Modernism (music)
A period of innovation and linguistic plurality in music.
Modernism in music is an aesthetic stance underlying the period of change and development in musical language that occurred around the turn of the 20th century. It involved diverse reactions in challenging and reinterpreting older categories of music, leading to new ways of organizing harmony, melody, sound, and rhythm, and changes in aesthetic worldviews in close relation to the larger modernism in the arts. The operative word most associated with it is 'innovation,' and its leading feature is a 'linguistic plurality,' meaning no single musical language or modernist style ever assumed a dominant position.
Authorities typically regard musical modernism as a historical period extending from about 1890 to 1930, though some historians consider it to end with one or the other of the two world wars. Musicologist Carl Dahlhaus saw its purest form as over by 1910. The term itself was revived from Hermann Bahr to convey the breakaway mood of the 1890s, a mood symbolized musically by the opening bars of Richard Strauss’s *Don Juan*. Dahlhaus described modernism as an obvious point of historical discontinuity, with a profound transformation marked by the breakthrough of composers like Mahler, Strauss, and Debussy. Eero Tarasti defined it directly as the dissolution of traditional tonality and the search for new models in atonalism, polytonalism, or other altered tonalities. Other scholars argue for a broader understanding not predominantly defined by the emancipation of dissonance. Daniel Albright proposed a definition as a testing of the limits of aesthetic construction, encompassing techniques such as Expressionism, Neoclassicism, and Futurism. Conductor Leon Botstein described it as a conviction that musical means must be adequate to the unique character of the age, reflecting progress in science, technology, and urbanization. Examples include Arnold Schoenberg’s rejection of tonality in chromatic post-tonal and twelve-tone works, and Igor Stravinsky’s move away from symmetrical rhythm. The term has occasionally been applied to popular music genres, but without clear definition, with some scholars noting that instances of modernism in popular music are generally not cited because it undermines postmodern theories of cultural fusion.
- field
- Music
- known_for
- Innovation and linguistic plurality in musical language
- period
- Approximately 1890 to 1930 (with some historians considering it ending with one of the two world wars)
- key_figures
- Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Claude Debussy
Lore & Background
Inherent within musical modernism is the conviction that music is not a static phenomenon defined by timeless truths and classical principles, but rather something intrinsically historical and developmental. While belief in musical progress or innovation is not new, such values are particularly important within modernist aesthetic stances. The operative word most associated with modernism is "innovation," and its leading feature is a "linguistic plurality"—no single musical language or modernist style ever became dominant. This period of change and development in musical language occurred around the turn of the 20th century, involving diverse reactions that challenged and reinterpreted older musical categories, leading to new ways of organizing harmony, melody, sound, and rhythm. Authorities typically regard musical modernism as a historical era from about 1890 to 1930. Carl Dahlhaus described it as an obvious point of historical discontinuity, a "breakaway mood" symbolized by the opening bars of Richard Strauss's *Don Juan*, and suggested a stylistically open-ended modernist music extending from 1890 to 1910. Eero Tarasti defined it in terms of the dissolution of traditional tonality and the search for new models in atonalism, polytonalism, or other altered tonalities. Examples include Arnold Schoenberg's rejection of tonality in chromatic post-tonal and twelve-tone works, and Igor Stravinsky's move away from symmetrical rhythm. Daniel Albright proposed a definition as "a testing of the limits of aesthetic construction," presenting techniques such as Expressionism, Neoclassicism, and Futurism. Leon Botstein described it as a consequence of the conviction that musical expression must be adequate to the radical character of the age, reflecting progress in science, industry, mechanization, and nationalism.
Reader's Guide
Authorities typically regard musical modernism as a historical period or era extending from about 1890 to 1930, applying the term 'postmodernism' to the period after 1930. For musicologist Carl Dahlhaus, the purest form was over by 1910, but other historians consider modernism to end with one or the other of the two world wars. Definitions vary: Dahlhaus describes it as an obvious point of historical discontinuity, while Eero Tarasti defines it in terms of the dissolution of traditional tonality. Daniel Albright proposes a definition as 'a testing of the limits of aesthetic construction,' and Leon Botstein sees it as a consequence of the conviction that musical expression must be adequate to the unique and radical character of the age. The term has occasionally been applied to popular music but without a very clear definition.
Did You Know?
- The operative word most associated with musical modernism is 'innovation.'
- Its leading feature is a 'linguistic plurality,' meaning no one modernist style ever assumed a dominant position.
- Authorities typically regard musical modernism as a historical period from about 1890 to 1930.
- Examples of modernist innovation include Arnold Schoenberg's rejection of tonality and Igor Stravinsky's move away from symmetrical rhythm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Modernism (music)?
Modernism in music refers to a broad aesthetic movement that reshaped how composers thought about harmony, melody, rhythm, and sound. Rather than a single unified style, it represents a wave of experimentation where multiple new musical languages emerged simultaneously.
When did Modernism (music) take place?
The movement is generally dated from roughly 1890 to 1930, though some scholars mark its conclusion at the outbreak of either World War I or World War II. It sits squarely at the turn of the 20th century as a period of intense musical transformation.
Who are the key figures of Modernism (music)?
Composers most closely associated with the movement include Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, and Claude Debussy. Each approached the challenge of reimagining musical conventions in their own distinct way.
What is 'linguistic plurality' in Modernism (music)?
The term describes the fact that no single modernist style or musical language ever became the definitive one. Instead, multiple competing approaches to organizing sound coexisted, making the era defined by diversity rather than uniformity.
Why is Modernism (music) important?
It fundamentally broke open the rules of tonal harmony and traditional composition, opening the door to virtually every experimental direction in 20th- and 21st-century music. The core value of 'innovation' it championed continues to influence how composers and listeners think about what music can be.
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