Music of the 20th Century – Impressionism & Expressionism

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, composers, and concepts from the lecture on 20th-century musical Impressionism and Expressionism.

Impressionism (music)

A French-origin musical style (c. 1890–1920) that emphasizes tone color, atmosphere, and rhythmic fluidity rather than late-Romantic grandeur.

Tone Color (Timbre)

The characteristic quality that lets us distinguish one instrument’s sound from another.

Ambient Music

Gentle, largely electronic music with no persistent beat, designed to create mood or atmosphere.

Fluidity (in Impressionism)

The rhythmic technique of disguising the beat or pulse to give music a flowing, indistinct feel.

Claude Debussy

French composer (1862–1918) and major Impressionist figure; grew up near Paris in modest circumstances.

Clair de Lune

Debussy’s famous piano piece (“Moonlight”) featured in the film series The Twilight Saga.

Maurice Ravel

France’s most popular composer; claimed his only true love affair was with music.

Bolero

Ravel’s best-known 1928 orchestral composition built on incessant rhythm and gradual crescendo.

Expressionism (music)

A modernist German movement (early 20th c.) presenting the world from a subjective, emotional perspective.

Twelve-Tone Technique

Schoenberg’s 12-note system that arranges the chromatic scale to avoid emphasis on any single pitch.

Arnold Schoenberg

Austrian-born 20th-century composer who pioneered Expressionism and the twelve-tone method.

Piano Concerto, Op. 42

Schoenberg’s 1942 work exemplifying his mature twelve-tone style.

A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46

Schoenberg’s 1947 dramatic cantata depicting Holocaust experiences.

Igor Stravinsky

Russian composer and conductor, pivotal modernist and one of the 20th century’s most influential musicians.

Impressionist Art Influence

Musical Impressionism drew inspiration from French Impressionist paintings and Symbolist poetry.

Timbre

Another term for tone color; pronounced “tam-ber.”

Impressionism Timeframe

The movement flourished roughly between 1890 and 1920.

Visual-Arts Origin of Terms

Both ‘Impressionism’ and ‘Expressionism’ started as labels in painting before being applied to music.