20th century music history

What triggered World War I?

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.

What treaty ended World War I and what was its impact on Germany?

The Treaty of Versailles in 1919, which heavily punished Germany.

What event initiated World War II?

Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland.

Name two major events during World War II.

The Holocaust and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

What characterized the movement of Modernism in music?

A departure from the Romantic era's emotional expressiveness and traditional tonal structures, with experimentation in harmony, rhythm, and form.

Who were some key composers associated with Modernism?

Debussy, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky.

What cultural shifts occurred in the early 20th century?

An explosion of new art, music, and literature, influenced by movements like psychoanalysis, Marxism, and existentialism.

What was the significance of second-wave feminism in the 1960s-70s?

It addressed women's rights and gender equality issues.

What major social changes occurred in the U.S. and Western Europe after the war?

The Baby Boom, suburbanization, and the rise of the middle class.

What technological advancements characterized the post-war era?

A technology boom including computers, televisions, and space exploration.

What are the key characteristics of experimentation and innovation in music from 1939 to 2000?

Composers broke from traditional tonality, embraced atonality and dissonance, and used complex rhythms with irregular meters.

What are the three diverse styles and movements in music during the Modernist period?

Modernism, Impressionism, and Neoclassicism.

What defines Modernism in music?

It pushed the boundaries of form and harmony.

What is the focus of Impressionism in music?

It emphasizes atmosphere and color.

How does Neoclassicism differ from other movements?

It returns to older forms with a modern twist.

What are the characteristics of Jazz music from the 1910s to the 1950s?

Improvisation, swing rhythms, and blue notes.

What defines Rock & Roll music from the 1950s?

It is youth-driven and rhythm-heavy.

What musical genres flourished in the later decades after the 1950s?

Pop, hip-hop, electronic, and R&B.

How did global influences affect music composition?

Composers drew from non-Western music, folk traditions, and cross-cultural fusion.

What impact did new technologies have on music distribution?

The invention of recording and radio changed distribution, while synthesizers and digital audio opened new possibilities post-1970s.

What does the blurring of boundaries in music refer to?

Classical, jazz, popular, and world music increasingly influenced one another.

Who are some composers known for blending genres?

Gershwin, Bernstein, and Glass.

What are the key characteristics of Impressionism in visual arts?

Fresh, lively, and atmospheric with vague outlines and details left to the viewer's imagination.

Who is considered the first Impressionist composer?

Claude Debussy.

What is Debussy's most famous orchestral composition?

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.

What is the significance of Debussy's Trois Nocturnes?

It consists of three sections: Clouds, Festivals, and Sirens.

What is Debussy's most famous piano piece?

Clair de lune.

What is a notable children's piece written by Debussy?

's Cake-Walk.

What are some of Debussy's other significant works?

Jardins sous la pluie, La Cathédrale engloutie, and various chamber music pieces.

What were some personal challenges Debussy faced?

He loved fancy clothes and fine food, which often left him short of money.

How did Debussy challenge traditional orchestral usage?

He rejected the idea that string instruments should be predominantly lyrical and used pizzicato strings to show a new concept of string color.

What is the title of Debussy's piece inspired by a poem by Paul Verlaine?

Clair de Lune (Moonlight).

What is Expressionism in the context of music?

An artistic movement that presents the world from a subjective perspective, often resulting in atonal and dissonant music.

Who is Arnold Schoenberg?

One of the most radically innovative composers of the century, known for evolving a new approach to musical harmony.

What significant change did Schoenberg make in his musical style?

He developed Atonality, a system without key.

What was Schoenberg's early musical influence?

He was influenced by composers like Brahms and Mahler.

What is the title of one of Schoenberg's most famous pieces?

Pierrot Lunaire.

What did Schoenberg develop after 1915 due to personal and political crises?

The Twelve-Tone System, a unifying principle for his compositions.

In which work did Schoenberg first use the twelve-tone system?

Five Piano Pieces, composed in 1923.

Who were Schoenberg's notable students?

Anton Webern and Alban Berg.

What happened to Schoenberg in 1933?

He was dismissed from his teaching job at the Academy of the Arts in Berlin after the Nazis came to power.

What was the emotional effect aimed for in Expressionism in visual arts?

To evoke moods or ideas through bold colors and exaggerated forms.

What characterized the music of the Expressionist movement?

It was often atonal, dissonant, or emotionally intense.

What significant change occurred in Schoenberg's music after he embraced Judaism?

His music became more liturgical.

Where did Schoenberg settle after moving to the United States?

Los Angeles, where he taught at the University of California.

What was the public's reception of Schoenberg's music?

It was often found inaccessible and not performed.

What musical system is Schoenberg most known for?

The 12-tone system.

Who were two notable students of Schoenberg?

Alban Berg and Anton Webern.

What are the three periods into which Schoenberg's music is divided?

Early Period, Atonal Period, and 12-tone Period.

What is Wozzeck, and why is it significant?

It is the first atonal expressionist opera, completed in 1922, and considered one of the greatest operas of the 20th Century.

