20th Century

• Impressionism key traits:

  • chromaticism
  • extended chords
  • parallel motion
  • complex rhythms/syncopation
  • written for sound not to follow rules
  • use of modes and scales
• Serialism/Expressionism key traits:

  • atonality
  • extreme dissonance without resolution
  • often shorter in length
  • sprechgesang (speechsong)
  • 12 tone rules
• Neoclassicism key traits:

  • mimick classical form
  • rhythmic/ harmonic augmentation
  • interrupt typical form
  • unexpected modulations to unrelated keys
• Impressionism- Debussy

  • Girl with the Flaxen Hair - traditional chords used in non-traditional context, hymn like?
  • Sunken Cathedral - parallel chords
  • L'Apres Midi d'un Faune - ballet, flute opening chromatic melody over tritone symbolise Pan, hazy tonality, harp glissandos and harmonics
• Impressionism - Ravel

  • String Quartet In F major m2 - pizzicatto, alternating time 6/8 and 3/4, very rhythmic, soaring melodies
  • La Valse - ambigous opening tonality, basson melody over double bass ostinato
• Serialism - Berg

  • Wozzeck opera - atonality, fleeting moments of tonlity, simply music in sad scenes, use of speechsong
• Serialism - Webern

  • Quartet Op.22
  • Six Bagatelles
• Serialism - Schoenberg

  • Ewartung - use of bass clarinet and speechsong
• Neoclassicism - Sibellius

  • Finlandie - tone poem, opens with brass and timpani, nationalist protest against censorship, reflect landscape, main meoldy used in hymn
• Neoclassicism - Stravinsky

  • Rite of Spring - complex polytonalties, polyrhytmns ( tuba, trumpet, timpani and guiro all contradict rhythms in fight scene), opens bassoon solo high in register imitating Lithuanian folk song, percussion in the foreground, dancers stamping, woodwind imitate birds and animals in indiscernable rhythm in opening, constant repetitive string chords with jarring accents
  • Pulcinella, Vivo - simple diatonic, predictable harmony, trombone and double bass feature, constant metre, repetative accompanying rhythms, occasional off-beat accents, use of gliss in trombones
• Neoclassicism - Prokofiev

  • Classical Symphony - typical diatonic harmonies, balanced phrases with occasional interjections to expected form
  • Romeo and Juliet Overture - diatonic harmony with occasional unexpected modulations, love theme carries throughout, rhythmic stabs to represent sword fights
• Neoclassicism - Poulenc

  • Sonata for trumpet, horn and trombone