuneful, off-beat, and hig
hly atonal approach to the songs.
• Candide (1956)
His famous compositions were:
• Mass (1971), which he wrote for t
he opening of the John F. Kenned
y Center for the Performing Arts i
nWashington, D.C.
• He composed the music for the fil
m On the Waterfront (1954)
• His musical compositions total aro
und 90
 PHILIP GLASS
• One of the most commercially success
ful minimalist composer who is also an
avant garde composer.
• He explored the territories of ballet, op
era, theater, film, and even television ji
ngles.
• Born in NewYork, USAof Jewish parent
age
• he became inspired by the music of the
renowned Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar
 His famous works were:
• Music in Similar Motion (1969)
• Music in Changing Parts (1970)
• Einstein on the Beach (1976)
• Satyagraha (1980) and Akhnaten (19
84) -based on the lives of Mahatma G
andhi, Leo Tolstoy, Martin Luther Kin
g, and an Egyptian pharaoh
Modern Nationalism
 A looser form of 20th century musi
c development focused on nationalist
composers and musical innovators wh
o sought to combine modern techniqu
es with folk materials. However, this c
ommon ground stopped there, for the
different breeds of nationalists formed
their own styles of writing.
 “Russian Five”
• Modest Mussorgsky, Mili
Balakirev, Alexander Borodin,
Cesar Cui, and Nikolai Rimsky
Korsakov—infused chromatic
harmony and incorporated Russian
folk music and liturgical
chant in their thematic materials.
Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov
21ST CENTURY MUSIC TRENDS
Music scholars predict that the innovative and
experimental developments of 20th
century classical music will continue to influence
the music of the 21st century.
With so many technical and stylistic choices
open to today’s composers, it seems there is
no obstacle to their creativity and to the limits of
their imagination. And yet, this same
freedom that has allowed such varied musical
experimentation in recent years has also
caused contemporary classical music—or music
utilizing the classical techniques of
composition—to lose touch with its audience
and to lose its clear role in today’s society.
SUMMARY:
> Impressionism -made use of the whole-t
one scale. It also applied suggested, rather
thandepicted, reality. It created a mood rath
er than a definite picture. It had a translucen
t andhazy texture; lacking a dominant-tonic
relationship. It made use of overlapping cho
rds,with 4th, 5th, octaves, and 9th intervals,
resulting in a non-traditional harmonic order
and resolution.
Expressionism - revealed the comp
oser’s mind, instead of presenting a
n impression of
the environment. It used atonality a
nd the twelve-tone scale, lacking st
able and conventional harmonies. It
served as a medium for expressing
strong emotions, such as anxiety, r
age, and alienation.
Neo-classicism - was a parti
al return to a classical form of
writing music with carefully
modulated dissonances. It m
ade use of a freer seven-note
diatonic scale.
Avant garde - style was associated
with electronic music and dealt wit
h the parameters or dimensions of
sound in space. It made use of vari
ations of self-contained note group
s to change musical continuity, and
improvisation, with an absence of t
raditional rules on
harmony, melody, and rhythm.
Modern nationalism - is a looser
form of 20th century music devel
opment focused on nationalist c
omposers and musical innovator
s who sought to combine moder
n techniques
with folk materials.
NEW MUSICAL
STYLES
Electronic Music
Concrete Music (Musique
Concrete)
- music that uses the tape
recorder.The composer
arranged the different
sounds that cannot be
produced by regular musical
instruments.
Edgard Varese
- was born on December 22, 1883.
He was considered and “innovative
French-born composer”. His
musical compositions are
characterized by an emphasis on
timbre and rhythm. He invented the
term “ organized sound. He was
the “Father of Electronic Music”.
His works:
1.Hyperprism for wind and percussion
2.Octandre for seven wind
instruments and double bass
3.Integrales for wind and percussion
4.Ionisation for 13 percussion players
5. Poeme Electronique
KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN
- born in Cologne Germany.
His music was initially met
with resistance
Due to its heavily atonal
content with no clear melodic
or rhythmic sense.
His works:
1.Gruppen
2.Kontakte
3.Hymnen
4.Licht (Light)
5.Helicopetr string Quartet
6. Etude
7. Electronic Studies I & II
8. Gerang der Junglinge
9. Momente
Chance Music
- refers to a style in
which the piece sounds
different at every
performance because of
the random techniques
Of production.
John Cage
- was known as one of the
20th century composers with
the widest array of sounds in
his works. He was born on
September 5, 1912 at LA
California USA.
His works:
1.4’ 33” (For Minutes and
Thirty Three Seconds)
2.Metamorphosis for Piano
3.Five songs for Contralto
soloist and piano
4.Music for wind instruments