The Music of 20th Century

2. 
What is 20th-century music?
20th-century music is defined
by the sudden emergence of
advanced technology for
recording and distributing
music as well as dramatic
innovations in musical forms
and styles.

3. The history and politics of the 20th
Century provided inspiration for the
diverse range of musical styles developed
between 1900 and 1999, pioneered by
composers ranging from Elgar and
Britten, to Stravinsky, Gershwin, and John
Williams. Advancing technology enabled
the recording of classical music and jazz,
which in turn lead to the rise of globe-
straddling artists like Pavarotti and
Callas.

4. The start of the 20th century saw
the rise of distinct musical styles
that reflected a move away from
the conventions of earlier
classical music. These new styles
were: impressionism,
expressionism, neo- classicism,
avant garde music, and modern
nationalism.

6. 
What is Neo-classicism?
 “Neo” means new
 “Classicism” means the revival of a
classical style or treatment in art, literature,
architecture, or music.
 Neo-classicism in music-was a twentieth
century development, particularly popular
in the period between the two World Wars,
in which composers drew inspiration from
music of the eighteenth century.

7.  Neo- classicism was a moderating factor
between the emotional excesses of the
Romantic period and the violent
impulses of the soul in expressionism. It
was, in essence, a partial return to an
earlier style of writing, particularly the
tightly- knit form of the Classical period,
while combining tonal harmonies with
slight dissonances. It also adopted a
modern, freer use of the seven- note
diatonic scale.

8. Characteristic features include balance,
objectivity, economy, and clarity. In
spite of its obvious intent of classical
parody, with frequent musical
quotation, Neo-classic music still
sounds fresh and new, never relying on
exact mimicry of older styles. Neo-
classicism was once considered the pre-
eminent 20th century style (prior to
1950), and there were many composers
who wrote music under its influence.

9. 
Examples of neo- classicism
 Bela Bartok’s Song of the Bagpipe and Piano
Sonata.

In this latter piece, the classical three
movement format is combined with ever-
shifting time signatures, complex but exciting
rhythmic patterns, as well as harmonic
dissonance that produce harsh chords.

10. 
Composers
The neo- classicist style was also used by
composers such as:
Francis Poulenc
Bela Bartok
Igor Stravinsky
Paul Hindemith
Sergei Prokofieff

11. 
Avant Garde
Music

12. 
What is Avant
Garde Music?
 Derived from French, "advance guard" or
"vanguard", literally "fore-guard“
 describes movements or individuals at the forefront
of innovation and experimentation in their fields.
 Avant-garde in music can refer to any form of music
working within traditional structures while seeking
to breach boundaries in some manner. The term is
used loosely to describe the work of
any musicians who radically depart from tradition
altogether.
 Closely associated with electronic music

13. The avant garde movement dealt with
the parameters or the dimensions of
sound in space. The avant garde style
exhibited a new attitude toward
musical mobility, whereby the order of
note groups could be varied so that
musical continuity could be altered.
Improvisation was a necessity in this
style, for the musical scores were not
necessarily followed as written.

14. 
Characteristics of
Avant-garde music
Avant garde was originally used to
describe serialism. Serialism is a
method or technique of composition
that uses a series of values to
manipulate different musical elements.
Serialism began primarily with Arnold
Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique

15. 
Famous
Composers George Gershwin
 John Cage
 Leonard Bernstein
 Philip Glass

17. 
A looser form of 20th century music
development focused on nationalist
composers and musical innovators who
sought to combine modern techniques
with folk materials.
Classical style music has often gone hand
in hand with the virtue of patriotism –
especially in the latter part of the 19th
century and early 20th century.
What is modern nationalism?

18. refers to the use of musical ideas or
motifs that are identified with a specific
country, region, or ethnicity, such as folk
tunes and melodies, rhythms, and
harmonies inspired by them.

19. In eastern europe, Prominent figures like Bela
Bartok and Sergei Prokofiev who were non-
classicists to a certain extent.
Famous work of Sergei Prokofiev: “Visions
Fugitive”
Five composers known as “Russian Five”- a highly
gifted generation of creative individuals. Modest
Mussorgsky, Mili Balakiev, Alexander Borodin,
Cesar Cuu, and Nikolai Rimsky Kosakov.

20. The
End