A Brief History of 20th Century Classical Music (Tetris-style)
Summary
TLDRThis script explores the complexity of 20th-century classical music, characterized by diverse and interlocking trends like late Romanticism, Expressionism, serialism, and minimalism. It highlights influential composers such as Debussy, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich, who shaped the century's musical landscape with their innovative approaches to harmony, rhythm, and cultural influences. The rise of recording technology and the impact of world events like World War II are also discussed, illustrating how they influenced the reception and evolution of classical music.
Takeaways
- 🎼 The 20th century saw classical music evolve from a linear progression to a complex, interlocking set of styles and influences, making it difficult to categorize neatly.
- 🌟 The transition from Romanticism to Modernism in the early 20th century marked a shift in music history that was harder to define, with composers like Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff being played often but not necessarily seen as major influencers.
- 📀 The advent of recording technology significantly impacted how music was received and extended the influence of composers who might have otherwise been forgotten.
- 🎹 The end of Romanticism did not mean its complete disappearance; it continued to influence composers throughout the century.
- 🎷 Expressionism, serialism, neoclassicism, modality, and the incorporation of folk and world music were some of the key trends that emerged in the 20th century.
- 🌐 The electronic age and American experimentalism introduced new dimensions to music composition and performance.
- 🎵 Debussy and Ravel, among others, were notable for their innovative approaches to harmony and their interest in exotic influences, which continued to inspire composers.
- 🎬 Composers like Stravinsky and Shostakovich drew on a wide range of influences, from folk music to modernism, and were central figures in 20th-century music.
- 🌈 Post-World War II, composers sought to rebuild musical languages, with figures like Messiaen and the Darmstadt School leading the avant-garde.
- 🌟 Minimalism emerged in the 1960s, with composers like Glass and Adams becoming dominant forces in contemporary music, influencing even later generations.
Q & A
How did the character of classical music evolve from the 19th to the 20th century?
-Classical music in the 19th century followed a relatively consistent and coherent approach, whereas the 20th century was characterized by a more complex and diverse range of styles, with music history becoming harder to categorize neatly.
What significant shift is marked by most music histories at the beginning of the 20th century?
-Most music histories mark the end of Romanticism and the start of Modernism as happening sometime in the early years of the 20th century.
How did the rise of recording technology impact the reception of music and the legacy of composers?
-The rise of recording technology dramatically shaped how music was received, potentially extending the influence of composers who might otherwise have disappeared, and creating a distinction between composers whose music was widely played and those whose ideas were influential.
Who are some composers that were both widely played and influential in the 20th century?
-Composers like Prokofiev and Shostakovich are among the most played of the 20th century, but figures like Boulez and Schoenberg, despite their music being less frequently played, wielded enormous influence.
What are some of the broader musical trends that emerged in the 20th century?
-Broad trends in the 20th century include the tail end of Romanticism, Expressionism, serialism, neoclassicism, modality, the rise of folk and world music, the dawn of the electronic age, American experimentalism, minimalism, new complexity, spectralism, post-modernism, post-minimalism, neo-romanticism, and the eventual breakdown of the 'age of isms'.
How did composers like Debussy and Ravel show interest in exotic cultures in their music?
-Debussy and Ravel showed interest in exotic cultures by incorporating elements from local and far-off regions, such as Spanish music and Javanese gamelan, into their compositions.
What is the significance of Igor Stravinsky's contributions to 20th-century music?
-Igor Stravinsky is considered a giant of 20th-century music for his constant search for new sources of inspiration and his revitalization of approaches to rhythm and harmony, making him as central to classical music as Picasso is to the art world.
How did Dmitri Shostakovich's music reflect the influence of multiple styles throughout his career?
-Shostakovich's music showed influences from jazz and vaudeville to Jewish folk songs, Romanticism, and the neo-Hutusism of Stravinsky, reflecting a diverse range of styles and sources of inspiration.
What was the impact of World War II on composers and their approach to music?
