Characteristics of Expressionist Music (An Introduction)

Summary

Expressionist music, emerging from Impressionism, is characterized by its emotional intensity and the exploration of darker human experiences. Pioneered by composers like Arnold Schoenberg, it broke from traditional tonality, introducing atonal elements and serialism, giving equal importance to all chromatic notes. This movement, with its challenging and dissonant sounds, was further developed by The Second Viennese School, including Anton Webern and Alban Berg, who each brought unique approaches to expressionism, reflecting in their works the raw power and complex emotions of the human condition.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Expressionist music is part of an artistic movement characterized by the distortion of shapes, images, and colors to create emotionally expressive and often disturbing works reflecting the darker side of human nature.
• 👤 Key artists in the Expressionist movement include Edvard Munch and Wassily Kandinsky, whose works are ideal for exploring the genre.
• 🕰 The Expressionist movement emerged from Impressionism towards the end of the 20th Century and continued into the early 20th Century, a period marked by social unrest and the start of World War I.
• 🎵 Expressionist music is known for its dissonance and lack of traditional tonality, often making it challenging for audiences to understand and enjoy.
• 🎼 Arnold Schoenberg was a pivotal composer in the development of Expressionist music, moving away from late romantic traditions and pioneering serialism, which gave equal value to all notes in the chromatic scale.
• 🔄 Schoenberg's serialism revolutionized the ordering of pitch, opening up new compositional possibilities and allowing for a deeper expression of inner emotions.
• 🎶 The nature of musical composition during the Expressionist period saw a shift from lyricism to awkward, dissonant melodies and rich harmonic textures.
• 👂 Audiences found the new music challenging due to its sudden, dark, and clustered chords that echoed the sounds of war.
• 🎷 Alongside Schoenberg, composers Anton von Webern and Alban Berg formed the Second Viennese School, each contributing uniquely to the Expressionist and serial music.
• 🎻 Alban Berg's music, especially his Violin Concerto, is considered an accessible entry point into Expressionist music, blending tonality and atonality while reflecting on human experience.
• 📖 Expressionist operas and vocal works, such as those by Schoenberg and Berg, fully express the genre's characteristics through the naturally expressive qualities of the human voice.

Q & A

What is the primary aim of Expressionist music?

The primary aim of Expressionist music is to enable new forms of emotional expression through the distortion of shapes, images, and colors, often resulting in disturbing and unrealistic works that portray the darker side of human nature.

Who are two artists that are ideal starting points to explore Expressionist art?

Edvard Munch and Wassily Kandinsky are two artists that are ideal starting points to explore Expressionist art.

From what artistic movement did the Expressionist movement emerge?

The Expressionist movement emerged from the background of Impressionism by the end of the 20th Century.

What historical period did the Expressionist movement carry forward into?

The Expressionist movement carried forward into one of the world's most troubled decades and lived to see the start of the First World War in 1914.

What is the characteristic sound of Expressionist music?

Expressionist music is characterized by its lack of warmth and romanticism, often being dissonantly angular and very unpleasant to hear.

Who is one composer that significantly altered the sonic landscape with his controversial changes?

Arnold Schoenberg is one composer that significantly altered the sonic landscape with his controversial changes.

What system of pitch organization did Schoenberg develop?

Schoenberg developed a system of pitch organization known as serialism, which gave equal value to each note of the chromatic scale and replaced the idea of a tonal center.

How did serialism change the system of ordering pitch in music?

Serialism changed the system of ordering pitch by eliminating tonal structures and allowing composers to express their inner emotions in a manner that later defined the Expressionist movement.

What was the impact of Expressionist music on the nature of musical composition?

The impact of Expressionist music on the nature of musical composition was that it twisted in unexpected directions, with the languorous, luxurious lyricism of the past dissolving and being replaced by awkwardly sculpted shapes and dissonant intervals.

Who were the three composers of The Second Viennese School, and how did they contribute to Expressionist music?

The three composers of The Second Viennese School were Arnold Schoenberg, Anton von Webern, and Alban Berg. They contributed to Expressionist music by forging ahead in similar but distinct ways, utilizing Schoenberg's serial techniques to create compositions that encapsulated the ideals of expressionism.

How do the operas of Schoenberg and Berg capture the essence of Expressionism?

The operas of Schoenberg and Berg capture the essence of Expressionism through their raw power, the naturally expressive qualities of the human voice, and their ability to portray difficult human qualities and inner turmoil.