Nationalism & 20th Century Music: Styles, Composers, & Evolution
Nationalism in Music
Nationalism is a movement connected with the Romantic era, arising from countries reacting to foreign domination.
Nationalist Music (1850-1919)
This period parallels Romanticism, with a focus on less traditional musical forms. Early nationalist musicians were Russian, followed by Hungarian and Spanish composers. National music was inspired by the folklore and musical traditions of each country.
- Russian: Glinka and Tchaikovsky
- Finnish: Sibelius
- Romanian: Bartok
Spanish Folk Instruments
Traditional
Read MoreRoman Theater: Architecture, Key Elements, and Playwrights
Roman Theater: Stage Design and Key Elements
The first significant Roman theater was the Theater of Pompey, but the Theater of Marcellus, built by Augustus, is considered more important. Roman theaters did not represent a fixed space; instead, they used wooden tables. A common space was the circus (like the Colosseum in Rome).
Key Architectural Components
- Orchestra: The semicircular space between the cavea and scena, originally for the choir in Greek theater.
- Cavea: The part of the theater with bleachers
Classical Music Era: Symphony, Sonata, Opera & Composers
The Symphony Orchestra
The symphony orchestra is a group comprised of about a hundred instruments, mostly string, but also including sections of brass, woodwind, and percussion. Other types of orchestras include the chamber orchestra, string quartet, wind quintet, band, jazz band, and rock and pop groups.
Neoclassical Art and the Enlightenment
The new philosophy of the Enlightenment and archaeological discoveries about classical antiquity promoted the establishment of neoclassical art. Architectural
Read MoreRomantic Music: Creation, Composers, and Instruments
How to Build Romantic Music
Romanticism seeks more emotional expression and the predominance of imagination.
- Use rich modulations, harmonies, chromaticism, and dissonance.
- The melody is still important, becoming passionate and lyrical.
- The orchestra expands greatly, especially in the horn section.
- It seeks the unity of the work with new systems such as the leitmotiv.
The Romantic Periods of Music
- First Romance: A romantic rebel, eager for freedom and novelty.
- Second Romanticism: Romanticism is represented
Renaissance and Humanism: Art, Culture, and Thought
The Renaissance and Humanism
The Rise of Humanism
Humanism, a movement of cultural rebirth, originated in Italy in the 15th century and spread throughout Europe in the 16th century. Its main features include:
- A new way of thinking based on classical culture, reviving ideas from ancient Greece and Rome.
- Humanists focused on the human being and their relationship with nature.
- They believed that the human being, not God, was the center of the world and culture, possessing free will.
- Trust in humanity and
Musical Styles and Composers: From Enlightenment to Classicism
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was the 18th-century epoch marked by rationalism. Its features are:
- The inspiration to create a cultured society
- Questioning God
- Compilation of the nature of scientific knowledge
- Artistic interest in the ancient
Rococo (Style Galant)
Style Galant was the dominant ideal and is called the galant term. Characteristics:
- Polyphony was abandoned, and counterpoint was subordinated to companions.
- The parties to the main melodic line.
- The bass line acts as a support for the voice.