What is 20th

century music?
• In this history of music and arts, every
period has its own characteristic style
which is associated with the society
from which it originated. The period of
the 19 and 20 century perceived the
th th

two world wars, and had been a period

of many changes:
• advancement in technology, a period of
many inventions such as the
telephone, television, electronic light,
computers, cassette tapes,
synthesizers, CD players, and many
others. Because of this inventions,
experimentations were made in the
field of music and arts.
• The 20th century is described as the
“age of musical diversity” because
composers had more creative freedom.
Composers were more willing to
experiment with new music forms or
reinvent music forms of the past. They
also took advantage of the resources
and technology that were available to
them.
 TWO STYLE IN 20TH CENTURY

• expressionism It is a style which seeks

to express emotion with exaggerations
rather than represent the physical
world.
• Impressionist conveying the moods
and emotions aroused by the subject
rather than a detailed tone‐picture".
WHAT ARE THE GENRES OF
20 CENTURY?
TH
 Electronic Music
• Music that requires knowledge or use of
electronic devices to produce or manipulate
sounds during its composition and performances.
• With the advancement in technology, many
composers are experimenting new sound sources
such as electronic, environmental and other non-
tonal sound. Traditional instruments are used but
in different way. Even computers, cassette tape
recorders, and synthesizers are used.
 JAZZ
• a type of music of black American origin
characterized by improvisation, syncopation,
and usually a regular or forceful rhythm,
emerging at the beginning of the 20th century.
Brass and woodwind instruments and piano
are particularly associated with jazz, although
guitar and occasionally violin are also used;
styles include Dixieland, swing, bebop, and
free jazz.
 POPULAR MUSIC
• music appealing to the popular
taste, including rock and pop and
also soul, country, reggae, rap,
and dance music.
 Concrete Music
Music created by reworking natural
sounds recorded on discs or tapes.

Advancement of 20 th

century
 Music Forms/Styles
• Impressionistic - A term derived from one of
Monet's works - Impression, Sunrise. In music
it is applied to works of early 20th century
composers such as Debussy. Debussy
rejected the rules of tonality and created
music that is pleasing to the ears as
impressionist paintings are appealing to the
eyes. This resulted in music that was relaxed,
almost dreamlike.
• 12-tone System - A term mainly attributed to Arnold Schoenberg.
Schoenberg wanted to eliminate the tonal center and developed a
technique called 12-tone system wherein all the 12 notes of the
octave are of equal importance. The 12 notes are placed in a specific
order called a "tone-row" or "tone-series," and no note is repeated
within a row. This evoked music that felt anxious and unresolved.
 Neoclassical - A term applied to the music of early 20th century
composers like Stravinsky which reflects 18th century music. Stravinsky's
works, particularly after the highly acclaimed The Rite of Spring, did not
emphasize tonality but felt restrained. Stravinsky was discovered by
Sergei Diaghilev, the producer of the Ballet Rouse. dissonance and
irregular rhythmic patterns.
NOTABLE/REPRESENTATIVE COMPOSERSS

Achille-Claude Debussy (22nd August 1862 – 25th

March 1918) was a French composer. He was one of
the most important figures in music at the turn of the
20th century; his music represents the transition from
late-romantic to 20th century classical.
Debussy's most dramatic contribution to music history was
his disregard for traditional chord structures and tonality.
He is one of the most important exponents of the
whole tone scale in classical music history. His
compositions flowed without a strict sense of metre or
rhythm, and are considered the pioneering works of the
Impressionist genre of classical music, named in
comparison with the visual arts movement.
NOTABLE/REPRESENTATIVE COMPOSERSS

He lived just outside of Paris, and

studied atthe conservatory there,
eventually winning the prestigious
Grand Prix de Rome in 1884, for
his cantata, “​L’Enfant Prodigue​.”
• Debussy's impact was far reaching. His free use of harmony,
which often altogether disregarded the concepts of tertian
harmony, has been cited as an influence on the rise of Jazz
music later in the 20th century.
Bela Bartok (1881-1945), a Hungarian, is
considered a famous progressive modern musical
composer, a great pianist, teacher and researcher.
He was one of the leaders of Hungarian nationalism
and made use of the Hungarian folk tunes in his
music. Just like Stravinsky, he was one of the
composers who belonged to the movement of Neo-
Classicism: a return to the simplicity of Classicism
and combining of modern sound with classic form.
His style is characterized by rhythms which are
percussive and intricate because of the influence of the
Hungarian dance patterns. He used polyrhythm, which
means using two or more different rhythms played at
the same time. In some of his compositions like “Six
Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, no.1”, you will notice the
irregular grouping of beats.
• Polytonality, which is the simultaneous
combination of two or more tonalities in a
composition, can also be found in Bartok’s
compositions.
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Austrian composer, Schoenberg’s
development of the twelve-tone method
of composition was a turning point in
the 20th century music. He was a self
taught musician.
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Austrian composer, Schoenberg’s
development of the twelve-tone method
of composition was a turning point in
the 20th century music. He was a self
taught musician.
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

