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.

Outlines

00:00

🎼 Expressionism in Music: Origins and Innovations

This paragraph delves into the characteristics of Expressionist music, an art form that emerged from the backdrop of Impressionism in the late 20th century. It emphasizes the movement's shift towards emotional expression through the distortion of traditional musical elements, often resulting in dissonance and challenging the audience's sensibilities. Key figures like Edvard Munch and Wassily Kandinsky are mentioned as starting points for exploring Expressionism. The paragraph also highlights the impact of social unrest and the First World War on the development of this genre. Arnold Schoenberg's pivotal role is underscored, with his transition from late romantic traditions to the development of serialism, a system that equalized the chromatic scale and opened new compositional avenues, defining the Expressionist movement's unique emotional depth.

05:01

🎻 The Evolution of Expressionist Music: Schoenberg and Beyond

The second paragraph continues the exploration of Expressionist music, focusing on the evolution of musical composition under the influence of Expressionism. It discusses the transformation of lyricism into dissonant and chromatic forms, challenging traditional tonality. The paragraph introduces the Second Viennese School, with composers like Arnold Schoenberg, Anton von Webern, and Alban Berg, who each contributed distinctively to the genre. Schoenberg's serialism is further elaborated upon, while Webern's crystalline compositions and Berg's emotive works are highlighted. Berg's 'Violin Concerto' is noted for its reconciliation of tonality and atonality, reflecting his personal and artistic struggles. The paragraph concludes by suggesting that the true essence of Expressionism can be felt in operas and vocal works, hinting at the raw and powerful nature of the human voice in conveying the movement's themes.

Keywords

💡Expressionist Music

Expressionist music is a genre that emerged as part of the broader Expressionist movement in art, characterized by the use of distortion and exaggeration to convey intense emotions. In the script, it is described as reflecting 'unexplored representations of the darker side of human nature,' which is central to the theme of the video. The music is often dissonant and challenging, aiming to express new forms of emotional depth.

💡Dissonance

Dissonance in music refers to the clashing or harsh combination of notes that are not part of a traditional harmonic system. The script mentions that expressionist music is 'dissonantly angular and often very unpleasant to hear,' illustrating the use of dissonance as a tool to create a sense of tension and unease, which aligns with the emotional intensity sought in expressionist compositions.

💡Arnold Schoenberg

Arnold Schoenberg was a pivotal figure in the development of expressionist music. The script highlights his transition from late romantic traditions to a more radical atonal style, culminating in the development of serialism. His work, such as the 'Five Orchestral Pieces,' Op.16, exemplifies the shift away from traditional tonality and towards a new system of pitch organization.

💡Serialism

Serialism is a method of musical composition invented by Schoenberg, where all twelve notes of the chromatic scale are given equal importance, replacing the concept of a tonal center. The script explains that serialism 'gave equal value to each note of the chromatic scale,' which opened up new compositional possibilities and was instrumental in defining the expressionist movement.

💡Twelve-Tone Technique

The twelve-tone technique is a specific application of serialism where a composer creates a piece based on a specific arrangement of all twelve pitches in a chromatic scale, called a tone row. The script refers to this technique as 'the 12-tone methods,' which was used by composers like Anton von Webern to create 'austere yet crystalline compositions in structural beauty.'

💡Second Viennese School

The Second Viennese School is a term used to describe a group of composers, including Schoenberg, Webern, and Alban Berg, who were based in Vienna and developed serialism and expressionist music. The script notes that Schoenberg's innovation was 'born at The Second Viennese School,' indicating the collective influence of these composers on the evolution of modern music.

💡Alban Berg

Alban Berg was a composer associated with the Second Viennese School, known for his expressionist works that delve into the 'ugly truth of human experience.' The script mentions his 'Violin Concerto (1935)' as an example of his ability to encapsulate expressionist ideals, combining tonality and atonality in a manner that reflects his inner turmoil.

