If 20th-century classical music has ever felt daunting, this course offers a clear and engaging way in. You’ll encounter major shifts in musical style: from the end of Romanticism to atonality, neo-classicism, chance music, electronic music and minimalism, and learn why composers broke with convention. Just as importantly, you’ll place these works in their historical moment. By connecting musical change to war, ideology, social upheaval and the Cold War, the course helps make sense of a complex century and deepens your listening with context as well as close attention.
Face to face
- 1900-1914: The 20th century inherited a musical language ready to collapse. Many older composers composedin the style of the late Romantics while others explored new musical horizons.
- World War I and its aftermath: There is a Russian saying “when the guns talk, the muses fall silent”. This was definitely the case during WWI but what happened after the war?
- Communism, Fascism and Democracy: How did music change in Communist Russia, Fascist Germany and Democratic America between the wars?
- World War II: WWII was the first conflict to take place in the age of mass electronic communication. Music on the radio and live performances affected both the soldiers fighting in the war and on the home front. What has been WW2’s legacy musically?
- Music during the Cold War: After the war a massive split occurred in the musical world. Groups of composers and musicians alienated themselves from the rest of the music making and concert going communities with interesting ramifications.
- 1970's to the present day: This period has been called the “Age of Convergence” where there is no dominant musical form but an ever-increasing pallet of musical ideas for composers to work with.
- Point out the major influences affecting the musical world in the 20th century.
- Discuss different musical styles and their impact on the period.
- List some of the contributions major composers had on the period from a social as well as musical point of view.
