🎭Modernism and the Avant-Garde Unit 9 – Modernist Music: Breaking Tonal Traditions

What's the Big Deal?

• Modernist music marked a significant departure from traditional Western classical music norms
• Composers began to challenge and break away from the established rules of tonality, harmony, and form
• Experimentation with new techniques, sounds, and structures became a hallmark of modernist music
• Modernist composers sought to express the complexities and uncertainties of the modern world through their music
• The avant-garde movement within modernist music pushed the boundaries even further, often creating controversial and provocative works
• Modernist music reflected the broader cultural and intellectual shifts of the early 20th century, including the influence of new technologies, scientific discoveries, and political upheavals
• The rise of modernist music coincided with the development of new musical instruments and technologies, such as the theremin and the electronic synthesizer

Key Players and Their Tunes

• Arnold Schoenberg, an Austrian composer, is considered one of the pioneers of modernist music
  • Developed the twelve-tone technique, a method of composition that treated all 12 notes of the chromatic scale equally
  • Composed works such as "Pierrot Lunaire" (1912) and "Moses und Aron" (1932)
• Igor Stravinsky, a Russian composer, is known for his revolutionary ballets and innovative compositional techniques
  • Composed "The Rite of Spring" (1913), which caused a riot at its premiere due to its unconventional rhythms and dissonance
  • Other notable works include "Petrushka" (1911) and "The Firebird" (1910)
• Béla Bartók, a Hungarian composer, incorporated folk music elements into his modernist compositions
  • Composed works such as "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta" (1936) and "Concerto for Orchestra" (1943)
• Charles Ives, an American composer, experimented with polytonality, polyrhythm, and collage-like structures
  • Composed works such as "The Unanswered Question" (1908) and "Three Places in New England" (1914)
• Edgard Varèse, a French-born composer, explored the use of electronic instruments and unconventional sound sources
  • Composed works such as "Ionisation" (1931) and "Poème électronique" (1958)

Breaking the Rules: New Techniques

• Atonality, the absence of a tonal center or key, became a common feature in modernist music
  • Composers sought to break free from the constraints of traditional tonality and explore new harmonic possibilities
• Polytonality, the simultaneous use of multiple keys or tonal centers, was employed by composers such as Stravinsky and Bartók
  • This technique created a sense of tonal ambiguity and tension in their compositions
• Serialism, a compositional method that used a fixed series of pitches, rhythms, or other musical elements, was developed by composers such as Schoenberg and Anton Webern
  • The twelve-tone technique, a type of serialism, ensured that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale were given equal importance
• Extended techniques, unconventional ways of playing instruments or using the voice, were explored by modernist composers
  • Examples include using the back of the bow on string instruments, playing inside the piano, and producing multiphonics on wind instruments
• Microtonal music, which uses intervals smaller than a semitone, was explored by composers such as Alois Hába and Ivan Wyschnegradsky
  • This allowed for a greater range of pitch possibilities and created unique, unfamiliar soundscapes
• Graphic notation, the use of non-traditional symbols and visual elements in musical scores, was employed by composers such as John Cage and Krzysztof Penderecki
  • This approach gave performers greater interpretive freedom and challenged traditional notions of musical notation

Influences and Inspirations

• The rise of industrialization and urbanization in the early 20th century influenced the sounds and themes of modernist music
  • Composers sought to capture the noise, chaos, and energy of modern life in their compositions
• Advances in science and technology, such as Einstein's theory of relativity and the development of electronic instruments, inspired composers to explore new musical possibilities
• The horrors of World War I and the subsequent social and political upheavals had a profound impact on modernist composers
  • Many sought to express the fragmentation, disillusionment, and trauma of the post-war era through their music
• Non-Western musical traditions, such as African, Asian, and Middle Eastern music, provided new sources of inspiration for modernist composers
  • Stravinsky, for example, incorporated elements of Russian folk music into his ballets, while Bartók drew on Hungarian and Romanian folk traditions
• Visual art movements, such as Expressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism, influenced the aesthetic and conceptual approaches of modernist composers
  • Schoenberg, for instance, was closely associated with the Expressionist movement in Germany
• The rise of jazz and other popular music genres in the early 20th century had a significant impact on modernist composers
  • Many incorporated jazz elements, such as syncopation and improvisation, into their compositions (Stravinsky's "Ebony Concerto", 1945)

