Expressionism and Key Modernist Composers (Schoenberg & Stravinsky)

Expressionism in Music

First labelled as a musical movement in 1918.
Core stylistic traits:
- High degree of dissonance
- Intervals and chords intentionally clash to create tension rather than consonant “beauty.”
- Mirrors the visual-arts aim of exposing raw, often unsettling emotion.
- Extreme contrasts of dynamics
- Sudden shifts from very soft (pp) to very loud (ff) passages.
- Heightens psychological impact; comparable to chiaroscuro in painting.
- Distorted melodies with wide leaps
- Angular, fragmented lines that avoid traditional singable contours.
- Symbolise inner turmoil; listener feels destabilised.
- Frequent use of the twelve-tone technique (serialism) popularised by Arnold Schoenberg.
- Equal importance to all 12 chromatic pitches; avoids tonal centre.
- Key constructs of a tone row:
  - Prime row (P): original ordering : 1\ 2\ 3\ 4\ 5\ 6\ 7\ 8\ 9\ 10\ 11\ 12
  - Inversion (I): mirror around first pitch : 1\ 2\ 3\ 4\ 5\ 6\ 7\ 8\ 9\ 10\ 11\ 12 (numbers show slot positions; actual pitch classes differ)
- Additional row forms (not listed in transcript but essential): Retrograde (R) and Retrograde-inversion (RI).
Philosophical/ethical context:
- Rejection of late-Romantic sentimentality; search for truthful expression of the subconscious (parallels with Freud, early 20th-century angst).
- Challenges audiences to confront discomfort—an early example of art intentionally defying consumer taste.

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
- Though Stravinsky’s output spans several styles (Russian nationalist, neo-classical, serial), his rhythmic invention and bold harmony align him with expressionist/modernist aesthetics at times.

Birth & Nationality
- Born September 13, 1874 in Vienna, Austria.
- Later emigrated; became an Austrian-American citizen.
Historical Significance
- Pioneered atonal writing (music without a key) and formalised the twelve-tone system.
- Seen as the bridge from late Romanticism (Brahms, Mahler) to high modernism.
- Music often perceived as complex and heavy, demanding analytical listening rather than immediate emotional gratification.
Key Compositions
- Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), 1899
- Originally for string sextet; later orchestrated.
- Still late-Romantic (pre-atonal) but foreshadows chromatic extremity.
- Pierrot Lunaire, 1912
- Song cycle: 3 parts, 7 songs each (total 21 poems by Albert Giraud).
- Uses Sprechstimme (speech-song) and small chamber ensemble.
- Landmark of expressionist vocal writing.
- Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11, 1909
- Among first openly atonal works.
- Displays free atonality just before 12-tone codification.
Psychological Anecdote – Triskaidekaphobia
- Fear of the number 13.
- Died July 13, 1951, at age 76 (numerologically 7 + 6 = 13).
- Contemporary accounts claim intense anxiety on that date contributed to his death—illustrates interplay between superstition and health.
- Insight: even hyper-rational serialist composers possessed irrational fears, reminding us of the multifaceted human behind the theory.

Birth & Early Training
- Born in Russia; raised with piano and music-theory lessons.
Artistic Traits
- Celebrated for rhythmic vitality—"inventing rhythms" that feel primal yet precise.
- Skilled in thematic manipulation and orchestration; could “handle material” resourcefully.
- Integrated nationalistic folk elements into modernist language; later explored neo-classicism and serialism.
Representative Works (early ballet period)
- The Firebird Suite, 1910
- Combines Russian folklore with dazzling orchestral colors.
- Catapulted Stravinsky to international fame via Ballets Russes production.
- Petrushka, 1911
- Ballet depicting puppet characters; noted for bitonal opening (C major vs F♯ major) and complex rhythms.
- Example of adding “new ingredient” (acute rhythmic modernism) to Russian nationalist style.

Schoenberg vs. Stravinsky
- Often portrayed as rival poles of modernism: serial vs rhythmic / neo-tonal. Yet both pursued radical departures from 19th-century norms.
- By mid-century, Stravinsky adopted 12-tone methods, acknowledging Schoenberg’s influence.
Musical Modernism & Society
- Early 1900s Europe faced political upheaval, industrialisation, and shifts in psychology (Freud). Expressionist music paralleled expressionist art (Kandinsky, Munch) and literature (Kafka).
- Twelve-tone serialism later linked to post-WWII academic music, influencing Boulez, Webern followers, film scores, and electronic composition.
Practical Listening Tips
- Instead of seeking melody/harmony, focus on timbre, texture, and motivic cells.
- Observe how a tone row transforms (P, I, R, RI) or how Stravinsky manipulates meter (e.g., mixed meters 5/8, 7/8 in Petrushka).

Twelve-tone count: 1\to12 equal chromatic steps.
Age calculations: Schoenberg 76 = 7 + 6 = 13; Stravinsky 88 years.
Three main row operations: P, I, R (+RI) forming 4 basic forms, each transposed 12 times, yielding 48 possibilities.

Art vs Audience: Is challenging the listener a duty or arrogance? Expressionists argued authenticity is paramount, even if unpopular.
Superstition in Rational Art: Schoenberg’s death narrative invites debate about mind-body connection and artist mythology.
National Identity: Stravinsky’s Russian folk inspiration vs later cosmopolitan serialism questions cultural roots amid global modernism.

Memorise core traits of musical Expressionism.
Understand twelve-tone serialism: definition, purpose, basic row forms.
Be able to cite Schoenberg’s three seminal works and explain their stylistic significance.
Recall Stravinsky’s two early ballets and their innovations (rhythm, bitonality, orchestration).
Reflect on broader cultural context (psychology, visual arts, nationalism).
Recognise anecdotal elements (Triskaidekaphobia, rivalry narratives) as tools to humanise theoretical study.