20th Century Music: Impressionism

Study Notes

20th Century Music Overview

Impressionism emphasizes suggestion and atmosphere over detailed descriptions.
Originated from art, inspired by Claude Monet's "Impression, Sunrise."

Impressionism in Music

Timbre is the most prominent element, focusing on sound quality through harmonization, texture, and orchestration.
Harmony features unique chord combinations; melody often lacks distinct major or minor tonality.
Titles are evocative, designed to evoke strong imagery; rhythms are vague and free.
Notable works include Debussy's "La Mer" and "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun," along with Ravel's "Bolero."

Whole Tone Scale

Invented by Claude Debussy, consisting entirely of whole steps to stimulate imagination.

Key Composers

Claude Debussy: A leading figure in Impressionism; favored distinctive, modern, and sensual compositions.
- Born: August 22, 1862; began piano at age 7 and attended Paris Conservatory.
- Won the Prix de Rome at age 22; died March 25, 1918.
Maurice Ravel: Inspired by Liszt and Chopin, incorporated jazz elements; renowned for lavish orchestration.
- Born: March 7, 1875; uniquely innovative while attending the Paris Conservatory.
- Notable works include "Bolero" and "Daphnis et Chloe"; suffered from health issues later in life.

Expressionism

Originated in Germany, this movement focused on the horrors of war and poverty as social protest.
Art used striking colors and distorted shapes to express intense emotions like anxiety and isolation.

Characteristics of Expressionist Music

Emotional, exaggerated, and dissonant; often atonal with fragmented, episodic structures.
Emphasis on polytonality, utilizing multiple keys simultaneously.

Arnold Schoenberg

Born in Vienna; self-taught musician who advocated for Expressionism and developed the Twelve-tone scale.
Pioneered Serialism, where a series of notes guides musical composition using all 12 chromatic notes.

Electronic and Chance Music

Evolving through innovation, electronic music employs technology and electronic instruments.
Musiques Concrète: An avant-garde movement using recorded environmental sounds played through amplifiers.

Electronic Music Technologies

Synthesizers and computers are essential for creating electronic music, imitating traditional instruments or crafting new sounds.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI): Developed to standardize communication between instruments and computers.

Theremin

Invented in 1920 by Russian physicist Leon Theremin; an electronic instrument that produces sound through oscillations.

Edgar Varese

French-born composer known for coining "organized sound" and advocating for musique concrète.

Chance Music

Also known as aleatory music, this concept allows elements of music composition to be determined by chance, reflecting unpredictability.

Description

Explore the unique characteristics of Impressionism in 20th Century music. This quiz covers the mood, emotions, and musical elements that define this fascinating movement, originating from visual art. Test your knowledge of harmony, melody, and timbre within this genre.