Characteristics of 20th Century Music

MUSIC
PRESENTER: KRISTIAN HEZEKIAH L. DUYOGAN

TOPICS
CHARACTERISTICS OF 20TH CENTURY MUSIC
01 MELODY, METER AND RHYTHM, HARMONY, TONALITY,
AND TEXTURE
IMPRESSIONISM AND PRIMITIVISM

02 CHARACTERISTICS OF IMPRESSIONISTIC MUSIC, AND
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
NEO-CLASSICISM AND AVANT-GARDE MUSIC

03 ATONALITY, TWELVE-TONE SYSTEM, MULTIPLE
SERIALIZATION, AND ARNOLD SCHOENBERG
MODERN NATIONALISM
04 NIKOLAI RIMSKY KORSAKOV
ELECTRONIC AND CHANCE MUSIC

FEATURES OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC, DEVELOPMENTAL
05 STAGES OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC, TAPE MUSIC STAGE,
ANALOG-SYNTHESIZER STAGE, DIGITAL-
SYNTHESIZER STAGE AND INDETERMINACY, AND
JOHN CAGE
MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY
The music of the 20th century can be perfectly
described as eclectic simply because musical styles in
this period have provided listeners a wide array of
music to choose from. A high regard for originality and
individuality has led 20th century composers to please
the audience through structuring sounds in the newest
and most dynamic form of expression. That is why even
within a particular style there is tremendous variety.
C HARACTERISTICS
OF 20TH CENTURY MUSIC


Melody
Meter and Rhythm
 Harmony
 Tonality
 Texture
elody
M
The melodies of the 20th Century Music have
generally a more angular contour than those in the earlier
periods because of their alternating upward and downward
direction of the melody. They are so difficult to sing because
they feature disjunct progression. Disjunct progression refers to the
wide leaps or intervals from one note to the next.
METER AND RHYTHM
Composers have embraced new techniques of organizing
rhythm in 20th Century music seeking new rhythmic and
metric effects. This has been made possible by means of
several devices.
UNUSUAL UNUSUAL
MULTIMETER
METER METER
UNCONVENTIONAL METER POLYRHYTHM

UNUSUAL METER
▪ 20TH Century composers made use of unusual time
signatures like 5/8 and 7/8. If 2/4 means that there are 2
beats in a measure and a quarter note receives one beat,
what do 5/8 and 7/8 mean?
MULTIMETER
▪ This term is applied to music when there are frequent
changes in meter or time signature.
UNCONVENTIONAL METER
New rhythmic effects are produced by unconventional meters
or asymmetrical grouping of beats or notes within a measure.
An 8-8 meter might be subdivided into 3+2+3 to produce
interesting rhythms.
POLYRHYTHM
20th Century music with polyrhythm is that in which two or
more meters are used at the same time. Here is an example
of polyrhythm in which 2-4 is set against 6-8.
HARMONY
There has been no musical element
that is treated more radically by the CHORD
STRUCTURE
20th century composer than
harmony. As a result, a listener of
this era is unable to predict the CHORD
PROGRESSION
structure of harmony because of the
following new treatment to harmonic DISSONANCE AND
concepts. CONSONANCE
CHORD STRUCTURES
As a common practice, chords are built on an interval of
thirds, but during the 20th century, chord vocabulary has
been expanded by adding thirds to triads making up seventh,
ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords. Quartal Harmony or
chords in interval of fourths, can be found. Polychords or
mixed chords have also been used. These are two or more
chords combined by placing one traditional chord against
another. Composers would also use tone clusters chords
made up of tones with intervals of seconds.
CHORD PROGRESSION
The conventional chord progressions have been abandoned to
give way for progressions that involve chords having no
relation to the key. For example, the key of C Major has such
chords as C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and Bdim. But 20th century
composers would add chords like Eb or G# to the key.
DISSONANCE AND CONSONANCE
Fundamental changes on how chords are treated have been

brought up. Originally, chords are classified into dissonant
and consonant. A consonant chord is stable just like the chord
C major (C), but with a dissonant chord is unstable signifying
tension just like the chord C augmented (C +). A dissonant
chord is expected to be resolved to a consonant chord.
However, dissonance no longer requires resolution to
consonance during this era.
TONALITY
During the late Romantic Period, the system of
tonality or key showed signs of weakening.
Modulations (changes in key) and chromatic harmony
have increasingly overshaadowed the tonal center is
due to such practices as microtonality (use of
microtones), new modes and prolonged use of
dissonance. Some composers have removed totally
the sense of key center or key feeling. This absence
of any key center is called atonality. Another
innovation, a new approach to pitch organization, is
the use of polytonality. It is the simultaneous use of
two or more keys.
TEXTURE
Homophonic textures could be
commonly observed in this
era. However, there is a
predominance of contrapuntal
textures or counterpoint,
which is composed of two or
more independent melodic
lines.
Thank You!

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Characteristics of 20th Century Music

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How have melodies changed in 20th century music?

How have rhythms and meters been experimented with in 20th century music?

MUSIC

PRESENTER: KRISTIAN HEZEKIAH L. DUYOGAN

IMPRESSIONISM AND PRIMITIVISM

NEO-CLASSICISM AND AVANT-GARDE MUSIC

ELECTRONIC AND CHANCE MUSIC

UNCONVENTIONAL METER POLYRHYTHM

Fundamental changes on how chords are treated have been

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