This chapter does not present any particular musical works This chapter does not present any particular musical works. It limits its discussion to broad features of the century. In effect, it is a preview of what the students will be studying in the five chapters that follow.

Chapter 30 Music in the Twentieth Century Begins on page 264

The Tremendous and Tumultuous Century Some music expanded elements of earlier music Some music influenced by new sources Some music intellectually oriented Some music revived musical practices of earlier centuries Some music repudiated nineteenth-century music Some music created in new ways The twentieth century was a time of tremendous turmoil and progress. The world was a very different place in 2000 from what it was in 1900. Music reflected the turmoil and diversity of the century. Some of it consisted of a logical extension of nineteenth-century music. Some of it drew upon new sources such as African and Asia. Some represented almost total intellectual control of the sounds. Some revived practices that had been unused for centuries. The concerto grosso and the harpsichord are two examples. Some composers wanted to break cleanly from the music of the nineteenth century. They rejected flowing melodies and rich harmonies. Some tried very different ways of creating music, including music based on chance and electronic sounds.

Twentieth-Century Art Art works needed to represent objects New practices Two dimensional Limited use of elements Psychological Until the twentieth century, paintings and pieces of sculpture needed to look like something – people, trees, bowls of fruit, and so on. But the development of photography changed all that; artists became free of that requirement. Now they could use their imaginations and express their innermost ideas in their art works. Picasso’s “Three Musicians” on page 265 demonstrates the use of flat surfaces with mostly straight lines to create an interesting painting.

Describing Twentieth-Century Music Difficult to summarize because – We are so close to it There is so much music to consider Composers wanted to sound original Composers sometimes changed their styles But the use of “isms” helps Compared to the music of earlier times, twentieth-century music is more difficult to classify. One reason is that we are very close to it. Historical periods become clearer as decades and centuries pass. Another reason is the sheer amount of music people can listen to today. Recordings and worldwide communication have made every kind of music available and thousands of people are composing music. Furthermore, since the Classical period composers have consciously avoided writing music that sounds like that of other composers. Each one wants his or her music to sound original. To add to the complications of classifying twentieth-century music, some composers have changed styles in their careers. Stravinsky is a prime example of this. The use of “isms” helps in organizing one’s thinking about quite a bit of the music of the preceding century. These “isms” are presented in subsequent chapters.

What to Listen For in Twentieth-Century Music: Rhythm Freer use of metrical patterns Some asymmetrical metrical patterns Some use of ostinatos and other devices Polyrhythms Increasing importance of percussion instruments The twentieth century saw the end of what was sometimes called the “tyranny of the bar line.” Composers changed meters whenever the music seemed to call for it; no longer did a composition need to remain in the same meter throughout. Prior to the twentieth century, measures generally consisted of two, three, or four beats. But in the twentieth century asymmetrical meters are encountered. For example, eight eighth notes might have a pattern of 3 + 3 + 2. Some practices from earlier centuries were revived, including the use of rhythmic ostinatos. Polyrhythms are rarely found in music prior to 1900, but they became much more common in the twentieth century. With the increased attention on rhythm, percussion instruments became much more important in twentieth-century music. The number of instruments used increased, and a number of compositions were written for percussion ensembles.

What to Listen For in Twentieth-Century Music: Melody Expanded beyond major and minor keys Some with wide range and awkward leaps Less interest in being beautiful Melodies acquired many notes not in the traditional major and minor keys. Many chromatic notes are encountered. Often the melodies have a wide range, and some of the intervals are more awkward than those found in earlier music. Twentieth-century composers seemed less interest in writing melodies that people would find warm and beautiful.

Some chords built in intervals other than thirds What to Listen For in Twentieth-Century Music: Harmony and Counterpoint Some chords built in intervals other than thirds Some music abandoned idea of tonal center Polytonality Return to modes of early and folk music Increased interest in counterpoint Twentieth-century composers did not abandoned the use of the chords in thirds. Instead, some of the time they wrote chords in other intervals such as fourths and fifths. The most radical change was the decreasing importance of the tonal center in a composition. Some composers changed tonal centers so often that they no longer used key signatures in their music. Others composed music that was atonal – in no key at all. In other cases composers combined chords from two different keys at the same time, or what is termed polytonality. In other cases composers returned to scales other than major and minor that had been used rarely in concert music since the end of the Renaissance period, but often existed in folk music. There was also a move away from the attention to harmony that had been much a feature of the music of the Romantic period. In fact, the “Back to Bach” movement greatly admired the contrapuntal works of J.S. Bach.

What to Listen For in Twentieth-Century Music: Dissonance Dissonant chords can seem tense and clashing, or They can seem simply colorful The amount of dissonance increased greatly in the twentieth century. Not all music contained dissonances, of course, but the amount and degree of it became more prominent. In a few pieces, the composer directed the pianist to simply push his or her elbow down on the keyboard. Dissonance often adds a sense of tension to chords and combinations of sounds. It also tends to add “color” to the music. And it is a relative matter, sort of like what is hot and what is cold.

What to Listen For in Twentieth-Century Music: Timbre Expansion of sounds from instruments and voices New electronic sounds Twentieth-century music contains a greatly expanded palette of timbres. Composers called for new sounds from instruments, sounds such as playing the strings on the opposite side of the bridge on string instruments and sounding tones with the valves partly depressed on trumpets. Singers not only were asked to sing notes, they also were directed to babble, click their tongues, and use a half-singing/half-talking style. Electronic music offered a vast new array of sounds. Some of them were made by altering recorded sounds, both musical and nonmusical. Other were synthesized by electronic instruments.

What to Listen For in Twentieth-Century Music: Forms and Sources Less use of traditional forms Music from around world and previous centuries was available Traditional forms such as sonata and theme and variations become less of a feature in twentieth-century music. Indeed, they had been used gradually less and less since the time of Mozart and Haydn. Many of the works composed in the twentieth century were not long, which reduced the need for forms. Musicians in the twentieth century had available to them music from around the world preserved through recordings. For some composers, it provided a new source of musical ideas.

Summary The Tremendous and Tumultuous Century Twentieth-Century Art Twentieth-century music Rhythm Melody Harmony, dissonance, and counterpoint Timbre Forms and sources Potential examination material Terms: Polytonality Prepared piano Information Diverse directions of twentieth-century music from the music of the Romantic period Change in the role of the artist Basic ideas of changes in twentieth-century music: rhythm melody harmony and counterpoint timbre forms sources