💡Bela Bartok

Bela Bartok, though not a member of the Second Viennese School, is mentioned in the script for his incorporation of serial experimentation in his operas, which exhibit elements of expressionism. Works like 'Blue Beard's Castle' and 'The Miraculous Mandarin' are cited as examples of his exploration of the genre.

💡Operas

Operas are a significant form in which expressionist characteristics are fully realized, as they combine music with dramatic storytelling. The script discusses how expressionist operas, such as those by Schoenberg and Berg, use the 'naturally expressive qualities of the human voice' to convey the raw power of the movement and explore difficult human qualities.

💡Pierrot Lunaire

Pierrot Lunaire is a set of three song cycles by Schoenberg, which the script describes as taking the listener 'through madness, violence, and love.' It exemplifies the expressionist journey, exposing the audience to challenging human qualities through the 'moonstruck' character of Pierrot.

💡Lulu

Lulu is an opera by Alban Berg, left incomplete at the time of his death. The script describes it as telling the story of a femme fatale's descent into destruction, reflecting the underlying Baroque structures and the expressionist themes of the genre. It serves as a vital example for understanding the depth of expressionist music.

Highlights

Expressionist music reflects an artistic movement characterized by distortion to enable new emotional expression.

Expressionist art often portrays the darker side of human nature, with artists like Edvard Munch and Wassily Kandinsky as ideal starting points for exploration.

The Expressionist movement emerged from Impressionism towards the end of the 20th Century and continued into the troubled decades leading to WWI.

Expressionist music is distinct for its lack of warmth, romanticism, or dissonant angularity, often being unpleasant to the ear.

Arnold Schoenberg, a key composer of the Expressionist movement, initially followed late romantic traditions before drifting towards atonality.

Schoenberg's Op. 11 Solo Piano pieces mark a transition with weakened tonality and increased atonal elements.

In his 'Five Orchestral Pieces,' Op.16, Schoenberg fully embraced atonality and developed serialism, giving equal value to each note of the chromatic scale.

Serialism revolutionized pitch organization, opening new compositional possibilities for expressing inner emotions.

Expressionist music saw a transformation in melodic material, with dissonant intervals and rich harmonic textures replacing traditional harmonies.

Audiences found the new music challenging due to its departure from the lyricism and tonality of the past.

The Second Viennese School, including Schoenberg, Anton von Webern, and Alban Berg, advanced Expressionist music with distinct approaches.

Webern's music is noted for its structural beauty and clarity, utilizing the 12-tone method to create pure and uncluttered compositions.

Berg's music encapsulates Expressionist ideals, delving into the harsh realities of human experience without abandoning hope.

Berg's Violin Concerto (1935) resolves the conflict of tonality and atonality, reflecting his inner turmoil and serving as a requiem.

Expressionist operas reveal the genre's characteristics through the expressive power of the human voice, with works by Bartok and the Second Viennese School being notable.

Schoenberg's 'Pierrot Lunaire' and Berg's operas, including the incomplete 'Lulu,' capture the essence of Expressionism with their exploration of difficult human qualities.

The Second Viennese School's works provide a deeper understanding of Expressionism and its impact on self-exploration.

Transcripts

Characteristics of Expressionist Music

Expressionist music reflects an artistic  movement. This genre of art involves the  

distortion of shapes, images, and colors  to create wildly unrealistic works of art. 

The aim was to enable new forms of emotional  expression. The results were often disturbing  

and portrayed unexplored representations  of the darker side of human nature. 

Artists like Edvard Munch and Wassily Kandinsky  

are ideal starting points to  explore this genre of art.

The Expressionist movement emerged from  the background of Impressionism by the  

end of the 20th Century. It carried  forward into one of the world's most  

troubled decades and lived to see the  start of the First World War in 1914. 

During this period, unrest, disputes, and social  change dominated the Western World. It gave birth  

to composers of the expressionist school. Expressionist music is neither warmly  

romantic nor dissonantly angular  and often very unpleasant to hear. 

