Podcast
Questions and Answers
During the Twentieth Century, WWI decimates Europe, and music transforms from expressing anger to being a tool for expressing ______.
During the Twentieth Century, WWI decimates Europe, and music transforms from expressing anger to being a tool for expressing ______.
grief
The invention of the ______ revolutionized music recording during the Twentieth Century.
The invention of the ______ revolutionized music recording during the Twentieth Century.
microphone
Composers like Shostakovich and Schoenberg faced ______ during the rise of nationalism in the Twentieth Century.
Composers like Shostakovich and Schoenberg faced ______ during the rise of nationalism in the Twentieth Century.
persecution
Post WWII, composers began combining Tudor music with ______ for a sense of escapism.
Post WWII, composers began combining Tudor music with ______ for a sense of escapism.
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Film music and musicals emerged during the Twentieth Century, with jazz influences creeping into ______ music.
Film music and musicals emerged during the Twentieth Century, with jazz influences creeping into ______ music.
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Richard Wagner was a leading figure in making Romantic music more __________.
Richard Wagner was a leading figure in making Romantic music more __________.
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Igor Stravinsky focused on elements such as rhythm and __________ in his compositions.
Igor Stravinsky focused on elements such as rhythm and __________ in his compositions.
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The premiere of The Rite of Spring in 1913 caused a __________ due to its controversial choreography.
The premiere of The Rite of Spring in 1913 caused a __________ due to its controversial choreography.
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Arnold Schoenberg composed in a freely __________ style, moving away from traditional harmony.
Arnold Schoenberg composed in a freely __________ style, moving away from traditional harmony.
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Stravinsky's style can be described as __________, focusing on expanding the uses of dissonance.
Stravinsky's style can be described as __________, focusing on expanding the uses of dissonance.
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Study Notes
Twentieth Century Musical Timeline
- WWI significantly impacted European music, shifting from emotional extremes to expressions of grief and escapism (vaudeville, music hall, cabaret)
- Composers explored ways to remove emotional impact from music via mathematical combinations (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern), leading to a clearer texture
- Opera moved towards narratives and themes disconnected from contemporary turmoil (e.g., biblical stories, legends, mythology)
- Innovation of recording technology, along with the rise of jazz, broadened harmonic possibilities and freedom of expression in Western music
- Nationalistic sentiments returned, and composers faced persecution (Shostakovich, Schoenberg)
- WWII further impacted music, lowering its overall emotional level, with musical expressions shifting towards national unity and propaganda
- Post-war music emphasized healing, nature, pastoralism, and English choral music (e.g., Vaughan Williams)
- Composers began to experiment with twelve-tone music (Hindemith, Bartok, Prokofiev) and explored music analysis focused on sound and techniques over performance
- Film music developed, and neoclassical music rose in popularity
Maximalism
- Coined by Richard Taruskin, describing modernism (1890-1914)
- Characterised by a pursuit of "more is more" in music, contrasting with minimalism's "less is more"
- Key Attributes:
- Lengthy compositions
- Large ensembles
- Complex harmonic language
Impressionism
- Reacting against the late Romantic German style
- Focus on capturing fleeting impressions and evoking moods and feelings
- Characteristics:
- Use of the sustain pedal on the piano
- Use of rubato
- Extended chords
- Unexpected modulations
- Mostly functional harmony with some chromaticism
- Exotic scales (whole tone, augmented 4ths, modal)
- Quartal harmony
- Parallel harmony
- Cross rhythms
- Pedal notes/drones
- Wide piano range
- Rolled chords (like strumming a guitar or arpeggios)
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Description
Explore the evolution of music from WWI to WWII and beyond in this quiz. Discover how historical events influenced composers and musical styles, from emotional expressions to innovations in recording technology. Test your knowledge on the significant shifts in Western music during the twentieth century.