-World War II had a profound effect on composers, causing many to feel a need for a clean slate and a rebuilding of musical languages from scratch, leading to new styles and approaches in composition.
How did the rise of minimalism in the 1960s influence contemporary music?
-Minimalism, with its origins in West African rhythms and composers like Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and John Adams, became one of the dominant forces in contemporary music, and its after-effects can still be heard in composers like John Luther Adams and David Lang.
What is the significance of the spectral school in European music composition?
-The spectral school, which emerged from the research center built by Pierre Boulez, re-examined the building blocks of sound and attempted to build new sound worlds, influencing composers like Tristan Murail and Gerard Grisey.
How did the advent of computers and electronic music affect the work of composers in the latter half of the 20th century?
-The advent of computers and electronic music allowed composers to explore new sound worlds and techniques, influencing the work of many, including those who integrated electronic elements into orchestral compositions, like Krzysztof Penderecki and Unsuk Chin.
What challenges did composers face as the 20th century neared its end in terms of identifying new trends?
-As the century's end approached, it became harder to identify clear trends and composers who would form an important part of history, as the age of 'isms' seemed to break down, leaving individual composers to explore their own unique paths.
Outlines
🎼 The Complexity of 20th Century Classical Music
The script discusses the evolution of classical music in the 20th century, highlighting its transition from a linear progression to a complex, interlocking set of styles and influences. It emphasizes the difficulty of categorizing this period due to the rise of various 'isms' such as Expressionism, serialism, neoclassicism, and others. The script also points out the impact of recording technology on the longevity of composers' works and the distinction between composers whose music was widely played versus those who influenced the artistic direction of the century. Key composers like Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg are mentioned, with the latter's significant influence through his development of atonal and 12-tone music, forming the Second Viennese School alongside Berg and Webern.
🌏 Cross-Cultural Influences and Individualistic Styles
This paragraph explores the influence of cross-cultural and historical styles on composers throughout the 20th century. It mentions composers like Debussy and Ravel, who were inspired by exotic cultures and local music, and Stravinsky, known for his constant search for new inspirations, from Russian folk to classical masters and later, 12-tone technique. The paragraph also discusses the individualistic styles of composers like Janáček, Bartók, Sibelius, Vaughan Williams, and Gershwin, who drew from their homelands' sounds to create unique voices. The impact of World War II on composers is noted, with Messiaen's 'Quartet for the End of Time' as a testament to human willpower. Post-war avant-garde composers like Boulez, Stockhausen, and Xenakis are highlighted for their experimentalism and influence on the next generation.
🎶 Diverse Movements and the Emergence of Minimalism
The final paragraph delves into the diverse movements within 20th-century music, including the rise of minimalism with composers like Glass and Adams, which became a dominant force in contemporary music. It also touches on the spiritual use of similar techniques by 'holy minimalists' and the development of the spectral school in Europe. The paragraph mentions the continuation of modernist projects by composers around the world and the emergence of new complexity in music. It concludes with the difficulty of identifying enduring trends towards the end of the century, mentioning composers like Edison and Turnage, who defied categorization with their eclectic and recognizable styles.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Classical Music History
💡Romanticism
💡Modernism
💡Expressionism
💡Serialism
💡Neoclassicism
💡Folk and World Music
💡Electronic Music
💡American Experimentalism
💡Minimalism
💡Post-Modernism
Highlights
20th century classical music history is compared to a complex game of Tetris with interlocking and overlapping pieces.
The end of Romanticism and the start of Modernism are marked in the early 20th century, but the period is hard to categorize.
The rise of recording technology extended the influence of composers who might have otherwise disappeared.
The distinction between composers whose music made an impact and those whose ideas were more influential is highlighted.
Composers like Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff are most played, but minor figures in terms of artistic influence.
Schoenberg, with his development of atonal and 12-tone music, had a significant influence despite his music being rarely played.
Broad trends of the 20th century include the tail end of Romanticism, Expressionism, serialism, neoclassicism, and the electronic age.
Composers like Debussy, with his modern outlook and exotic influences, had a lasting impact on music.
