Transcript 20th Century Period

th
20 Century
1901-2000
We have traced the progress that music
has made through each period we have
studied so far. Each new period has
brought new developments in music.
But The last 100 years or so have been
the most drastic. Most composers
abandoned all rules. They have tried
everything there is to try, no matter how
strange or unusual. It seems they have
left no stone unturned.
Here is a piece called 4’33” by John Cage, one of the foremost composers
of the 20th Century.
The definition of music became a turning point in the
20th Century. When some composers came to the
conclusion that silence and sounds around us could
be considered music, then it opened up the door to
aleatoric or “chance” music. This is music that is
totally unplanned, or “by chance.” It deals with
everyday outside noises such as traffic or kids playing
in a playground. What you are listening to right now
is aleatoric music.
John Cage eventually wrote another
piece called 4’33” No. 2. The
instructions indicate for a “solo to be
played in any way by anyone” for 4
minutes and 33 seconds.
Each of the six elements of music has been radically changed during the 20th
century. The next several frames show how each of these elements has been
adapted.
Escher
1. Rhythm
20th Century Rhythm can be very complex.
Composers often used changing time signatures and polyrhythms (different
rhythms used at the same time). All these complex rhythms can make the music
sound very aperiodic.
Changing time signatures
Polyrhythms
2. Melody
Pre-20th Century
melody
20th Century
melody
20th Century melody is very jagged and jumpy.
The melodies are not often repeated and very
hard to remember.
3. Harmony
In the 20th Century,
consonance is no longer the
primary type of harmony
used. Dissonance begins to
have more and more appeal
and is used more frequently.
Dissonance
Harmony - continued
In the 20th Century, composers found many ways to use dissonance. One such way
is called
“12-tone-music”.
Usually, most songs center around a given tone called “the key”. A song can be in
the key of C or F sharp, there are 12 tones to choose from. Composers of 12-tonemusic believe that a song centered around one tone is “unfair” to the other 11
tones, So their strategy was to use all 12 tones equally.
A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G#
1 2
3 4 5
6 7
8 9 10 11 12
Harmony - continued
Polytonality
Polytonality
Polytonality
Polytonality
Another way that composers used
dissonance is called polytonality.
This is when music is performed in 2
or more keys at the same time.
July 14, 2012: Users of Google were taken aback to see the home
page on Saturday. Initially, it looked like some golden pieces and a
woman’s face. Nothing great. But a closer look reveals that it is
actually a couple embracing each other and their bodies tangled in
decorated robes.
Today celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Gustav Klimt,
Austrian painter
The doodle is actually a representation of Gustav Klimt’s The
Kiss (1907-08).
4. Expressive Qualities
In the 20th Century, new ways of writing music were
invented to represent every sound possibility on every
instrument. Composers used special markings that
instructed vocalists to hiss, shriek, buzz their tongue, or
snap their fingers. Some markings instructed string players
to play the strings by the tuning pegs, hit their instruments,
or play their bows upside down. Other instructions
informed flute players to play their flutes without blowing
air into it.
New markings
Expressive Qualities - continued
Although this song sounds like awful noise, it has more meaning when you know what it is
about. This song was written about the horrors of Hiroshima. (?)
The bomb created 7000
degree winds traveling at
speeds over 600 mph.
140,000 dead
Mushroom Cloud 50,000 Feet High
Just as popular music often reflects society, “serious” music can also reveal
cultural events and feelings.
5. Tone Color
20th Century tone color can be quite unusual.
Composers were looking for new sounds.
Often, unusual combinations of instruments
were used to find this sound.
Here are some examples of strange combinations in real
songs:
1. Music for 80 voices, zither, guitar and a tape player
2. Boy soprano, oboe, mandolin, harp, and toy piano
3. Violin, percussion, and off-stage glass harmonica
6. Form
Just like 20th Century artwork,
most 20th Century music lacks
any kind of form whatsoever.
Although most were following the 20th Century trends, there were some who
didn’t go with the flow. These composers and artists stuck to the old fashioned
consonance, and we’re often considered “traitors” by other composers and
artists.
These rebel composers weren’t completely old-fashioned. They
would use dissonance occasionally for the right effect. Most
importantly, they kept the general public interested in “serious”
music. The 12-tone-music was too much to handle for the average
person (and still is).
20th Century
The End