Music Since 1945 - David Friddle

Introduction to Music

Review
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Béla Bartók
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Charles Ives
George Gershwin
William Grant Still
Aaron Copland
Alberto Ginastera

20th-Century Music
Musical Styles since 1945
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Many societal changes since WWII

20th-Century Music
Musical Styles since 1945
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Many societal changes since WWII
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Instant communication has altered the
world

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
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Many societal changes since WWII
•
Instant communication has altered the
world
•
Constant demand for novelty

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
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Increased use of the 12-tone system

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
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Increased use of the 12-tone system
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Serialism—12-tone techniques extended

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
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Increased use of the 12-tone system
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Serialism—12-tone techniques extended
Chance music that includes the random

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
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Increased use of the 12-tone system
•
•
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Serialism—12-tone techniques extended
Chance music that includes the random
Minimalist music with tonality, pulse,
repetition

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
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Increased use of the 12-tone system
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•
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Serialism—12-tone techniques extended
Chance music that includes the random
Minimalist music with tonality, pulse,
repetition
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Deliberate quotations of earlier music in work

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
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Return to tonality by some composers

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
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Return to tonality by some composers
•
Electronic music

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
•
Return to tonality by some composers
•
Electronic music
•
“Liberation of sound”

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
•
Return to tonality by some composers
•
Electronic music
•
“Liberation of sound”
•
Mixed media

20th-Century Music
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
•
Return to tonality by some composers
•
Electronic music
•
“Liberation of sound”
•
Mixed media
•
New concepts of rhythm & form

20th-Century Music
Increased Use of the 12-Tone System
•
After WWII, Europeans explored 12-tone

20th-Century Music
Increased Use of the 12-Tone System
•
After WWII, Europeans explored 12-tone
•
Nazis banned music by Schoenberg & Jews

20th-Century Music
Increased Use of the 12-Tone System
•
After WWII, Europeans explored 12-tone
•
•
European composers heard 12-tone as
Nazis banned music by Schoenberg & Jews
“new”

20th-Century Music
Increased Use of the 12-Tone System
•
After WWII, Europeans explored 12-tone
•
•
European composers heard 12-tone as
Nazis banned music by Schoenberg & Jews
“new”
•
12-tone viewed as technique—not a style

20th-Century Music
Increased Use of the 12-Tone System
•
After WWII, Europeans explored 12-tone
•
•
European composers heard 12-tone as
Nazis banned music by Schoenberg & Jews
“new”
•
12-tone viewed as technique—not a style
•
Pointillist approach w/ atomized melodies

20th-Century Music
Increased Use of the 12-Tone System
•
After WWII, Europeans explored 12-tone
•
•
European composers heard 12-tone as
Nazis banned music by Schoenberg & Jews
“new”
•
12-tone viewed as technique—not a style
•
•
Pointillist approach w/ atomized melodies
Webern’s music & style became popular

20th-Century Music
Extensions of the 12-Tone System: Serialism
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The system was used to organize rhythm,
dynamics, and tone color

20th-Century Music
Extensions of the 12-Tone System: Serialism
•
The system was used to organize rhythm,
dynamics, and tone color
•
Tone row ordered relationships of pitches

20th-Century Music
Extensions of the 12-Tone System: Serialism
•
The system was used to organize rhythm,
dynamics, and tone color
•
Tone row ordered relationships of pitches
•
Serialism ordered other musical elements

20th-Century Music
Extensions of the 12-Tone System: Serialism
•
The system was used to organize rhythm,
dynamics, and tone color
•
Tone row ordered relationships of pitches
•
Serialism ordered other musical elements
•
Result was a totally controlled, organized
music

20th-Century Music
Extensions of the 12-Tone System: Serialism
•
The system was used to organize rhythm,
dynamics, and tone color
•
Tone row ordered relationships of pitches
•
Serialism ordered other musical elements
•
Result was a totally controlled, organized
music
•
Relationships often very difficult to
perceive