Puccini and Strauss were among the most popular composers of operas in the early 20th century.
Expressionist operas by composers like Berg and Schoenberg were rich with passion and humor.
Stravinsky revitalized approaches to rhythm and harmony and was central to classical music in the 20th century.
Shostakovich showed multiple influences and his music offers a darker alternative to the optimistic spirit of other composers.
Composers like Janáček, Bartók, Sibelius, and Vaughan Williams drew on the sounds of their homelands for inspiration.
The Second World War had a profound effect on composers, leading to a need for rebuilding musical languages.
Messiaen's 'Quartet for the End of Time' was written while he was a prisoner of war, showcasing an impressive feat of willpower.
Post-war avant-garde composers like Boulez, Stockhausen, and Xenakis were influential but later retreated or pursued unique paths.
American experimentalism, with figures like Cage, Feldman, and Nancarrow, explored new paths in music composition.
Minimalism, with composers like Glass and Adams, became a dominant force in contemporary music.
The spectral school, with composers like Murail and Grisey, re-examined the building blocks of sound.
Composers like Kurtág built on the fragmentary worlds of Webern, creating miniature sound worlds.
Towards the century's end, it becomes harder to identify trends, with composers like Edison and Turnage emerging.
Transcripts
until the 20th century the timeline of
classical music history was more or less
a straight line a series of relatively
consistent and coherent approaches one
after another classical music in the
20th century was more like a complicated
game of tetris a bunch of interlocking
in overlapping pieces most music
histories mark the end of romanticism
and the start of modernism as happening
sometime in the early years of the 20th
century but it's a period that becomes
much harder to pin things down into
anyone's file this is a trend that only
seems to exacerbate as the century
progresses to the extent that it becomes
harder to summarize things into more
than just a list of names
the rise of recording dramatically
shaped how music was received and
arguably extended the influence of
composers in might otherwise have
disappeared as an interesting
distinction in the century between
composers whose music made a significant
impact and those whose ideas were more
important this makes summarizing events
into a history perilous as you risk over
emphasizing one or other of those two
groups composers like Prokofiev and
manonoff are amongst the most played of
20th century composers for example and
yet as figures influencing the artistic
tides of the century both seem like
minor figures other composers like
Beulah's and Schoenberg wielded enormous
influence even if their music itself
remained comparatively rarely played
let's start with some of the broader
trends you have the tail end of
romanticism which never fully dies as a
means of expression throughout the
century you have Expressionism 8rt
serialism you have neoclassicism
modality the rise and influence of folk
and world newsela the dawn of the
electronic age American experimentalism
later in the center you have a
minimalism new complexity spectral ISM
post-modernism both post minimalism
neo-romanticism and by the 21st century
the age of isms seems largely to have
broken down and were left with a sense
of individual composers each ploughing
their own furrow so let's go back to the
start and look at some of the individual
composers involved the early years of
the 20th century saw the tail end of the
careers of several leading late romantic
composers
Marla whose lust unfinished simply the
tenth seems to foreshadow a to Marty
Debussy to might fall into this category
he died in 1918 and his early works came
out of late Romanticism but his
unmistakeably modern in Outlook throwing
away many of the devices of traditional
harmony and exploring exotic influences
from the east the whole tone scale
modality and an interest in sound for
its own sake he remains a huge influence
on composers to this day
[Music]
Puccini wrote several of his most
popular operas in the early years of the
century which are among the most
performed in the repertoire
[Music]
richard strauss's Salome and a lecture
the former of which mother called alive
volcano a subterranean fire were huge
operatic hits despite their relatively
dissonant styles Arnold Schoenberg is
one figure who towers over the century
in terms of influence even if his music
has rarely achieved the acceptance of a
wider public he too started firmly in
the late romantic world a string sextet
avec latin act is a particularly
