20th-Century Composers Flashcards

Study Notes

Igor Stravinsky

Composer of "The Rite of Spring," noted for its incorporation of Russian folk melodies and innovative techniques like percussive dissonance and ostinato.
Known for neoclassicism, blending elements from past music to reshape classical composition.
Collaborated with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballet Russes, with "Parade" marking his first commissioned ballet.

Arnold Schoenberg

Pioneered dodecaphony or the twelve-tone system, ensuring equal treatment of all chromatic scale parts.
Early works, like "Transfigured Night," were influenced by Wagner and Strauss, shifting to expressionism with "Pierrot lunaire."
Fled to Los Angeles in 1933 from Nazi persecution; completed works like "A Survivor from Warsaw" and unfinished opera "Moses und Aron."

Benjamin Britten

Revitalized opera in the U.K. with "Peter Grimes," a tale of a fisherman and his apprentices.
Gained recognition with "Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge" and created incidental music for W.H. Auden.
Co-founded Aldeburgh Festival of Music; notable operas include "Billy Budd," "The Turn of the Screw," and "Death in Venice."
Composed significant non-operatic works, including "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" and "War Requiem."

Aaron Copland

First American student of Nadia Boulanger; transformed from modernism to simpler themes reflective of the American West.
Notable ballets include "Billy the Kid," "Rodeo," and "Appalachian Spring," which features the hymn "Simple Gifts."
Composed "Fanfare for the Common Man" within his Third Symphony and created "Lincoln Portrait," combining music with speeches of Abraham Lincoln.
Authored educational texts on music, starting with "What to Listen For in Music."

Sergei Prokofiev

Noteworthy for seven symphonies, with "Classical Symphony" (1917) being the most recognized.
Premiered "The Love for Three Oranges" in Chicago; composed for Diaghilev and Ballets Russes while in Paris.
Returned to the USSR in 1936; created "Peter and the Wolf" and scored "Alexander Nevsky."
Faced criticism from Stalin, leading to required tributes; Prokofiev and Stalin both died on March 5, 1953.

Dmitri Shostakovich

His music reflects the tumult of the Soviet regime and personal survival amidst oppression.
Early operas like "The Nose" and "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" garnered praise before facing Stalin's harsh critique in Pravda.
Wrote conciliatory works, including the Fifth and Seventh Symphonies, to appease the regime.
"Thirteenth Symphony," based on Yevtushenko's poem "Babi Yar," denounces anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany and the USSR.

Bela Bartok

Inspired to collect Hungarian folk songs, greatly influencing his compositions.
Significant works include the opera "Duke Bluebeard's Castle" and ballets "The Wooden Prince" and "The Miraculous Mandarin."
Renowned as a virtuoso pianist, he faced financial difficulties after relocating to the U.S. from Nazi-occupied Hungary in 1940.
Best known for six string quartets, "Mikrokosmos," and "Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta."

Description

Explore the key figures of 20th-century music with these flashcards. Learn about Igor Stravinsky and his revolutionary compositions, including 'The Rite of Spring'. Delve into the characteristics of modern classical music and its evolution from neoclassicism.