Impressionism

Is an art movement or style that originated in France in the late 19th

century.
 Impressionism

Is an art movement or style that originated in France in the late 19th

century.
Characterized by the suggestion of images or themes, which gives a feel
of an “atmosphere,” where one may find meaning in what a composer would
like to impart.
 Impressionism

Is an art movement or style that originated in France in the late 19th

century.
Characterized by the suggestion of images or themes, which gives a feel
of an “atmosphere,” where one may find meaning in what a composer would
like to impart.

Does not express musical ideas through clear melodic and rhythmic
lines. Rather, it makes use of timbre, texture, harmony, and rhythm, which the
listener interprets.
 Impressionism

Is an art movement or style that originated in France in the late 19th

century.
Characterized by the suggestion of images or themes, which gives a feel
of an “atmosphere,” where one may find meaning in what a composer would
like to impart.

Does not express musical ideas through clear melodic and rhythmic
lines. Rather, it makes use of timbre, texture, harmony, and rhythm, which the
listener interprets.

Characterized by the suggestion of images or themes, which gives a feel

of an “atmosphere,” where one may find meaning in what a composer would
like to impart.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
IMPRESSIONISM

1. Use of
whole-tone,
modal, and
exotic scales
CHARACTERISTICS OF
IMPRESSIONISM

WHOLE-
TONE, is
based on
purely whole
tone intervals.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
IMPRESSIONISM

MODAL, are
diatonic scales
with a set of
musical
characters
CHARACTERISTICS OF
IMPRESSIONISM

EXOTIC, refer
to any that is
beyond the
Western scale
classification
CHARACTERISTICS OF
IMPRESSIONISM

2. Use of
complex
chords, such
as the 9th
chord
CHARACTERISTICS OF
IMPRESSIONISM

3. Use of
ambiguous
chord
progressions
and unresolved
passages
CHARACTERISTICS OF
IMPRESSIONISM

4. Use of
unusual forms
and irregular
phrases
CHARACTERISTICS OF
IMPRESSIONISM
5. Use of
instrument/orchestral
timbre, whether in
solo instrument,
voice, or orchestral
music, to create a
color to express
meaning
 TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

CLAUDE
DEBUSSY
 TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

MAURICE
RAVEL
 TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

Debussy showed exemplary musical

talent at an early age. At nine years
old, he manifested his piano skills, and
at age 11, he entered the Conservatoire
de Paris (Paris Conservatory) for his
formal studies in piano and
composition.
 TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

One of his early works—“Clair de

Lune”—is also one of his most popular
pieces.
 TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

In 1884, Debussy won the Prix de Rome

(Grand Prix de Rome) with his
composition, “L’enfant prodigue,” a
cantata with text by Edouard Guinand.
 A cantata is a big choral
composition, which may be
either sacred or secular, set to
music but presented in concert
style and not acted upon.
 TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

Debussy was influenced by the

works of Richard Wagner,
Alexander Borodin, and Modest
Mussorgsky.
 TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

To his credit, Claude Debussy has approximately

141 compositions. Among Claude’s significant and
representative works are the following:
1. L’enfant prodigue – a composition for soprano,
tenor, baritone, and orchestra
2. Petite suite – a composition for piano
3. String Quartet in G minor
4. Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune – a symphonic
poem for the orchestra
5. Pelléas et Mélisande – an opera
6. La mer – an orchestral work.
TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

Ravel was encouraged by his family to cultivate his

musicianship when it began to manifest at his
early age. Eventually, Ravel entered the
Conservatoire de Paris (Paris Conservatory) at age
14 in 1889 and stayed there for quite some time. It
was during this time that Ravel was able to do his
best known works, develop his style, and hone his
compositional craftsmanship.
TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

A number of his compositions were written for

piano. Among his piano works are “Jeux d’eau”
(1901), “Miroirs” (1905), “Gaspard de la nuit”
(1908), “Le tombeau de Couperin” (1917), and two
piano concertos.Ravel’s contribution to Western
music’s orchestral works include “Rapsodie
espagnole” and “Bolero.”
TWO LEADING COMPOSERS OF
IMPRESSIONIST PERIOD

Ravel was single throughout his life and was

content living alone in the forest of Rambouillet
near Paris. In 1928, he toured the United States,
Canada, and England, where he received an
honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Oxford
University. In 1932, Ravel contacted aphasia—a
communication disorder (sickness) resulting in the
inability to comprehend and communicate words.
But even during this period, his mind was active
with music.
 EXPRESSIONISM

Characterized by its intense and emotional style that

the music tends to veer away from the standard
elements of melody and harmony. Composers created
new sounding music by not using traditional scales. As
an effect, they also veered away from traditional
harmonies. This created much tension in their musical
works, which may sound rather edgy to people who are
used to listening to mostly classical and popular
music.
EXPRESSIONISM
CHRACTERISTICS
Absence of a
tonal center
(atonality)
Angular melody
 Noticeable
dissonances
throughout the
music
Fragmented
form and
structure
Episodic
Variety of
textures
 The 12-tone Technique

The reason for this new music is the new approach to

the use of pitches, which is called the 12-tone theory,
also referred to as serialism. The 12-tone technique
uses all the 12 tones
 The 12-tone Technique

The reason for this new music is the new approach to

the use of pitches, which is called the 12-tone theory,
also referred to as serialism. The 12-tone technique
uses all the 12 tones. One strict rule of this technique
is that the tones are played in order and no note shall
be repeated until all the notes of the row has been
used, thus limiting the palate of tones of the musical
work to the sequence or row created.
The 12-tone Technique
Representative
Composer of
Expressionist
Music
 ARNOLD
SCHOENBERG
He is known for atonal music (music
without tonal center), which
includes serialism, thus creating a
new method of musical composition.
a pioneer of atonalism
 Schoenberg showed musical
inclination at an early age when he
began to compose short pieces for
violin. From these short pieces, he
then created compositions for string
trios. The early works of
Schoenberg were tonal in nature.
“Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11,”
which he composed in 1909,
is representative of his
expressionistic style.
In 1939, he composed “Kol Nidre Op.
39,” for mixed chorus, speaker, and
orchestra. It is a prayer sung at the
start of the service for the Jewish
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).