The Development of 20th Century Music: Schoenberg vs. Stravinsky
1. Introduction
As the 20th century dawned, a new era of music was ushered in with it. This was a time when the traditional tonal system that had been in place for centuries was starting to be challenged. Newer composers were beginning to experiment with atonality, serialism, and other techniques that would eventually come to define 20th century music. Two of the most important composer of this time period were Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky. Both men were highly influential in the development of 20th century music, but their approaches were very different. In this essay, we will explore the ways in which Schoenberg and Stravinsky contributed to the development of 20th century music.
2. The early years: Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky
Arnold Schoenberg was born in 1874 in Austria. He began his musical training as a violinist before eventually studying composition under Alexander Zemlinsky. Schoenberg’s early works were heavily influenced by the music of Richard Wagner and Gustav Mahler. However, he soon began to develop his own unique style, which incorporated elements of atonality and chromaticism. Schoenberg’s early atonal works caused much controversy, but they would ultimately come to be seen as groundbreaking masterpieces of 20th century music.
Igor Stravinsky was born in Russia in 1882. He began his musical training as a pianist before eventually studying composition under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Unlike Schoenberg, who broke away from tonality relatively early on in his career, Stravinsky remained largely within the confines of tonality throughout his early works. It wasn’t until 1909 that he began to experiment with atonality and chromaticism in his ballet “The Firebird”. This work would quickly establish Stravinsky as one of the leading composers of his generation.
3. The development of 20th century music: Schoenberg vs. Stravinsky
As we have seen, both Schoenberg and Stravinsky were highly influential in the development of 20th century music. However, their approaches were very different. Schoenberg’s early atonal works caused much controversy, but they would ultimately come to be seen as groundbreaking masterpieces of 20th century music. On the other hand, Stravinsky’s early works were largely within the confines of tonality throughout his early career. It wasn’t until 1909 that he began to experiment with atonality and chromaticism in his ballet “The Firebird”. This work would quickly establish Stravinsky as one of the leading composers of his generation.
4. Serialism
One of the most important techniques that Schoenberg developed was serialism. Serialism is a method of composition that uses a pre-determined set of pitches, or a “row”, as the basis for a piece of music. The row is then manipulated in various ways (such as being played backwards or inverted) to create different melodic and harmonic structures within the piece. Serialism was a radical departure from traditional tonal composition, and it had a profound impact on the development of 20th century music.
5Tonality
Another important technique that Schoenberg developed was atonality. Atonality is a musical composition that lacks a tonal center, or key. This means that the music is not based on any particular scale, and it can therefore be quite dissonant. Atonality was a radical departure from traditional tonal composition, and it had a profound impact on the development of 20th century music.
6. Orchestration
One of the most important aspects of Stravinsky’s music is his innovative use of orchestration. Stravinsky was a master at creating new and interesting soundworlds by utilizing different combinations of instruments. He was also highly skilled at writing for specific instruments, and he frequently wrote works that featured soloists or small ensembles within the larger orchestra. This aspect of Stravinsky’s music would come to have a significant impact on the development of 20th century music.
7Harmony
Another important aspect of Stravinsky’s music is his use of harmony. Throughout his career, Stravinsky frequently experimented with different harmonic progressions and chord structures. He was also highly skilled at using counterpoint, which is the simultaneous use of two or more melodic lines. This aspect of Stravinsky’s music would come to have a significant impact on the development of 20th century music.
8. Conclusion
In conclusion, both Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky were highly influential in the development of 20th century music. However, their approaches were very different. Schoenberg’s early atonal works caused much controversy, but they would ultimately come to be seen as groundbreaking masterpieces of 20th century music. On the other hand, Stravinsky’s early works were largely within the confines of tonality throughout his early career. It wasn’t until 1909 that he began to experiment with atonality and chromaticism in his ballet “The Firebird”. This work would quickly establish Stravinsky as one of the leading composers of his generation.