20th Century Classical Music

Serialism: Serialists used every single note in chromatic scale (every single note in an octave). They were played in any random order, an they only use each one once before they could use it again,this was called their 'serial'. Then they played it backwards(inverted).They then played it in a retrograde order (opposite distance of semitones from notes on opposite side. Played on any octave but still same note.Very Confusing!)


This is a piece by Schoenberg, as you can hear the clashing sounds this is a product of using the chromatic scale because it contains all the flats as well and they all have to be used.

Electronic music: This type of music was introduced in the first half of the twentieth century.There were first electronic keyboards, they were massive instruments. The Moog synth was one of the first electronic instruments. It was the first time music could be recorded and manipulated

Stockhausen was a composer who used electronic instruments in his pieces. Some of his pieces are very peculiar, especially Gesang Der junglinge. This uses the voices of young children and synthesised noises to create his piece.

                                          



Atonal music: Arnold Schoenberg introduced atonal music. 
 Twelve tone technique; the technique is a means of ensuring that all twelve notes of the chromatic scale are sounded and used as often as one another in a piece of music while preventing any emphasis of any note via tone rows (the serial of the notes). All notes are given no more or less importance therefore ensuring the music avoids being in a key.

Aleatoric music: Aleatoricism is the creation of art by chance, basically randomness to create music. There are no rules at all!

This piece is aleatoric and basically just sounds like its been put together randomly, which it has!

This is a piece of Karlheinz Stockhausen's, I really find it hilarious because of the way it's played, to see the piece played  and how it sounds, it seems incredibly deranged!