Early Modernism

After the late romantics went on to break conventions when it came to harmonic function and form, the modernists, each in their way were all about finding ways to break conventions. How much of it was their true artistic expression and how much of it was a way to be seen as original and push buttons?

Claude Debussy (1862-1912) - Prelude l'apres midi d'un faun

Although this piece started as a symphonic poem, it is more recognized as a dance piece, or from fantasia...
On one hand Debussy follows Wagner in terms of harmonic ambiguity, on the other he makes his harmonic shifts coloristic and aesthetically pretty and pleasing, hence more approachable. The piece illustrates and paints the scene with a high visual connotation which is why it got adapted to dance so quickly. The melodic ideas are approachable and enjoyable.

I have to note the type of dance and choreography by Nijinsky that was set to the piece, it as a modern and angular movement, tying in modernism in dance as well.




Debussy's coloristic and modal inspired chord progressions have inspired not only classical musicians and he is a very popular composer to quote and draw from;

Here's a Brazilian jazz version:


and here's a disco:




and even though it wasn't this piece, I wrote songs inspired by Debussy, twice!

here's one of those...

Saved, inspired by "Claire de Lune"



Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) - Le Tombeau de Couperin

I've been in love with Ravel since middle school. I love his sonorities, drama, complexity and the parallel fifths.

Le Tombeau de Couperin (the tomb of Couperin) was originally written for piano but the is now more known as an orchestration manual. This is a personal piece dedicated to friends who died in WWI. This is the very opposite of both idealistic Wagner and absolute Brahms, it is probably more of a continuation of Mahler, writing emotional, personal music.
Ravel is looking at the past and creates an homage to the Baroque dance suite, while maintaining his signature impressionist style and harmonies.


Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) - The Rite of Spring

This piece is so large and influential I won't even attempt to cover it in the blog. The contribution and further stepping outside the conventions in regard to rhythm, tonality, meter and overt dissonance is well known.
It also well known to have been impossible to play, and both the music and the ballet were met with total outrage. Again we see modernist composer and choreographer (same Nijinsky) teaming up and creating a sharply new sensibility.
The type of movement in this ballet is breaking all ground of formal classical training, parallel to what the music is exhibiting.




The pagan subject matter as well as the folk roots of the music can be a continuation of Weber and German opera.
The music is intellectual, and is pushing buttons and conventions as it turns to the "ugly". In opposite of the emotional, pretty impressionism.

This piece has also inspired a large amount of music outside of classical:

Jazz trio "The Bad Plus" who are known for out jazz covers have dedicated a full project to "jazzifying" the work with their own aesthetic:



My colleague and successful NYC based composer Lev Zhurbin came up with a full suite of orchestrations of the folk songs featured in "The Rite of Spring"



and I'm pretty sure the imagery from "the ring" is a connection too...


I've overstayed my welcome on this post, but I must make a quick mention of two more:

Schoenberg, who took "breaking the rules" a step further by not only not relying on tonality but eliminating the tonal system all together in favor of his 12 tone system. The result is incredibly intellectual, cerebral and unapproachable to the common listener. In that though he is continuing Wagner's notion of progress with no account to popularity.

Cowell who not only eliminated pitch, but is focusing on sound, texture, sonority and noise, to push the envelope of what is music a step further.

If Stravinsky only used dissonance as a turn for the "ugly" then these two eliminate the need or relevance for "beauty" in music all together. Listening becomes not about your emotion but intellectual exploration in Schoenberg's case, and experimentation in Cowell's.