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Impressionism to Modernism. A synopsis of music history. Impressionism: An overview. Composers tried to create a dreamlike quaility that mimicked the art of the era Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh were two important Impressionistic painters
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Impressionism to Modernism A synopsis of music history
Impressionism: An overview • Composers tried to create a dreamlike quaility that mimicked the art of the era • Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh were two important Impressionistic painters • Art tended to appear unfocused up close, but gained focus as you moved away, so music also could appear unfocused at first listen • Music used musical elements to evoke a particular mood or image in the mind of the listener, much like a painting
Musical Characteristics • Atonal- Lacking a tonal center or key • Whole Tone- A musical interval of two semitones (half step) • Modes- Similar to the old church modes • Lydian-C D E F G A B C • Dorian-D E F G A B C D • Phrygian C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C
Claude Debussy • 1862-1918, French • Studied at the Paris Conservatory and in Rome, but influences ranged from Wagner to Javanese music • Used to Phrygian mode along with other lesser known modes • Main works were orchestral pieces, piano sets, and songs • Associated his later music with visual impressions of the East, Spain, landscapes etc, in a sequence of sets of short pieces. • Died of cancer
Maurice Ravel • 1876-1937 • Studied at the Paris Conservatory • Failed to win the Prix de Rome 5 times and left to work as a freelance musician • Fascinated with creating music that evoked a far away place or idea • Wrote everything from piano pieces to ballet to opera • His last major effort was a pair of piano concertos, one joyful and urban, one(for left hand only) more dark and solid.
Modern Music • A bit more atonal than Impressionistic music • Development to the 12-tone music • 12-tone music: all 12 notes of the chromatic scale is used in a particular, reoccurring order
Anton Schoenburg • 1874-1951 • Born in Vienna, Austria but moved to L.A. • Played and composed from a young age, but didn’t have formal training until his teens • Developed the “Serial” method of 12-tone music • Serial Method: A mathematical formal comprised of tone rows that dictated the form in which the notes were composed • Also developed Sprechgesang, or singing-speech • Once in America, returned to more of a tonal sound • Taught a UCLA
Anton Webern • 1883-1945 • Austrian • Studied composition under Schoenburg • Made a career as a conductor • Was obsessed with 12-tone music and once learned, never composed any other way again • Was accidentally shot by a soldier at the end of WWII • Left only about 3 hours worth of music
Bela Bartok • 1881-1945 • Hungarian, moved to New York • Attended Budapest Academy and studied under a former student of Franz Liszt • Transcribed a lot of Hungarian folk songs • Made a career as a pianist • Influenced by Debussy and Schoenburg • Wrote his final work, Piano Concerto no. 3 to provide his widow with income when he died
Igor Stravinsky • 1882-1971 • Russian • Parents wanted him to be a lawyer • Moved to New York, then L.A. • Lived near Schoenberg • Dabbled in 12-tone serialism • Wrote modern symphonies in a neo-classical manner • Music sometimes caused rioting, as in “Rite of Spring” and his version of “The Star Spangles Banner”