Major Works You Should Know

• "The Rite of Spring" (1913) by Igor Stravinsky
  • A revolutionary ballet that challenged traditional notions of rhythm, harmony, and choreography
  • Its premiere caused a riot due to its unconventional and provocative nature
• "Pierrot Lunaire" (1912) by Arnold Schoenberg
  • A groundbreaking work that employed Sprechstimme, a vocal technique between speaking and singing
  • Explored atonality and the expressive possibilities of the human voice
• "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta" (1936) by Béla Bartók
  • A four-movement work that showcased Bartók's unique compositional style, incorporating folk music elements and unconventional instrumental combinations
• "The Unanswered Question" (1908) by Charles Ives
  • A short orchestral piece that juxtaposes three distinct musical layers, each representing a different philosophical concept
• "Ionisation" (1931) by Edgard Varèse
  • A percussion ensemble piece that explored the use of unconventional instruments and sound sources, such as sirens and anvils
• "4'33"" (1952) by John Cage
  • A controversial work in which the performer(s) remain silent for the duration of the piece, encouraging the audience to focus on the ambient sounds of the environment

How It Sounded to Audiences

• Modernist music often challenged and subverted audience expectations, leading to mixed reactions and sometimes outright hostility
• The premiere of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" in 1913 famously caused a riot, with the audience divided between supporters and detractors
  • The work's unconventional rhythms, dissonant harmonies, and provocative choreography shocked and offended many listeners
• Schoenberg's atonal and twelve-tone compositions were often met with confusion and resistance from audiences accustomed to traditional tonality
  • His works were sometimes booed or met with walkouts, as listeners struggled to comprehend the new musical language
• Bartók's incorporation of folk music elements and unconventional instrumental techniques could be jarring for audiences expecting a more traditional classical sound
• Ives' dense, layered compositions, which often included quotations from popular songs and hymns, were largely ignored or misunderstood during his lifetime
  • His music was considered too complex and avant-garde for most listeners
• Varèse's use of electronic instruments and unconventional sound sources, such as sirens and anvils, was often met with curiosity and bewilderment
  • Audiences were fascinated by the new sonic possibilities but sometimes struggled to appreciate the music on a purely aesthetic level
• Cage's "4'33"", in which the performer(s) remain silent for the duration of the piece, was a particularly controversial work
  • Audiences were often confused, angered, or amused by the concept, leading to heated debates about the nature and purpose of music

Legacy and Impact

• Modernist music laid the foundation for the development of various avant-garde and experimental music movements in the latter half of the 20th century
  • Composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, and Iannis Xenakis built upon the innovations of their modernist predecessors
• The use of electronic instruments and unconventional sound sources in modernist music paved the way for the rise of electronic and electroacoustic music
  • Composers such as Varèse and Cage were early pioneers in this field, which has since become a major area of musical exploration and innovation
• Modernist composers' emphasis on experimentation and breaking traditional rules has had a lasting impact on contemporary classical music
  • Many composers today continue to push the boundaries of musical form, notation, and performance practice
• The influence of modernist music can be seen in various genres beyond classical music, including jazz, rock, and experimental music
  • Musicians such as Frank Zappa, Sonic Youth, and Radiohead have cited modernist composers as important influences on their work
• Modernist music has had a significant impact on music education and scholarship
  • The study of modernist techniques, such as serialism and atonality, has become an essential part of many music theory and composition programs
• The legacy of modernist music continues to inspire and challenge musicians, composers, and listeners alike
  • Its emphasis on innovation, experimentation, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in music remains a driving force in contemporary musical practice

Cool Facts and Trivia

• The premiere of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" in 1913 was so controversial that it nearly caused a full-scale riot in the theater
  • The audience was divided between supporters and detractors, with some shouting insults and others defending the work
• Schoenberg, who was Jewish, fled Nazi Germany in 1933 and eventually settled in the United States
  • He taught at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where his students included John Cage and Lou Harrison
• Bartók was an avid collector and researcher of folk music
  • He traveled extensively throughout Hungary, Romania, and other parts of Eastern Europe, recording and transcribing thousands of folk songs and dances
• Ives worked as an insurance executive for most of his life, composing music in his spare time
  • He self-published many of his works and often paid for performances out of his own pocket
• Varèse's "Poème électronique" (1958) was composed for the Philips Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair
  • The piece was played through 425 loudspeakers inside the pavilion, which was designed by the famous architect Le Corbusier
• Cage's "4'33"" was inspired by his visit to an anechoic chamber at Harvard University
  • In the chamber, which was designed to eliminate all external noise, Cage claimed to have heard two sounds: his nervous system and his blood circulation
• The modernist composer George Antheil collaborated with the actress Hedy Lamarr on a frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) communication system during World War II
  • The system, which was designed to prevent the jamming of radio-controlled torpedoes, laid the foundation for modern wireless communication technologies, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi