General Characteristics of 20th Century Music

1
General Characteristics of 20th Century Music

• Tonality dissolves
• Melodies erratic, wide leaps, irregular rhythms
  and unexpected notes
• Rhythmic freedom
• Length is unpredictable
• Tone and colour experimentation

2
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)Le Sacre du Printemps
(The Rite of Spring), Opening Section

• Ballet
• Primitivism
• Driving rhythms
• Clashing dissonances
• Experimental
• Reception

3
Arnold SchoenbergMadonna from Pierrot Lunaire
(1912)

• Expressionism
• Set of 21 poems by Albert Giraud
• Abandons tonality
• Sprechstimme
• Atonal

4
Arnold SchoenbergTheme and Sixth Variation from
Variations for Orchestra, Op. 31 (1928)

• Twelve tone technique
• Classical forms
• Retrograde, Inversion and Retrograde-Inversion
• Pre-cursor to total serialism

5
Webern, Third Movement from Five Movements for
String Quartet

• Designs are concentrated ,delicate, and short
• Atonal
• Imitative
• Wide range of articulations

6
Copland, Fanfare for the Common Man

• Patriotism, nationalism
• Open, spacious
• For brass and percussion

7
Boulez, Structures I, Book I, for Two Pianos

• Total serialism
• Pitch, duration, attack and dynamics

8
Alban Berg (1885-1935)Wozzeck, Act III, Scenes
3, 4, and 5

• Atonal
• Borrows structures from the past
• Symmetrical
• Leitmotiv
• Music of extremes

9
Béla Bartók (1881-1945)5th Movt, String Quartet
No. 4

• Arch form
• Five movements
• Clashing chords, whirling melodies, asymmetrical
  rhythms
• Extreme dissonances