powerful work that that draws together
the German late romantic influences of
Brahms and Bogner only thirteen years
later Schoenberg style had moved on to
sound like this this is Pierrot lunare
schoenberg's first expressionistic
masterpiece which pioneered both that
weird semi song style known as fresh
dinner as well as the small mixed
ensemble which would become a central
part of 20th century music Schoenberg
sought ways to break free of the
harmonic approaches of the 19th century
developing ways of writing atonal music
without a tonal center and eventually
developing the famous 12 tone approach
in which all notes of the scale were
treated equally he was followed in this
by his two pupils Alban Berg and Anton
Weber the three together became known as
the second viennese school drawing a
somewhat grandiose equivalents to the
first Benny's school of Mozart Hyden
beta
Baggs expressionist operas about sec and
later lulu our thorny on first hearing
but are both rich with passion humor and
horror and a key operatic works of the
century they burn condensed the 12 tone
style to the other extreme making really
short fragmentary pieces which in their
quiet way are as passionate and intense
as anything by marla Expressionism as a
style continued and resurfaced after
World War 2 and composers like bent alwa
Zimmermann hands burn hens ax and Peter
Maxwell Davis Debussy and his French
compactors rebel and Eric sati as well
as the later more minor composers known
as Lacy's offered a lighter and more
colorful avenue for 20th century music
both Debussy and Ravel showed an
interest in exotic cultures whether
local in the case of rebels love of
Spanish music
or further afield and Daboo sees
interest in Javanese gamelan music
this drawing on other cultures as well
as historical styles as a source of
inspiration was one which lasted
throughout the century Igor Stravinsky
is one of the Giants of 20th century
music and he was constantly on the
lookout for new sources of inspiration
whether it was the Russian folk music of
his early masterpieces like the Firebird
petrushka and the Rite of Spring
the classical masters during his
neoclassical period
[Music]
or twelve-tone technique in his later
period whether because of these
influences or just his own huge talent
Stravinsky revitalized approaches to
rhythm and harmony and he's a figure as
central to classical music in the 20th
century as Picasso is to the art world
another great Russian Dmitri
Shostakovich also showed multiple
influences on his work throughout his
career from jazz and vaudeville to
Jewish folk songs from the romanticism
of Mahler to the new Hutus ISM of
Stravinsky himself
Shostakovich was said to be a particular
fan of the latus symphony of Psalms his
early works were experimental and
expressionistic
until his denouncement by the Soviet
regime of Joseph Stalin forced him to
express himself more tentatively his
music offers a far darker and more
grotesque alternative dystrophin skis
more optimistic spirit just as true in
skis music betrayed his Russian heritage
other composers wrote in highly
individualistic styles which could only
have come from their respective
homelands the Anna Czech wrote a series
of brilliant operas inspired by the
rhythms of the Czech language
bartók plundered the Hungarian folk
traditions for new sources of modernist
inspiration shimonoseki in Poland
Sibelius in Finland defier
in Spain Vaughan Williams and later
benjamin britten in england George
Gershwin and later Aaron Copland and
Leonard Bernstein in the u.s. all drew
on the sounds and inspirations of their
respective homelands to forge individual
voices
[Music]
the Second World War seems to have had
an effect on composers that can hardly
be overstated causing many to fill need
for a clean slate and a rebuilding of
the musical languages from scratch
the fact that Olivier Messiaen managed
to write his profoundly move in quartet
for the end of time whilst a prisoner in
a German prisoner of war camp remains
one of the most shockingly impressive
feats of human willpower
messin went on to develop another highly
individual style which mix lush hyper
sweet tunes with twittering bird calls
and a bold formal approach that issued
transitions in favor of big building
blocks of color
Messimer was influential on a younger
generation that included pierre boulez
karl-heinz Stockhausen and Yanis
Tanaka's who went on to become the
leaders of the post-war avant-garde
centered around the International summer
course for new music in Darmstadt in
Germany in the uncertain years after the
war Beulah's and Stockhausen seemed to
offer a sense of certainty of purpose
peak Beulah's was probably nonnatus on
Metro from 1955 the sort of mid-century