A Russian composer, later of French (1934)

and American nationality. Stravinsky was
regarded as the world’s greatest composer.
His once revolutionary works were modern
classics.
Like Debussy and Schoenberg, Stravinsky a
composer from Russia, was also one of the
20th century composers who established
new trends in music, instead of just using
the new trends in his music, he combined
the traditional and modern trends.
 NICANOR ABELARDO 1893-1934

• Our foremost Kundiman composer also showed the

elements of modernism in his music. This is heard in
his “Cinderella Overture” and “Sinfonietta for Strings”
HIS WORKS
 Mutya ng Pasig
Nasaan ka Irog?
Magbalik ka hirang
 Dr. Lucrecia Kasilag (1918-)

• Neo-classicist. The music of Kasilag is unique in

which she was able to combine the music of the east
and west. This is shown in her Tocatta (1958) were
she made used of the piano, clarinet, oboe kulintang
and turiray. The Kulintang is very prominent in her
“Concert Divertisement”.
 Dr. Jose Maceda (1917)

• is the pioneer and exponent of avant-garde music in our

country. When he was in France, he joined the Music
Concrete movement. An example of his work is
“Ugnayan”(1974). Most of Maceda’s composition make
use of a large number of people and the environment.
• An important changes was brought by him, with his his
use of alternative materials and processes in composition.
 Ugnayan
• One of his works which evolved 20 radio stations in Metro
Manila,
• simultaneously played 20 recordings of sounds of different
ethnic instruments

Udlot-udlot
 which was performed by 800,
 personswas 1st presented in the parking lot of the Cultural
Center of the Philippines (CCP) in 1975.
 His music is known as new music.
 Dr.Ramon Santos and Francisco Feliciano
(1941)
• Another way of combining western and non-western
materials and structures is shown by Dr. Ramon Santos. He
made use of Asian material in his new way of composing. We
will hear in his composition new concept and system of
composing which he learned from his studies abroad.
• Used timbre produced by traditional instruments in his Ding
Dong Nga Diyawa and the instruments of China and
Indonesia.
• Santos and Feliciano two of the many
composers who took interest in the new music
of the period.
• Feliciano made use of traditional instruments in
their composition.
 Francisco Santiago
• Known for his works PAKIUSAP and
MADALING ARAW.
 Who are the newest composers
in this generation?
• At present there is a group of young composers
who are active in promoting this so called New
Music. Some of them are Ryan Cayabyab,
Chino Toledo, Laverne Dela Pena, Arlene
Chongson,and Jonas Baes.
 TO UNDERSTAND

20TH CENTURY MUSIC BROUGHT NEW

FREEDOM AND WIDE EXPRIMENTION
WITH NEW MUSICAL STYLES AND
FORMS THAT CHALLENGED THE
ACCEPTED RULES OF MUSIC OF
EARLIER PERIODS.
 QUESTIONS?

He is famous Impressionistic Composer?

Achille-Claude Debussy
 QUESTIONS?

The 20th century is described as the?

Age of musical diversity

 QUESTIONS?

music appealing to the popular taste, including rock and pop

and also soul, country, reggae, rap, and dance music.

Popular Music
 QUESTIONS?

A music characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and

usually a regular or forceful rhythm

JAZZ
 QUESTIONS?

Mention atliest 2 filipino composer.

Nicanor Abelardo
Dr. Lucrecia Kasilag
Dr. Jose Maceda
Dr. Ramon Santos and Francisco Feliciano
 QUESTIONS?

A devices to produce or manipulate sounds during its

composition and performances.

Electronic Music
 QUESTIONS?

It is a style which seeks to express emotion with

exaggerations rather than represent the physical world.

Expressionism
 QUESTIONS?

It is a style which seeks to express emotion with

exaggerations rather than represent the physical world.

Expressionism
 QUESTIONS?

conveying the moods and emotions aroused by the subject

rather than a detailed tone‐picture".

Impressionism
THANK YOU!!!!