20th-Century Music
Chance Music
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Opposite of Serialism

20th-Century Music
Chance Music
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Opposite of Serialism
•
Composers choose pitches, tone colors, and
rhythms by random methods

20th-Century Music
Chance Music
•
Opposite of Serialism
•
Composers choose pitches, tone colors, and
rhythms by random methods
•
John Cage: 4’33”, Imaginary Landscape

20th-Century Music
Chance Music
•
Opposite of Serialism
•
Composers choose pitches, tone colors, and
rhythms by random methods
•
John Cage: 4’33”, Imaginary Landscape
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Karlheinz Stockhausen: Piano Piece No. 11

20th-Century Music
Minimalist Music
• Characteristics

20th-Century Music
Minimalist Music
• Characteristics
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Steady pulse, clear tonality, repetition of
short melodic fragments

20th-Century Music
Minimalist Music
• Characteristics
•
Steady pulse, clear tonality, repetition of
short melodic fragments
•
Dynamics, texture, & harmony constant
over time

20th-Century Music
Minimalist Music
• Characteristics
•
Steady pulse, clear tonality, repetition of
short melodic fragments
•
Dynamics, texture, & harmony constant
over time
•
Emphasis on simple forms, clarity,
understatement

20th-Century Music
Musical Quotation
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Represents conscious break with serialism

20th-Century Music
Musical Quotation
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Represents conscious break with serialism
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Improves communication w/ audience

20th-Century Music
Musical Quotation
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Represents conscious break with serialism
•
Improves communication w/ audience
•
Quoted material conveys symbolic
meaning

20th-Century Music
Musical Quotation
•
Represents conscious break with serialism
•
Improves communication w/ audience
•
Quoted material conveys symbolic
meaning
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Frequently juxtaposes quoted material with
others, creating an Charles Ives-esque sound

20th-Century Music
Return to Tonality
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Parallels quotation in implying other styles

20th-Century Music
Electronic Music
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Uses technological advances for new music

20th-Century Music
Electronic Music
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Uses technological advances for new music
•
Recording tape, synthesizers, computers

20th-Century Music
Electronic Music
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Uses technological advances for new music
•
Recording tape, synthesizers, computers
•
Allows composers to skip the middle step of
performers to convey their ideas to an
audience

20th-Century Music
Electronic Music
•
Uses technological advances for new music
•
Recording tape, synthesizers, computers
•
Allows composers to skip the middle step of
performers to convey their ideas to an
audience
•
Provides unlimited palette of sounds/tone
colors

20th-Century Music
Liberation of Sound
•
Use of wider variety of sounds than ever

20th-Century Music
Liberation of Sound
•
Use of wider variety of sounds than ever
•
Some sounds were previously considered
noises

20th-Century Music
Liberation of Sound
•
Use of wider variety of sounds than ever
•
Some sounds were previously considered
noises
•
Novel & unusual performance techniques are
required (screaming, tapping instrument, …)

20th-Century Music
Liberation of Sound
•
Use of wider variety of sounds than ever
•
Some sounds were previously considered
noises
•
Novel & unusual performance techniques are
required (screaming, tapping instrument, …)
•
Use of microtones, clusters, any new sound

20th-Century Music
Mixed media
•
Visual art often combined w/ music for effect

20th-Century Music
Mixed media
•
Visual art often combined w/ music for effect
•
Often intended to relax concert atmosphere

20th-Century Music
Mixed media
•
Visual art often combined w/ music for effect
•
Often intended to relax concert atmosphere
Rhythm and Form

20th-Century Music
Mixed media
•
Visual art often combined w/ music for effect
•
Often intended to relax concert atmosphere
Rhythm and Form
•
Some new compositions ignore rhythmic
notation & specify sound in seconds/minutes

20th-Century Music
Mixed media
•
Visual art often combined w/ music for effect
•
Often intended to relax concert atmosphere
Rhythm and Form
•
Some new compositions ignore rhythmic
notation & specify sound in seconds/minutes
•
Traditional forms giving way to new ideas

20th-Century Music
Mixed media
•
Visual art often combined w/ music for effect
•
Often intended to relax concert atmosphere
Rhythm and Form
•
Some new compositions ignore rhythmic
notation & specify sound in seconds/minutes
•
Traditional forms giving way to new ideas
•
Some music “unfolds” without obvious
form devices

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Sonatas and Interludes for
Prepared Piano “Sonata II”
by John Cage (1912–1992)

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Sonatas and Interludes for
Prepared Piano “Sonata II”
by John Cage (1912–1992)
Prepared piano is grand
piano w/ objects inserted
between some strings

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Sonatas and Interludes for
Prepared Piano “Sonata II”
by John Cage (1912–1992)
Prepared piano is grand
piano w/ objects inserted
between some strings
Percussive sounds on some
notes

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Sonatas and Interludes for
Prepared Piano “Sonata II”
by John Cage (1912–1992)
Prepared piano is grand
piano w/ objects inserted
between some strings
Percussive sounds on some
notes
Polyphonic

20th-Century Music

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Poème électronique
by Edgard Varèse (1883–1965)

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Poème électronique
by Edgard Varèse (1883–1965)
Created using recording tape,
wide variety of raw sounds
electronically processed

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Poème électronique
by Edgard Varèse (1883–1965)
Created using recording tape,
wide variety of raw sounds
electronically processed
Electronic and electronically
processed sounds

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Poème électronique
by Edgard Varèse (1883–1965)
Created using recording tape,
wide variety of raw sounds
electronically processed
Electronic and electronically
processed sounds
Some tone-like sounds, some
noise-like

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Poème électronique
by Edgard Varèse (1883–1965)
Created using recording tape,
wide variety of raw sounds
electronically processed
Electronic and electronically
processed sounds
Some tone-like sounds, some
noise-like
Early electronic composition

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Poème électronique
by Edgard Varèse (1883–1965)
Created using recording tape,
wide variety of raw sounds
electronically processed
Electronic and electronically
processed sounds
Some tone-like sounds, some
noise-like
Early electronic composition

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Concerto Grosso 1985
by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939)

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Concerto Grosso 1985
by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939)
Quotation music, each of its five
movements uses material from
first movement of Handel piece

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Concerto Grosso 1985
by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939)
Quotation music, each of its five
movements uses material from
first movement of Handel piece
Use of quoted material

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Concerto Grosso 1985
by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939)
Quotation music, each of its five
movements uses material from
first movement of Handel piece
Use of quoted material
Basso continuo, as in Baroque

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Concerto Grosso 1985
by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939)
Quotation music, each of its five
movements uses material from
first movement of Handel piece
Use of quoted material
Basso continuo, as in Baroque
Terraced dynamics to imply
Baroque

20th-Century Music

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Short Ride in a Fast Machine
by John Adams

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Short Ride in a Fast Machine
by John Adams
Rapid tempo

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Short Ride in a Fast Machine
by John Adams
Rapid tempo
Rhythmic drive

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Short Ride in a Fast Machine
by John Adams
Rapid tempo
Rhythmic drive
Powerful, colorful sonorities

20th-Century Music

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Shard (1977)
by Elliott Carter

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Shard (1977)
by Elliott Carter
Jazzlike offbeat accents

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Shard (1977)
by Elliott Carter
Jazzlike offbeat accents
Dyads—two tones sounding
simultaneously

20th-Century Music
Music since 1945: Five Representative Pieces
Shard (1977)
by Elliott Carter
Jazzlike offbeat accents
Dyads—two tones sounding
simultaneously
Harmonics

20th-Century Music

Looking Ahead
• Jazz
•
Music For Stage and Screen
• Rock