Expressionism in Music - Key Concepts from Lecture

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on Expressionism in music, including definitions, origins, features, and notable composers and works.

What is Expressionism in music?

A style in which composers seek to express inner emotional experience rather than external impressions.

When was Expressionism probably first applied to music?

1918.

What subjects are commonly explored in Expressionism?

Fantasy, Violence, Anxiety, and loss of authenticity and spirituality.

Name a defining feature of Expressionism related to dissonance.

A high degree of dissonance.

Name a defining feature of Expressionism related to dynamics.

Extreme contrasts of dynamics (from very soft to very loud: pianissimo to fortissimo).

Name a defining feature of Expressionism related to texture.

Constant changing of textures.

Name a defining feature of Expressionism related to melody and harmony.

Distorted melodies and harmonies.

Name a defining feature of Expressionism related to melodic shape.

Angular melodies with wide leaps.

What is the Twelve-Tone Technique?

A means of ensuring all 12 chromatic scale notes are sounded as often as one another while preventing emphasis on any single note through tone rows.

Who developed the Twelve-Tone Technique?

Arnold Schoenberg.

Who is Arnold Schoenberg?

A Vienna-born composer/theorist (1874–1951) who developed the twelve-tone technique and is a leading Expressionist composer.

What is Verklärte Nacht?

A string sextet in one movement composed by Arnold Schoenberg in 1899; an early important Expressionist work.

What is Pierrot Lunaire?

Also known as Three Times Seven Poems; written for a reciter with a small instrumental ensemble, typically performed by a soprano.

What is Verklärte Nacht literally meaning?

Transfigured Night.

What is a string sextet?

Music for six string instruments (usually two violins, two violas, and two cellos).

What is Three Pieces for Piano, Op. 11?

A set of solo piano pieces and an early example of atonality.

What is atonality?

The absence of functional harmony as a primary structural element.

Who is Igor Stravinsky?

A Russian composer, pianist, and conductor; a pivotal figure in modernist music; wrote about 127 works.

What is The Rite of Spring?

A 1913 ballet score by Stravinsky that showcases his new technique and revolutionized rhythm and orchestration.

Name some acclaimed works by Stravinsky.

Petrouchka (1911); The Rite of Spring (1913); The Nightingale (1914); Three Tales for Children (1917); Pulcinella (1920); Duo Concertant (1932); The Rake's Progress (1951).

Pierrot Lunaire is also known as what?

Three Times Seven Poems.

What performers are typically involved in Pierrot Lunaire?

A reciter (voice) with a small instrumental ensemble; commonly performed by a soprano.

Where did the term Expressionism originate before music?

In visual and literary arts.

What is Verklärte Nacht notable for in terms of form and ensemble?

It is a string sextet in one movement, demonstrating early expressionist style.