Folk Music
Folk Heroes
• Tradition of “nationalism” continued
from the Romantic period
• New & traditional techniques were
combined in individual styles that
were influenced by music of their
native lands
Folk Heroes 2
• Bartok
– Hungarian;
– worked as an ethnomusicologist, pianist,
& composer;
– updated the “string quartet” for the
20th century
Folk Heroes 3
• Ives
– “first truly original American musical
genius”;
– was a wealthy insurance salesman;
– wrote music as a hobby;
– had few performances during his
lifetime
Folk Heroes 4
• Copland
–
–
–
–
–
wrote in an “American” style;
incorporated jazz rhythms in symphonic works;
ballets are “programmatic” of American scenes;
quoted American folk melodies;
used open harmonies to evoke wide-open spaces
Bridge Builders
• George Gershwin (1898-1937)
– successful “tin-pan alley” songwriter;
– wrote concert music that was heavily
influenced by popular music of the 20s
and 30s;
– his songs have become “standards”;
– did not feel “respected” by the music
world;
Bridge Builders
• Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
– Best-known from the 20th century
– Very “flamboyant”
– Wrote movie scores; had a huge
Broadway hit West Side Story
– Wrote a mass, 3 symphonies, 2 operas,
etc.
– Music is deceptively simple
Experimentalism
• After World War II, the definition
of “music” was stretched in varied
directions
• Boulez
– intellectual approach was total serialism;
– placed all elements of music in a highly
controlled structure
Experimentalism 2
• Penderecki
– Gave performers & conductors a vague
set of instructions rather than actual
pitches & rhythms
– Gives traditional instruments a “fresh”
sound
– Elements of improvisation & chance
Experimentalism
• Cage
– One of the leading avant-garde
composers
– Invented the idea of the “prepared
piano”
– Used chance to design compositions
– Even wrote a piece for 12 radios
Fusion/Inclusion
• 20th century has seen the utilization
of all that has developed in music
• Several styles & music periods are
represented in single compositions
• Anything can be “acceptable”