In the last years of the 19th century, new artistic and musical movements were taking part across Europe.
As we have seen in the previous unit, nationalism was one of the main fields for many composers who belonged to countries without a strong tradition of academic music (Russia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Spain...). These countries will continue developing their nationalism during the new century; Spain is a good example, with figures such as Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999), and Joaquín Turina (1882-1949).
But there were also other aesthetic movements that began in the late 19th century. The most important ones were Impressionism, from France, and Expressionism, from Germany.
This style has its origins in a pictorial movement that was born in France. Impressionist painters
wanted to capture the first impression that light and color made in our senses. Hence, their paintings are colorful, bright and blurred, and represent mostly open spaces.
In music, composers looked for the pleasure of sounds through new sonorities achieved by means of free chords, the use of modal scales, and a new concept of timbre that is based on instruments as individual elements more than orchestral groups.
The most important composers within this movement were Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and Maurice Ravel (1875-1937).
Below you can enjoy a beautiful work by Debussy.
In the musical field, expressionism broke with the classical harmonic tradition creating a new system of relationships between sounds: the atonal system. It used dissonances constantly and introduced a new way of singing called sprechgesang that tried to achieve a violent expression of the text.
The most representative composer was Arnold Schoenberg (1882-1951).
The next video is an example of Schoenberg's atonal work, and the use of sprechgesang.
As we have seen in the previous unit, nationalism was one of the main fields for many composers who belonged to countries without a strong tradition of academic music (Russia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Spain...). These countries will continue developing their nationalism during the new century; Spain is a good example, with figures such as Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999), and Joaquín Turina (1882-1949).
But there were also other aesthetic movements that began in the late 19th century. The most important ones were Impressionism, from France, and Expressionism, from Germany.
6.1.1. Impressionism
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| Monet: Impressions, sunrise |
wanted to capture the first impression that light and color made in our senses. Hence, their paintings are colorful, bright and blurred, and represent mostly open spaces.
In music, composers looked for the pleasure of sounds through new sonorities achieved by means of free chords, the use of modal scales, and a new concept of timbre that is based on instruments as individual elements more than orchestral groups.
The most important composers within this movement were Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and Maurice Ravel (1875-1937).
Below you can enjoy a beautiful work by Debussy.
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| Edwar Much's The Scream |
6.1.2. Expressionism
Expressionism was a German movement, and it was present in art, literature, and music. Its main characteristic is the expression of the human soul in a turbulent and pessimistic way. It represented human fears and conflicts, as can be seen in the famous Munch's painting The Scream.In the musical field, expressionism broke with the classical harmonic tradition creating a new system of relationships between sounds: the atonal system. It used dissonances constantly and introduced a new way of singing called sprechgesang that tried to achieve a violent expression of the text.
The most representative composer was Arnold Schoenberg (1882-1951).
The next video is an example of Schoenberg's atonal work, and the use of sprechgesang.