Certain controversial composers emerged from this  period, and with them came an undesired change  

that altered the sonic landscape forever. One  such composer was Arnold Schoenberg (1874 – 1951).

Schoenberg's early compositions reflect the late  romantic traditions. However, at the beginning of  

the 20th Century, he was already writing music  that dramatically drifted from these confines. 

In Schoenberg's Op. 11 Solo Piano pieces,  

we notice the weakened sounds of tonality  and the inclusion of greater atonal elements.  

By his 'Five Orchestral Pieces,' Op.16  (1909), Schoenberg had eliminated tonal  

structures and developed his system of pitch  organization, which became known as serialism.

Schoenberg gave equal value to each  note of the chromatic scale. This  

replaced the idea of a tonal center and the  prominence of tonic, dominant harmonies. 

By applying Schoenberg's methods,  the entire system of ordering pitch  

changed. The effect of serialism was to open  radically new compositional possibilities.  

This revolutionary approach allowed  composers to express their inner  

emotions in a manner that later  defined the expressionist movement.

As expressionism grew, the nature of  musical composition twisted in unexpected  

directions. The languorous, luxurious  lyricism of the past Century dissolved. 

Melodic material transformed into awkwardly  sculpted shapes that leap across dissonant  

intervals. Chromaticism and rich harmonic  textures replaced clusters of dense,  

polarized chords. Naturally, Audiences found  this new music overly challenging to understand. 

It would be fair to say; that all orchestral  force was utilized during this period.

Melodies were composed of fragments from one  instrument or group of instruments to another.  

Most music was just sudden surges of dark,  clustered chords thundered across orchestras,  

echoing the guns of war. The sound  of music had changed forever.

Arnold Schoenberg's innovation was born at The  Second Viennese School. His two fellow serialists,  

Anton von Webern and Alban Berg were  alongside him during his work in music.  

These three composers forged ahead  in similar but distinct ways.

For Webern, expressionism, and the use of  Schoenberg's techniques in his work enabled  

him to create austere yet crystalline  compositions in structural beauty. 

Webern's music has an almost  classical clarity to it.  

His material methodically relies on the 12-tone  methods, yet the outcome is pure and uncluttered. 

Emotions in Webern's pieces  are concentrated in arching  

motifs that purposefully travel  through the fragile landscape.

On the other side of the  coin is Alban Berg. Berg's  

music perhaps most satisfactorily  encapsulates the ideals of expressionism.  

It plunges into the ugly truth of human experience  while seemingly never completely abandoning hope. 

Berg's scores are perhaps more approachable as an  entry point into expressionism and serial music.  

His Violin Concerto (1935) is a fine example. It  was composed only a year before the composer's  

death and is known as his Requiem. It comes from  Bach’s cantata ‘O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort’, BWV.  

60, (Oh Eternity, Thou Fateful Word). In this  concerto, Berg resolves the conflict of tonality  

and atonality and perhaps his inner turmoil too. Maybe it is in the expressionist operas that the  

genre's characteristics reveal themselves  in their full glory. The raw power of  

the movement comes through the naturally  expressive qualities of the human voice.

Bela Bartok drew serial experimentation  in his early opera compositions. Many of  

the elements of expressionism are  prevalent in 'Blue Beard's Castle  

(1911) and 'The Miraculous Mandarin' (1919). But it is once again the operas and vocal works  

of Schoenberg and Berg that essentially  capture the essence of expressionism.

Schoenberg sets twenty-one poems by  Albert Giraud in three sets of seven.  

The 'moonstruck' Pierrot takes us through madness,  

violence, and love. Through a journey that  exposes us to difficult human qualities. 

A visit to the operas of Berg is  vital to understanding expressionism.

A further and later opera is 'Lulu' (left  incomplete in 1937), which tells of a femme  

fatale's dismal descent into destruction,  by Jack the Ripper. Underlying both operas  

are rigid structures that reflect the  works of the great Baroque composers. 

Through the works of The Second Viennese School,  

we can closely tread the expressionist path  and get a deeper understanding of ourselves.