Understanding the

Music of the 20 th

Century
MUSIC : LESSON 1

Josephine F. Castil
TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES OF ASSIGNMENT
THE TOPIC

02 04
Expressionism Chance Music
01 03
Electronic Music
Impressionism
 MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY
Impressionism 1870-1920
LESSON 1:UNDERSTANDING THE

It began in the 19th century. •Style of music and of painting that avoids definite forms or
obvious statements. •Highlighting suggestion and atmosphere.

•It was seen in music, paintings and literature. •Impressionist composers’ works express
reaction to experience rather than the reality itself. •Impressionist composers’ were
motivated to search for exciting and different modes of expansion.

•They added the piano to the orchestral instruments in creating musical compositions.
•Piano was believed to be capable of expressing the Impressionistic style in a composition.

•Impressionism music describes many new styles in composition. •Composers found a new
world of richness in rhythms, scales and colors that showed contrasting styles with Western
traditional forms.
 Musical Styles of
LESSON 1:UNDERSTANDING THE
MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Impressionism B. Parallel of Gliding

Chords
•This is the interval between the lowest and the highest
notes forming a chord.

•Forming of Notes depend on the preferred intervals of

the composers

A. Whole Tone Scale

•A pattern constructed entirely of whole tone intervals.

•Not only formed from the black and white keys of the C. Dissonance
piano but a combination of both.

•The scale does not have the interval of the 7th tone to
the 8th
 Claude
LESSON 1:UNDERSTANDING THE
MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Debussy (1862-
1918)
•He is a French composer. •Born on August 22, 1862 •He
Impressionistic entered the Paris Conservatory at 11. •He has unique use of
Composers harmonies which defied the sacred rules of music theory.

•He introduced new chord combinations •Whole-tone

chords •Parallel and bitonal chords •Chromaticism
•Dissonances •Interesting rhythms and scales

•He was commended by his professors as a music genius of

his period.

•His compositions: Suite Bergamasque •Clair de Lune

•Pelleas et Melisande •Jeux •La Mer •The Prodigal Son
•Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
 Maurice Ravel
LESSON 1:UNDERSTANDING THE
MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY

1875-1937)

•He is a French post-Impressionist composer, conductor and

Impressionistic pianist •He is known for his styles and compositions •He came
from a family of artists.
Composers
•He received every inspiration from his father when his talent
for music became obvious at an early age •He entered the
Paris Conservatory at the age of 14.

•His musical styles: •Rhythms are more incisive •Melody are

broader in span and used added notes and unresolved
appogiaturas. •Harmonies are more dissonant •Orchestration
are influenced from the 19th century composer

•His Famous works: Daphnis et Chloe •Rapsodie Espagnole

•Bolero
 The term Expressionism was originally borrowed from visual art and literature. Artists
created vivid pictures, distorting colours and shapes to make unrealistic images that
suggested strong emotions. Expressionist composers poured intense emotional
expression into their music and explored the subconscious mind..

Expressionist music often features a high

level of dissonance, extreme contrasts of
EXPRESSIONISM IN MUSIC

dynamics, constant changing of textures,

"distorted" melodies and harmonies, and
angular melodies with wide leaps (Anon.
2014).

“ The Scream”

Edward Munch
 He is the most important Expressionist
composer. Most radically innovative composers
LESSON 1:UNDERSTANDING THE
MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY
of the century . He evolved a completely new
approach to musical harmony, which has had a
profound influence on all music written up to the
present day. He took violin lessons as a child. He
began composing around eight years old. His
early works continue in the Romantic tradition
(The works composed before he was 25).

His music in the late 19th

• Arnold Schoenberg was one of the most influential century and the early 20th
figures in music and founder of musical modernism of century was of profound
the early 20th century. He created a new method in importance, for he developed
composition using the twelve-tone system. He was a
the highly celebrated twelve-
self-taught musician, who was born in Vienna, Austria
on September 13, 1874. tone technique. He was also
known to be the master of
developing variation
construction principle.
 ELECTRONIC
MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY
LESSON 1:UNDERSTANDING THE

MUSIC
•NEW MUSIC STYLES AND TECHNIQUES WERE DEVELOPED.
•MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND GADGETS PLAYED SIGNIFICANT
IMPACT •BROAD CATEGORY OF MODERN MUSIC.

•USE DIGITAL INSTRUMENTS. •ELECTRONIC MUSICAL

INSTRUMENTS •CIRCUITRY BASED MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

•SOUNDS FROM ELECTRONIC MUSIC WERE ATTAINED USING

DEVICES SUCH AS: •COMPUTERS •SYNTHESIZERS •1960’S BUT IT
ONLY BECAME POPULAR IN THE MID 1970’S.
LESSON 1:UNDERSTANDING THE
MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY
3 STAGES OF THE
DEVELOPMENT
OF ELECTRONIC
MUSIC 2. SYNTHESIZERS

1. MAGNETIC
TAPE
3. ELECTRONIC
RECORDING
COMPUTER
 MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY
LESSON 1:UNDERSTANDING THE

MAGNETIC TAPE RECORDING

•MADE OF NATURAL SOUNDS AND SOUND EFFECTS

•RECORDED AND ALTERED BY CHANGING THE SPEED OF THE RECORDS
•CUTTING AND SPLITTING OF SOUNDS WERE ENABLED THROUGH THIS GENERATION.

SYNTHESIZERS

•DEVICE FOR COMBINING SOUND GENERATORS AND SOUND MODIFIERS IN ONE PACKAGE.
 CHANCE
MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY
LESSON 1:UNDERSTANDING THE

MUSIC
Chance music refers to a style wherein the piece always sounds different
at every performance because of the random techniques of production,
including the use of ring modulators or natural elements that become a
part of the music. Most of the sounds emanate from the surroundings,
both natural and man-made, such as honking cars, rustling leaves,
blowing wind, dripping water, or a ringing phone. As such, the
combination of external sounds cannot be duplicated as each happens by
chance.
CREDITS

THANKS!
Does anyone have any questions?

jcastil@stefti.edu.ph

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