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Questions and Answers
What challenge did composers in the early twentieth century face?
What challenge did composers in the early twentieth century face?
Creating works worthy of performance alongside the classics of the past.
Which of the following were general goals of 20th century composers? (Select all that apply)
Which of the following were general goals of 20th century composers? (Select all that apply)
- The criteria were broad enough to apply to a large number of composers. (correct)
- The music had to have lasting value that rewarded performers and listeners through multiple hearings and study. (correct)
- The music should appeal to casual listeners.
- The music had to be of high quality in the tradition of serious art music. (correct)
What did younger composers seek?
What did younger composers seek?
A more radical break from the past.
What were composers of the 20th century who challenged convention known as?
What were composers of the 20th century who challenged convention known as?
Modernists aimed to please listeners on first hearing.
Modernists aimed to please listeners on first hearing.
What did modernists challenge?
What did modernists challenge?
What did modernists criticize?
What did modernists criticize?
What did Arnold Schoenberg move the German classical tradition toward?
What did Arnold Schoenberg move the German classical tradition toward?
What is atonality?
What is atonality?
What method did Schoenberg develop for the systematic ordering of notes?
What method did Schoenberg develop for the systematic ordering of notes?
Where was Schoenberg born?
Where was Schoenberg born?
What significant relationship did Schoenberg have early in his career?
What significant relationship did Schoenberg have early in his career?
What was significant about Schoenberg's return to Vienna in 1904?
What was significant about Schoenberg's return to Vienna in 1904?
Which famous composer supported Schoenberg?
Which famous composer supported Schoenberg?
What did Schoenberg focus on in his later years?
What did Schoenberg focus on in his later years?
What are Schoenberg's earliest works categorized as?
What are Schoenberg's earliest works categorized as?
Name one of Schoenberg's early tonal works.
Name one of Schoenberg's early tonal works.
Which compositional principle did Schoenberg apply to his own works?
Which compositional principle did Schoenberg apply to his own works?
What does Schoenberg's String Quartet No. 1 exemplify?
What does Schoenberg's String Quartet No. 1 exemplify?
What was Schoenberg's guiding principle?
What was Schoenberg's guiding principle?
When did Schoenberg begin composing atonal music?
When did Schoenberg begin composing atonal music?
How did Schoenberg feel about prolonged dissonances in recent music?
How did Schoenberg feel about prolonged dissonances in recent music?
What is 'the emancipation of the dissonance'?
What is 'the emancipation of the dissonance'?
What methods did Schoenberg use to create unity without tonality?
What methods did Schoenberg use to create unity without tonality?
How did Schoenberg keep his music connected to tradition?
How did Schoenberg keep his music connected to tradition?
What is 'Saget mir, auf welchem Pfade'?
What is 'Saget mir, auf welchem Pfade'?
Which features link 'Saget mir, auf welchem Pfade' to the Germanic tradition? (Select all that apply)
Which features link 'Saget mir, auf welchem Pfade' to the Germanic tradition? (Select all that apply)
What is a pitch-class?
What is a pitch-class?
What is a set in musical terms?
What is a set in musical terms?
Define chromatic saturation.
Define chromatic saturation.
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Study Notes
Early 20th Century Composition
- Composers aimed to create works that stood alongside classical masterpieces.
- Music was expected to maintain high quality and have lasting artistic value.
Younger Composers and Modernism
- Younger composers sought radical departures from past traditions, identifying as modernists.
- Modernists did not cater to immediate audience preferences and aimed to challenge perceptions.
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
- A pivotal figure in moving German classical music towards atonality; developed the twelve-tone technique.
- Born in Vienna to a Jewish family, Schoenberg was largely self-taught and later accepted by notable figures like Richard Strauss.
Schoenberg's Career Progression
- Upon returning to Vienna in 1904, he taught influential students including Berg and Webern and created significant relationships with expressionist artists.
- Resided in France after reverting to Judaism; moved to the U.S. in 1934 and taught at UCLA until retirement in 1944.
Early Compositions
- Early tonal works in a late Romantic style included:
- Verklärte Nacht (1899)
- Pelleas und Melisande (1902-03)
- Gurrelieder (1900-01, orchestrated 1911)
Innovation in Composition
- Schoenberg employed the principle of developing variation in works like the String Quartet No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 7, blending traditional themes with modern techniques.
- His principal of nonrepetition across works was central to his style.
Transition to Atonality
- Began composing atonal music in 1908, expressing a belief that prolonged dissonances had weakened tonality's foundation.
- Advocated for "the emancipation of the dissonance," allowing dissonant chords to exist without resolution.
Methods of Unity in Atonality
- Employed three main strategies to create unity in music void of tonality:
- Developing variation
- Integrating harmony with melody
- Implementing chromatic saturation
Retaining Tradition
- Despite embracing modernism, Schoenberg incorporated gestures from tonal music to maintain a connection to prior traditions.
Notable Works
- Saget mir, auf welchem Pfade (1908-09) displays Schoenberg's first entirely atonal composition based on Stefan George's symbolist poetry.
- In this piece, elements of the Germanic tradition remain, such as structured scoring for piano and voice, melodic phrasing, and dynamic manipulations.
Key Terminology
- Pitch-class: The note's position in the chromatic scale and its enharmonic variations.
- Set: A collection of pitches that can be manipulated through transposition and inversion.
- Chromatic saturation: Utilization of all twelve pitch classes in composition.
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