Music of the 20 Century

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Musical Composers of the 20th Century

 Impressionism

• CLAUDE DEBUSSY ( 1862-1918)

- primary exponent of the impressionist
movement and the focal point for other impressionist
composers.
- born in St. Germaine-en-Laye, France on August
22, 1862.
- His musical compositions total more or less 277
which includes orchestral music, chamber music,
piano, music, operas, ballet, songs, and other vocals
music.
- He died of cancer in Paris on March 25, 1918 at
the height of the First World War.
 Impressionism
• MAURICE RAVEL ( 1875-1937 )
- His style is characterized by its uniquely innovative
but not atonal style of harmonic treatment. It is defined
with intricate and sometimes modal melodies and
extended chordal components. It demands considerable
technical virtuosity.
- Born in Ciboure, France as JOSEPH MAURICE RAVEL
on March 7, 1875.
- He entered Paris Conservatory at the age of 14
where he studied with the eminent French composer
Gabriel Faure.
- A total of approximately 60 pieces for piano,
chamber music, song cycles, ballet, and opera.
- He died in Paris on December 28, 1937.
 Expressionism

• ARNOLD SCHOENBERG ( 1874-1951)

- His style was constantly undergoing
development. He explored the use of chromatic
harmonies. His music is also extremely complex,
creating heavy demands on the listener.
- Born in Vienna, Austria on September 13, 1874
- Uses the twelve-tone scale and atonality.
- Has approximately 213 musical compositions.
- Died on July 13, 1951 in LA, California, USA.
 Expressionism and Neo-classicism

• IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)

- His skilful handling of material and
rhythmic inventiveness went beyond anything
composed by his Russian predecessors.
- Born in Oranienbaum (Lomonosov),
Russia on June 17, 1882.
- He incorporated nationalistic elements
in his music
- Has approximate 127 works.
- Died in New York City on April 6, 1981
 Primitivism, Neo-classicism, Modern Nationalism

• BELA BARTOK ( 1881-1945)

- He used Hungarian folk themes and rhythms. He
also utilized changing meters and strong syncopations.
He also combine difficult and dissonant music with
mysterious sounds.
- Born in Nagyszentmiklos, Hungary (Romania) on
March 25, 1881.
- Has approximately 700 musical compositions.
- Died in New York City on September 26, 1945.
 Neo-classicism, Modern Nationalism, Avante-garde

• SERGEI PROKOFIEFF (1891-1953)

- Combination of neo-classicist, nationalist, and
avant-garde composer. His style is uniquely recognizable
for its progressive technique, pulsating rhythms, melodic
directness, and a resolving dissonance.
- Born in Sontsivka, Ukraine on April 23, 1891
- had the chance to write music for the ballet and
opera Romeo and Juliet.
- Died in Moscow, Russia on March 15, 1953
 Neo- Classicism

• FRANCIS POULENC (1899-1963)

- His compositions had a coolly elegant
modernity, tempered by a classical sense of
proportion. His choral works tended to be more sober
and solemn.
- Born on January 7, 1899 in Paris, France.
- a member of young French composers known
as “Les Six”.
- Has an approximately 185 musical
compositions.
- Died in Paris, France on January 30, 1963
Other composers of “Les Six”
• GEORGES AURIC- (1899-1983) DARIUS MILHAUD (1892-1974)
• LOUIS DUREY- (1888-1979) GERMAINE TAILLEFERRE (1892-1983)
• ARTHUR HONEGGER ( 1882-1955)
AVANT-GARDE

• Avant-Garde (from French, "advance guard" or "vanguard",

literally "fore-guard") are people or works that are
experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art,
culture, and politics. The avant-garde pushes the boundaries
of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo, primarily in
the cultural realm.
• The unconventional methods of sound and form, as well as
the absence of traditional rules governing harmony, melody,
and rhythm, make the whole concept of avant–garde music
still so strange to ears accustomed to traditional compositions.
 Avante-garde
• GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937)
- Father of American Jazz
- His melodic gift was considered phenomenal, as
evidenced by his numerous songs of wide appeal. He is a
true “crossover artist,” in the sense that his serious
compositions remain highly popular in the classical
repertoire, as his stage and film songs continue to be jazz
and vocal standards.
- Born in New York to a Russian Jewish immigrants
on September 26, 1898
- Has musical composition of around 369.
- Died in Hollywood, California, USA on July 11, 1937
 Avant-Garde

• LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918-1990)

- He achieved pre-eminence in two fields:
conducting and composing for Broadway musicals,
dance shows, and concert music.
- Best known for his compositions for stage and
his music lectures for young people.
- Born in Massachusetts, USA on August 25, 1918.
- Best known for his composition on stage such as
West Side Story (1957) and an American adaptation of
Romeo and Juliet which displays a tuneful, off-beat, and
highly atonal approach to the songs.
- Died in New York City, USA on October 14, 1990.
 Avant-Garde

• PHILIP GLASS ( 1937- )

- His distinctive style involves cell-like phrases emanating from
bright electronic sounds from the keyboard that progressed very
slowly from one pattern to the next in a very repetitious fashion. His
music is often criticized as uneventful and shallow, yet startlingly
effective for its hypnotic charm.
- A successful minimalist composers.
- Born in New York, USA of a Jewish parentage on January 31,
1937.
- He became an accomplished violinist and flutist at the age of
15.
- Has a total of 170 musical compositions approximately.
- Today, he is living alternately in Nova Scotia, Canada and
New York, USA.
Modern Nationalism

Musical innovators who sought to combine modern

techniques with folk materials.
Russian Five:
1. Modest Mussorgsky
2. Mili Balakirev
3. Alexander Borodin
4. Cesar Cui
5. Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov
Russian Five

Mussorgsky Balakirev Borodin Cui Rimsky Korsakov

Electronic Music
- using the capacity of electronic machines
such as synthesizers, amplifiers, tape
recorders, and loudspeakers/ aka musique
concrete
• Edgard Varese (1883-1965)
- He invented the term “organized sound,”
which means that certain timbres and rhythms can
be grouped together in order to capture a whole
definition of sound. “Father of Electronic Music”
- Born in December 22, 1883 in France.
- He is also describe as the “The Stratospheric
Colossus of Sounds”.
- Has around 50 musical compositions.
- Died on November 6, 1965 in New York,
USA.
• Karlheinz Stockhausen ( 1928- )
– His music was initially met with
resistance due to its heavily atonal content with
no clear melodic or rhythmic sense.
- The central figure in the realm of
electronic music.
- Born in Cologne, Germany on August 22,
1928.
- Has a total of 31 musical compositions
approximately.
- Died on December 5, 2007 at Kurten,
Germany.
CHANCE MUSIC
- the piece always sounds different at
every performance because of the random
techniques of production.
• John Cage- (1912-1992)
- He challenged the very idea of music by
manipulating musical instruments in order to achieve
new sounds.
- Born in Los Angeles, California USA on
September 5, 1912.
- He became famous for his Four Minutes and
33 seconds (4’33”), a chance musical work that
instructed the pianist to merely open the piano lid
and remain silent for the length of time indicated by
the title. The work was intended to convey the
impossibility of achieving total silence, since
surrounding sounds can still be heard amidst the
silence of the piano performance.
-Died on August 12, 1992 at New York City, USA.
Performance Activity
1. Research on the 20th century musical play “ West
Side Story” composed by L. Bernstein. Watch the
film and write a reaction paper explaining the
performance.

2. Create short electronic music pieces using your

knowledge of 20th century musical styles and other
electronic gadgets that you can use.