🎼History of Music Unit 6 – Impressionism & Expressionism in Music

Historical Context

• Impressionism and Expressionism emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reflecting the changing social, cultural, and artistic landscape of Europe
• Influenced by the Romantic era's emphasis on emotion and individualism, these movements sought to break free from traditional musical forms and conventions
• The Industrial Revolution and advancements in technology led to rapid urbanization and societal changes, which influenced the artistic world
  • Artists and composers sought to capture the essence of modern life and express their inner experiences
• Impressionism drew inspiration from the visual arts movement of the same name, which focused on capturing fleeting moments and sensory impressions
• Expressionism arose as a response to the horrors of World War I and the feelings of alienation and disillusionment that followed
  • Composers aimed to convey raw emotions and the inner turmoil of the human psyche
• Both movements challenged the established norms of Western classical music and paved the way for further experimentation and innovation in the 20th century

Key Characteristics of Impressionism in Music

• Emphasis on creating atmospheric and evocative soundscapes, often inspired by nature, poetry, or visual art
• Use of non-traditional scales and modes, such as whole-tone scales and pentatonic scales, to create a sense of ambiguity and fluidity
• Blurring of formal structures and avoidance of clear-cut melodies or rhythms, favoring a more seamless and organic flow of music
  • Compositions often lack a clear beginning, middle, and end, instead focusing on capturing a particular mood or impression
• Incorporation of extended harmonies, parallel chords, and unresolved dissonances to create a shimmering and ethereal sound
• Emphasis on timbre and tone color, achieved through the use of orchestral instruments in unconventional ways (harp, flute, and muted strings)
• Frequent use of pedal points and ostinato patterns to create a sense of stasis or suspended time
• Avoidance of strong rhythmic pulses or regular meter, instead favoring a more fluid and flexible approach to rhythm

Notable Impressionist Composers

• Claude Debussy (1862-1918): Often considered the father of musical Impressionism
  • Notable works include "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune," "La Mer," and "Clair de Lune"
  • Pioneered the use of non-traditional scales, parallel chords, and unconventional orchestration
• Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): French composer who, along with Debussy, helped define the Impressionist style
  • Famous compositions include "Boléro," "Daphnis et Chloé," and "Pavane pour une infante défunte"
  • Known for his masterful orchestration and incorporation of jazz and world music elements
• Erik Satie (1866-1925): French composer and pianist whose unconventional and minimalist approach influenced the development of Impressionism
  • Compositions such as "Gymnopédies" and "Gnossiennes" feature simple, repetitive melodies and unconventional harmonies
• Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924): French composer whose later works, such as the "Requiem" and "Nocturnes," exhibit Impressionistic qualities
  • Bridged the gap between Romanticism and Impressionism, incorporating elements of both styles in his compositions

Expressionism: A Musical Revolution

• Expressionism emerged as a reaction against the restraint and formality of late Romantic music and the perceived superficiality of Impressionism
• Sought to convey raw, intense emotions and the inner turmoil of the human psyche, reflecting the anxieties and uncertainties of the early 20th century
• Composers aimed to break free from traditional tonality, harmony, and form, favoring a more dissonant and fragmented musical language
  • Atonal and serial techniques were developed to create a sense of emotional and psychological upheaval
• Emphasis on subjective expression and the communication of deeply personal experiences, often dealing with themes of alienation, angst, and the subconscious mind
• Influenced by the Expressionist movement in visual arts and literature, which sought to depict the world from a distorted and subjective perspective
• Expressionist music often features angular melodies, extreme dynamic contrasts, and a heightened sense of drama and intensity
• The movement laid the groundwork for later avant-garde and experimental trends in 20th-century music

Techniques and Innovations in Expressionist Music

• Atonality: The abandonment of traditional tonality and the use of all 12 notes of the chromatic scale equally
  • Composers such as Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg developed the twelve-tone technique, a systematic approach to atonal composition
• Dissonance: The use of harsh, clashing harmonies and unconventional chord progressions to create a sense of tension and emotional intensity
• Fragmentation: The breaking down of traditional musical forms and structures into smaller, disconnected sections
  • Compositions often feature abrupt shifts in mood, tempo, and dynamics, reflecting the fragmented nature of modern life
• Sprechstimme: A vocal technique that falls between singing and speaking, used to convey heightened emotional states and psychological depth
  • Famously employed in Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" and Berg's opera "Wozzeck"
• Extended instrumental techniques: The use of unconventional playing methods to create new sounds and textures
  • Examples include col legno (striking the strings with the wood of the bow) and flutter-tonguing (rapidly moving the tongue while blowing into a wind instrument)
• Klangfarbenmelodie: The concept of "tone-color melody," where the focus is on the timbral qualities of individual notes rather than traditional melodic lines
  • Achieved through the use of unusual instrumental combinations and orchestration techniques

Influential Expressionist Composers

• Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951): Austrian composer who pioneered the twelve-tone technique and is considered the father of Expressionism in music
  • Notable works include "Pierrot Lunaire," "Verklärte Nacht," and the opera "Moses und Aron"
  • Developed the concept of Sprechstimme and explored the psychological depths of the human experience
• Alban Berg (1885-1935): Austrian composer and student of Schoenberg, known for his highly expressive and emotionally charged works
  • Operas "Wozzeck" and "Lulu" are considered masterpieces of Expressionist music, exploring themes of social alienation and psychological turmoil
• Anton Webern (1883-1945): Austrian composer and member of the Second Viennese School, along with Schoenberg and Berg
  • Known for his highly concentrated and abstract compositions, such as the "Six Bagatelles for String Quartet" and "Symphony, Op. 21"
  • Played a crucial role in the development of total serialism, a technique that extends the twelve-tone principle to other musical elements such as rhythm and dynamics
• Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915): Russian composer whose later works, such as "Prometheus: The Poem of Fire," exhibit Expressionistic qualities
  • Developed a unique system of harmony based on "mystic chords" and explored the relationship between music, color, and spirituality

Comparing Impressionism and Expressionism

• Both movements emerged as reactions to the Romantic era and sought to break free from traditional musical conventions
  • Impressionism focused on capturing fleeting sensations and creating atmospheric soundscapes, while Expressionism aimed to convey raw emotions and inner turmoil
• Impressionist composers drew inspiration from nature, poetry, and visual art, while Expressionists were influenced by the anxieties and uncertainties of the early 20th century
• Impressionism emphasized tonal ambiguity, non-traditional scales, and blurred formal structures, while Expressionism embraced atonality, dissonance, and fragmentation
  • Impressionist works often have a sense of fluidity and seamlessness, while Expressionist compositions are characterized by abrupt shifts and heightened drama
• Impressionism sought to evoke moods and impressions through the use of timbre and tone color, while Expressionism focused on conveying subjective experiences and psychological depth
• Both movements had a significant impact on the development of 20th-century music, paving the way for further experimentation and innovation
  • Impressionism influenced composers such as Debussy and Ravel, while Expressionism shaped the works of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern

Legacy and Impact on Modern Music

• Impressionism and Expressionism challenged traditional notions of tonality, harmony, and form, opening up new possibilities for musical expression
• The innovations and techniques developed by Impressionist and Expressionist composers had a profound influence on subsequent generations of musicians
  • The use of non-traditional scales, extended harmonies, and unconventional orchestration became more commonplace in 20th-century music
• Expressionism's emphasis on atonality and the twelve-tone technique paved the way for the development of serialism and other avant-garde movements
  • Composers such as Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and John Cage built upon the foundations laid by Schoenberg and his followers
• The psychological depth and emotional intensity of Expressionist music influenced the development of film scoring and the use of music in other dramatic contexts
• Impressionism's focus on atmosphere and tone color had a lasting impact on the development of ambient and electronic music
  • Composers such as Brian Eno and Aphex Twin have cited Debussy and Satie as influences on their work
• The blurring of boundaries between musical genres and styles, a key feature of both Impressionism and Expressionism, became increasingly prevalent in the latter half of the 20th century
  • Contemporary composers often draw from a wide range of influences, combining elements of classical, jazz, world music, and popular genres in their works