Thoroughly Modern

Musicians

OverviewBreaks with or redefines the

conventions of the past.

Uses experimental techniques.

Show the diversity of society and the blending of cultures.

Representative Composers

Stravinsky

Ellington

GershwinCopland

Non Traditional• Arnold Schoenberg

• Atonality (pantonality)

• 12 tone technique• Listen to Pierrot Lunaire No.8

• Igor Stravinsky• Wrote ballets

• Irregular rhythms

• Tension

• Short, fragmented melodies• Listen to portion of Les Sacre du printemps

(The Rite of Spring)

Revolutionized music and wrote in Revolutionized music and wrote in a large variety of different styles and a large variety of different styles and genresgenres

Voted one of Voted one of Time MagazineTime Magazine’s ’s “100 Most Influential People” in 1998.“100 Most Influential People” in 1998.

Igor Stravinsky

Worked with PicassoWorked with Picasso

The Rite of Spring The Rite of Spring was was one of the turning points one of the turning points in twentieth century in twentieth century music. Its premiere was music. Its premiere was marked by a riot, and marked by a riot, and part of the shock the part of the shock the audience felt probably audience felt probably resulted from raw, resulted from raw, primitive rhythms.primitive rhythms.

Traditional Tonality out the Window

• Bartok• Folk music (Eastern European)

• Chromatic, atonal, rhythmic

• Listen to Music for Strings,

Percussion, and Celesta

• Berg & Webern• Berg-pupil of

Schoeberg

• Webern-friend of Berg

• Serial technique

• Listen to Symphonie 21 - Webern

• Ives• Combines folk, hymns, pop

• Irregular rhythms and tonalities

• Listen to They Are There!

• Copland• Jazz, American folk, Shaker

• Tonal harmonies

• Listen to Appalachian Spring

Aaron Copland

• (1900-1991) Born into a Russian-Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York

• As a teen, studied in Paris and influenced by French & Russian Ballet and composers Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky

While in Paris he became aware While in Paris he became aware of the various emerging of the various emerging European national styles, and European national styles, and resolved to develop an American resolved to develop an American equivalentequivalent . .

The worsening world The worsening world economic are political economic are political situation in the 1930s led situation in the 1930s led Copland to seek a more Copland to seek a more popular, socially relevant popular, socially relevant style, as in the three 'cowboy style, as in the three 'cowboy ballets‘ballets‘

Billy the KidBilly the Kid (1938) (1938)RodeoRodeo (1942) (1942)Appalachian SpringAppalachian Spring (1944) (1944)

Borrows heavily from American folk songs, such as the Shaker Tune, “’Tis the Gift to Be Simple” in Appalachian Spring

Jazz• Scott Joplin

• Ragtime• The Entertainer

• Louis Armstrong• Trumpet player• Improviser

• Ella Fitzgerald• Singer• Listen to: Can’t Take That Away

Duke EllingtonAfrican-American

composer, pianist and bandleader.

One of the leading figures in American jazz, and created a unique, recognizable style.

A genius for instrumental combinations, improvisation, and jazz arranging

Moved to New York in 1923 and, during the formative Cotton Club years (Harlem Renaissance)

Among the first to focus on Among the first to focus on musical form and musical form and composition in jazz using composition in jazz using ternary forms and "call-ternary forms and "call-and-response" techniquesand-response" techniquesTake the A Train”Take the A Train”““Mood Indigo”Mood Indigo”““It Don’t Mean A Thing if it It Don’t Mean A Thing if it Ain’t Got that Swing” (listen Ain’t Got that Swing” (listen to)to)Over 2000 PiecesOver 2000 Pieces

George GershwinSon of Russian-Son of Russian-

Jewish immigrant Jewish immigrant parentsparents

Tried to bridge the Tried to bridge the wide gap between Tin wide gap between Tin Pan Alley (popular, “in Pan Alley (popular, “in the bars”-type music) the bars”-type music) and serious music.and serious music.

Won serious attention with his opera Porgy and Bess, a drama of Black America“Summertime” (listen to)

“Rhapsody in Blue”, written in 1924 marries jazz with something of the classical form (listen to)