What was Berg's last composition?

A violin concerto dedicated 'to the memory of an angel,' Manon Gropius.

What is the story of Wozzeck about?

It follows a poor working-class soldier, Franz Wozzeck, who is bullied and ultimately murders his love, Marie, before committing suicide.

How did Anton Webern die?

He was shot by an American soldier while outside smoking a cigarette after the war.

What is a key characteristic of Webern's music?

It is understated and much more abstract than Berg's.

What emotional qualities are present in Berg's music?

It is more passionate and emotionally intense, reflecting his personal experiences.

What compositional techniques does Berg use in Wozzeck?

Atonal language with precise formal structures, including Sprechstimme and expressionism.

What was the title of Shostakovich's memoirs and when were they published?

Testimony, published in 1979.

What was the political climate like for artists in the Soviet Union during Shostakovich's life?

Artists had to balance creative freedom with the demands of a totalitarian state.

What is the significance of Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony?

It is considered one of his greatest works, composed after Stalin's death.

What musical signature did Shostakovich use in his works?

Short musical motives based on his monogram: D. Sch. (D, Eb, C, B).

Who was a prominent composer before World War II known for his originality?

Bela Bartok

Where was Bela Bartok born?

Hungary

Who was Benjamin Britten's lifelong companion?

Peter Pears, a fine tenor singer.

What is the title of Britten's work designed to showcase the instruments of a symphony orchestra?

The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1946).

What major work did Britten compose in 1960?

War Requiem.

What themes are prevalent in Charles Ives' compositions?

American cultural themes such as baseball, Thanksgiving, and popular songs.

What was unique about Ives' father's approach to music?

He played tunes in two different keys at once.

What did Ives say about the corrections made to his music manuscripts?

He requested not to correct the wrong notes, stating 'the wrong notes are right'.

What was Britten's approach to composing opera roles?

He primarily designed them for the tenor role to be played by Peter Pears.

What was the purpose of Britten's War Requiem?

It was written for the dedication of a new cathedral and mingled lamentation for war dead with a call for peace.

What was the first modernist composer whose work was distinctly American?

Charles Ives.

What did Ives do for a living outside of music?

He worked in insurance.

What was one of the major influences on Bartok's music?

Recording and notating indigenous music.

What unique technique did Ives call for in the Concord Sonata?

He called for the pianist to use an elbow to press down notes and a wooden board to hold down 16 notes at once.

What is the significance of Charles Ives in American music?

He is recognized as the first truly original American musical genius.

What is the title of Ives' piece that features two marching bands?

Putnam's Camp

Who was Aaron Copland?

A composer born into a Jewish immigrant family in Brooklyn, NY, who decided to become a composer at age 15.

Where did Aaron Copland study music in Europe?

He studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger.

What style of music did Copland aim to write after returning from Paris?

Works that are specifically American in style.

What musical elements did Copland incorporate into his compositions?

He drew on jazz, including syncopated rhythms and jazz chord combinations.

For whom did Copland write the Clarinet Concerto?

Jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman.

Name one of Copland's works that depicts a pioneer wedding.

Appalachian Spring.

What is Lincoln Portrait, and when was it written?

A composition by Copland written in 1942 that arranges extracts from Lincoln's speeches and letters with orchestral accompaniment.

What nickname did Aaron Copland earn?

The dean of American music.

What is the setting of the opera The Tender Land?

Set in the rural Midwest during the 1930s.

What is the significance of Nadia Boulanger in Copland's education?

She was the most famous composition teacher of the 20th century and taught many American composers.

What is the title of Copland's opera written in English?

The Tender Land.

Who was George Gershwin?

A composer of American popular songs and a jazz pianist, born in Brooklyn, NY in 1898.

What was George Gershwin's original name?

Jacob Gershwin.

What musical styles did George Gershwin blend in his compositions?

Classical music and jazz.

What is Rhapsody in Blue?

A mix of jazz and concert music written for solo piano and orchestra, considered one of Gershwin's first major works.

What is An American in Paris?

A programmatic symphonic poem composed by Gershwin in 1928, reflecting his experiences in Paris.

What is Porgy and Bess?

A folk opera by Gershwin that combines elements of jazz, church meetings, street cries, lullabies, and spirituals, based on African American life in the South.

Which famous songs are from Porgy and Bess?

Summertime and It Ain't Necessarily So.

What was Gershwin's role in Tin Pan Alley?

He worked as a song plugger, promoting sheet music by playing it.

Who was Gershwin's lyricist brother?

Ira Gershwin.

Name two Broadway shows written by George and Ira Gershwin.

Lady, Be Good! and Girl Crazy.

Who were some composers influenced by George Gershwin?

Leonard Bernstein and Duke Ellington.

What is Primitivism in art?

A movement in painting at the beginning of the 20th century, characterized by a fascination with primitive cultures.

Who were some famous painters associated with Primitivism?

Paul Gauguin, Henri Rousseau, and Pablo Picasso.