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What is 20th-century classical music?
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20th-century classical music is art music that was written between the years 1901 and 2000, inclusive. Musical style diverged during the 20th century as it never had previously, so this century was without a dominant style.
- Claude Debussy: Pelléas Et Mélisande (1902) Pelléas Et Mélisande was the only opera impressionist composer Debussy wrote. With his librettist, the Belgian poet and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck, the composer explored the human psyche and supernatural themes in the piece.
- Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 6 (1904) Gustav Mahler composed his sixth symphony at a prosperous time in his life, after he’d married the Austrian-American composer, author, and socialite Alma Schindler, and had his second child.
- Lili Boulanger: Faust et Hélène (1912) Lili Boulanger was the sister of the famous pedagogue Nadia Boulanger, and the first female composer to win the Prix de Rome composition prize.
- Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (1913) Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s crowning masterpiece was penned in the 20th century. The Rite of Spring is a ballet composed by Stravinsky for Sergei’s Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes company.
Dec 3, 2023 · This article will investigate the different strands of the classical music of the 20th Century, the composers who contributed to them and some of their key pieces. We’ll take a look at impressionism, modernism and atonalism, electronic music and minimalism, and the influences that jazz and folk had upon classical music, as well the impact ...
- 15 min
- Edward Elgar (1857–1934) Elgar brought us the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, and a cello concerto to end all cello concertos. The English pastoralist cemented the “English” symphonic sound, his pieces reflecting the mood and patriotism of the nation, in many ways, with sounds and emotions of pre-war Britain audible in contrast to those following the First World War.
- Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) Another English pastoralist, Vaughan Williams composed the enduringly beloved The Lark Ascending – No.1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame again in 2020 – and great, sweeping orchestral works like Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, and A London Symphony.
- Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Stravinsky changed the musical world. The masterpieces he wrote revolutionised 20th-century music and spanned all genres, from orchestral to choral, and opera to ballet.
- Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) In her short life, the great Lili Boulanger proved herself nothing short of phenomenal – even outside the confines of what was expected of her sex in the days she was composing.
1918-2018: 20 works that defined a century - Classical Music
Oct 10, 2022 · One of the most important developments in 20 th Century classical music was the effective dissolving of tonality. The entire system of keys that had dominated the musical landscape since the late Renaissance was by many composers, ultimately dismissed in favor of what would become known as ‘serialism’.
Sep 3, 2019 · The 20 th century heralded some immense changes in classical music from the romanticism of composers like Elgar, Sibelius, Vaughan-Williams and Finzi through to the work of the Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. There is American, jazz-influenced music and Minimalism, through to the more recent work of composers such as Avro Part, John Tavener ...