riposte asurim bergs piero and a does
lingly original sound world Stockhausen
x' experimentalism saw him taking a huge
range of approaches from the three
orchestras of Gripen
[Music]
to the electronic workers and a Youngman
[Music]
and the influence of early experiments
into the new medium of electronic music
affected many of this generation
yogi Ligety took electronic sounding
effects and brought them into the
orchestral world along with the sharp
sense of humor and a fine ear for color
[Music]
and the nachus reimagined architectural
ideas in oral form
but eventually the leaders of this
avant-garde found their certainties
gradually faded Beulah's retreated into
conducting and endlessly revising his
tiny output of pieces and Stockhausen
headed towards ever weirder and more
megalomaniac territories the American
John Cage met Beulah's in Paris in 1949
and the two of them became pen pals
their friendship called after Cage
developed an interest in champs and
exploring ways of removing himself from
the compositional process altogether
cage is another figure who made a huge
impact even if his music itself is
relatively rarely played he was at the
forefront of a wave of American
experimentalism that had started earlier
with Edgar Juarez and Henry Cowell
American Mavericks like Morton Feldman
Luke Harrison and Conlan Nancarrow
forged more of those unique paths the
discovery of Charles Ives his music in
the 1960s felt like part of this wave
even though much of it was written
shockingly early
[Applause]
[Music]
that was written in the 1910s and 1920s
Ives his fourth symphony sounds every
bit as radical as Barrios 1969 collage
masterpiece symphonia in the 1960s an
entirely new sound emerged the
minimalism curves the rush has its
origins in West African rhythms and
together with composers like Philip
Glass and later John Adams the
minimalism went on to become one of the
dominant forces in contemporary music
it's after-effects sometimes called post
minimalism can still be heard in
composers like John Luther Adams
and David lang
so called holy minimalists like Arvid
pet John Tavenner and Henrik Gretzky use
similar techniques to more spiritual
ends in Europe composers attended the
new research center built by Pierre
Boulez AirCam and out of that emerged
what became known as the spectral school
compositions by people like Tristan
Murai and Jared greezy that re-examined
the building blocks of sound with the
age of computers and attempted to build
new sound worlds out of them Louie M
Grayson fused aspects of minimalism with
jazz and European modernism other
composers like Harrison Burt whistle or
Georges Benjamin in the UK pair gnorga
in Denmark takemitsu in Japan and Magnus
Lindberg in Finland also took the
modernist project forward in Hungary
geogi Kurt ugh quietly forged his own
path building on the miniature
fragmentary worlds of a burn
[Music]
at the other extreme the school of new
complexity headed by Brian Fangio wrote
scores that seemed a parody of
impossibility meanwhile luta suave ski
in Poland and do tear in France both
created rich orchestral sound worlds
underpinned by a humanistic spirit that
was rare for their times
Kyah sorry aho and unsub chin became
among the first female composers to
receive widespread international
recognition and both managed to
incorporate significant electronic parts
into many of their orchestral works
[Music]
as we near the century's end it becomes
harder to pick out trends and composers
that we can be confident will form an
important part of history Thomas Edison
astoundingly accomplished compose his
works like those of Stravinsky in trust
of coal which managed to be both
eclectic and instantly recognizable at
the same time in 2018 he's one of the
world's leading composers but his first
major orchestral success a silo just
sneaks into our century with a premiere
in 1999
[Music]
so let me know in the comments if you
think we need any more game based
histories of music maybe a pacman
version of the Baroque era or a Space
Invaders version of the Romantic era if
you enjoyed the video do please like and
subscribe and share with your friends
and thanks so much as ever to my patrons
over at patreon for supporting the
channel thanks so much for watching and
I'll see you next time
[Music]
Weitere ähnliche Videos ansehen
Music History: Impressionism & Expressionism
Arkitekturang Filipino 5: Architecture for the New Nation
20th Century Music | Impressionism and Expressionism | MAPEH First Quarter | Grade 10 Music
Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis (1/6)
Sejarah Musik Barat Dan Ciri-Cirinya - Music History
Grade 10 Music Q1 Ep2: Expressionism
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)