Impressionism vs Expressionism

Classical Music of the 20th Century

Impressionism
Impressionism

Claude Monet - Soleil levant

Claude Monet - Water Lilies
Impressionism
 Goal of Impressionism
 "conveying the moods and emotions
aroused by the subject rather than a
detailed tone‐picture".
 music projects a hazy atmosphere
and dreamlike quality.
Impressionism
 Characteristics of Impressionism music
 The rhythm is irregular in terms of
phrases.
 Avoids the traditional harmonic
progression.
 Has unresolved dissonance
 Uses the whole-tone scale, frequently
uses modality and exotic scales.
Impressionism
The Great Impressionist of Music

Claude Debussy
1862-1918
Impressionism
Claude Debussy (1862-
1918)
 the primary exponent of
the impressionist
movement and the focal
point for other
impressionist
composers
Impressionism
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
 the musical development
by dissolving traditional
rules and conventions
into a new language of
possibilities in harmony,
rhythm, form, texture, and
color.
Impressionism
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
 His father wanted him to
enter the navy but a
student of Chopin’s
discovered his talent and
helped him to be qualified
to enter in Paris
Conservatory of Music in
the age of 10
Impressionism
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
 His musical compositions
total more or less 227
which include orchestral
music, chamber music,
piano music, operas,
ballets, songs, and other
vocal music.
Impressionism
Claude Debussy (1862-
1918)
 Debussy died on the 25th
March 1918 due of
cancer at the height of the
First World War
Impressionism
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Works:
 “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”
 “La Mer (The Sea)”, “Nocturne” and
“Images”.
 Opera: “Pelleas et Melisande”.
 Before death: “Engulfed Cathedal” and
“Claire de Lune”.
Impressionism
Musical Example:
“Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”
videoplayback (1).mp4
Impressionism
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
 He entered the Paris
Conservatory at the age of
14
 in his works wherein visual
imagery is either
suggested or portrayed.
Impressionism
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
 Many of his works deal
with water in its flowing or
stormy moods as well as
with human
characterizations.
Impressionism
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
 He died on December 28,
1937 at the age of 62 in
Paris. The famous works of
his lifetime of compositions
are “Bolero”, “La Valse”, “Ma
merel’oie”, and “Miroirs”.
Impressionism
Musical Example:
“Bolero”
Bolero_-_Maurice_Ravel[Youtubetomp3.s
c].mp4
Impressionism
 What made Debussy’s and Ravel’s
work unique from others?
 Whole Tone Scale
Expressionism
Expressionism

Germany
France
The Scream -
Munch
Sunflowers -
Van Gogh
Expressionism

 Goals of Expressionism
poured intense
emotional expression into
their music and explored
the subconscious mind.
Expressionism

Notable Composer:

Arnold Schoenberg
1874 - 1951
Expressionism Arnold Schoenberg
1874 - 1951
 learned to play cello and
the violin.
 When his father died at
his age of 16, sought a
job and became a bank
clerk to continue his
passion in arranging
song and opera scores.
Expressionism

Musical Example:
“Pierrot Lunnaire”
Arnold_Schoenberg_Pierrot_Lunaire[Yout
ubetomp3.sc].mp4
Schoenberg’s Works

Musical Characteristics:
Sprechstimme – Half-sang,
half-spoken.
 Twelve-tone system
Schoenberg’s Works
Expressionism

Notable Composer:

Igor Stravinsky
1882 - 1971
Expressionism Igor Stravinsky
1882 - 1971
 He added a new ingredient
to his nationalistic musical
style
 When he left the country for
the United States in 1939,
Stravinsky slowly turned his
back on Russian nationalism
and cultivated his neo-
classical style.
Expressionism Igor Stravinsky
1882 - 1971
 adapted the forms of the 18th
century with his contemporary
style of writing.
 Works:
 The Firebird Suite (1910) first successful
masterpiece
 Petrouchka (1911) ballet
 The Rake’s Progress (1951) a full-length opera
Impressionism Expressionism

-Tonal -Non Traditional -Atonal

-Non-emotional harmony -Dissonant
-“Color” -“New Sounds” -Inner emotions