History of Music 1700s to the 20 th century

1. History of Music1700s to the 20th century

2. Beethoven • Transition between the Classical and Romantic periods • Created and mastered a new musical language • enlarged the orchestra • Changed musical structure • Began the tradition of program music

3. Beethoven (cont’d) • Wrote to please himself • Wrote much less than Haydn or Mozart • Best known pianist in Vienna • Temperamental • Unsettled life with family difficulties, poor health, and money problems

4. Romantic Period (1800-1900) • Ideals of the Enlightenment inspired the French Revolution left Europe with shattered economies and disrupted life • Industrial Revolution created a new class system based on wealth; standard of living rose for the middle class, but the lower classes were exploited

5. Art of the Romantic Period • Painting was the ideal medium for the romantic artist; landscapes were prominent • Literature flourished poetry and prose were important; fantasy tales were popular subjects • Architecture did not advance much; builders were imitative

6. Music • Most important developments: • Stretching and eventual breakdown of the tonal system • Use of instrumental color/orchestration • Art Song 1st example of “free standing” vocal solo literature; importance of the individual; reflects the romantic importance of words

7. Music (Cont’d) • Schubert well known for his art songs; wrote over 900 compositions; died of syphilis at age 31 • Schubert & Mendelssohn represent the transition between the Classical & Romantic philosophies • Mendelssohn presented Bach’s music to the world

8. More Music • Solo piano music flourished with Chopin & Liszt • Wagner & Verdi were the primary opera composers of the romantic period • Tchaikovsky was one of the nationalist composers & had a gift for emotional melody

9. Still More Music • Brahms used classic and baroque forms with romantic techniques • Mahler is best known for his huge symphonies & beautiful orchestration; 1st composer with an American connection conductor of the NY Philharmonic

10. Impressionism • Movement began in France in the late 1800s • Works are atmospheric & vague open to interpretation • Debussy was the most important impressionist composer

11. Debussy • 1st to abandon the restrictions of tonality; looked at the possibilities of harmonies • Led the introduction of new scales into the musical language • Innovative orchestrator; carried on traditions of Berlioz & Liszt

12. Arts of the 20th Century • Simultaneous development of diverse artistic styles • A trend toward intellectualization; often alienated audiences • Movements back to the “classical” approach as reactions to the extreme emotional expression of the Romantic period

13. 20th Century Music • Harmony was freed from tonality • Melody became secondary; • Rhythm was underdeveloped in Western music before 1900; became more complex in the 20th century • Timbre was explored in depth • Recording technology increased accessibility

14. Expressionism (1910-40) • Centered in Vienna • Focused on the subconscious & extreme inner emotions • Not intended to be “real” or pretty • Van Gogh was the initiator of this style in art, though he died before the period began

15. Schoenberg • An Austrian Jew who spent most of his career writing & teaching in the U.S. • Early work revolved around atonality • Developed the “12 tone system”

16. Primitivism • Developed in art & music in the early 1900s • Fascinated with the unstructured life, directness, & exoticism of uncivilized cultures • Music & paintings are “raw” • Gauguin & early Picasso represent the artists • Stravinsky is the primary composer of this period

17. Neo-Classical • Borrowed forms, textures, and concepts from the Baroque & Classical period • Used 20th century techniques to express their ideas

18. Stravinsky • May be the most important composer of the 20th century • Born in Russia, but spent his career in the U.S. • Made contributions to several musical styles • Wrote of all combinations of voices & instruments & in all genres