Impressionism

1870-1920
•It began in the19 thcentury.
•Style of music and of
painting that avoids definite
forms or obvious
statements.
•Highlighting suggestion and
atmosphere.
•It was seen in music, paintings
and literature.
•Impressionist composers’ works
express reaction to experience
rather than the reality itself.
•Impressionist composers’ were
motivated to search for exciting
and different modes of
expansion.
•They added the piano to the
orchestral instruments in
creating musical compositions.
•Piano was believed to be
capable of expressing the
Impressionistic style in a
composition.
•Impressionism music describes
many new styles in
composition.
•Composers found a new world
of richness in rhythms, scales
and colors that showed
contrasting styles with Western
traditional forms.
Musical Styles
of
Impressionism
A. Whole Tone Scale
• A pattern constructed entirely of
whole tone intervals.
• Not only formed from the black
and white keys of the piano but a
combination of both.
• The scale does not have the
interval of the 7th tone to the 8th
B. Parallel of Gliding Chords
•This is the interval between
the lowest and the highest
notes forming a chord.
•Forming of Notes depend on
the preferred intervals of the
composers
•Octaves and open fifths
•Fifths and octaves
•Ninth Chord
C. Dissonance
Impressionistic
Composers
 Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
•He is a French composer.
•Born on August 22, 1862
•He entered the Paris Conservatory
at 11.
•He has unique use of harmonies
which defied the sacred rules of
music theory.
•He introduced new chord
combinations
• Whole-tone chords
• Parallel and bitonal chords
• Chromaticism
• Dissonances
• Interesting rhythms and scales
• He was commended by his professors as
a music genius of his period.
• His compositions:
• Suite Bergamasque
• Clair de Lune
• Pelleas et Melisande
• Jeux
• La Mer
• The Prodigal Son
• Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Maurice Ravel 1875-1937)
•He is a French post-Impressionist
composer, conductor and pianist
•He is known for his styles and
compositions
•He came from a family of artists.
•He received every inspiration
from his father when his talent
for music became obvious at an
early age
•He entered the Paris
Conservatory at the age of 14.
•His musical styles:
• Rhythms are more incisive
• Melody are broader in span and
used added notes and
unresolved appogiaturas.
• Harmonies are more dissonant
• Orchestration are influenced
from the 19th century composer
•His Famous works:
• Daphnis et Chloe
• Rapsodie Espagnole
• Bolero