Exploring Major Musical Styles in Western Art Music (20th Century)

This essay provides an overview of the major musical styles and innovations in Western Art Music during the 20th century. It discusses the significant growth and development influenced by globalization and technology, including the use of new instruments and the rise of various music genres like pop, rock, and jazz. The essay highlights the contributions of composers like Olivier Messiaen and Gian Carlo Menotti, examining their unique approaches to composition and their impact on the evolution of music. It also touches upon the influence of electro-acoustic music and the shift towards new musical forms, experimentation with rhythm, and the impact of technological advancements such as radio and television. The essay emphasizes the variety and eclecticism of 20th-century music, reflecting a period of significant change and innovation in how music was created, shared, and appreciated. References are provided for further reading.

Music History
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Table of Contents
3. What are the major musical styles innovated in Western Art Music during the 20th
Century?.................................................................................................................................3
Reference.........................................................................................................................................6
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3. What are the major musical styles innovated in Western Art Music during the 20th Century?
Western art music known as the term which is used to describe music typically from a
western classical background. It encompasses a wide variety of styles and dates which
incorporate Baroque, classical, romantic, renaissance, C20th and C21st (Burkholder & Grout,
2014).
In the 20 century there was huge growth in the variety of music which people had to
access to. In this century one of the most dominant characteristic is its variety and eclecticism
and its resistance to easy categorization and generalized stylistics description (Moore, 2015).
Through closely listening to the music of the 20th century there are some innovative changes
which can be hear. Such as the distinction of beating instruments and same time the use of
noisemakers. There are many innovations take place at the time of 20th century which contributed
to the way music was created, shared and appreciated. Further, there is rise of composers form
different parts of the globe such as Latin America (Warner, 2017). This, period also reflect the
rise of women composers from different part of the globe. For instance, African-American
musicians were allowable with or conduct prominent orchestras. Innovations which taken place
in 20th century has contributed to the wat music was composed and done. Further the united
states and non-western culture lead to became powerful.
20th century in styles of western music
Ranging from year 1901 to 2000, the 20th century western music saw a tremendous
growth and development. The rise in globalisation and involvement of technologies changed the
face of western music to a greater extent (Nettl, Turino & Rommen, 2015). Use of gramophones,
phonographs, microphones, radios and storing devices made music accessible from higher upper
class to menial or labour class people. With the passage of time symphonies and opera singing
reduced to mere concerts and the increase in films give rise to background scores and playback
music. Besides this, the rise in financial status and emergence of middle class improved the
accessibility of music devices like gramophones or vinyl records. Other than this, many new
generation composers and musicians come up with innovation in music with usage of electric
instruments along with the traditional music which improved popularity of music to a greater
extent (Lee, 2016). Many bands and development of music genres like pop, rock and roll and
jazz became a significant part of society in western culture.
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In later half of the 20th century Electro-acoustic has played significant role. Along with
this, sources of this music also lead to go back in order to turn the century which lead to
flourished only after the tape recorder which become available at the time of world war II
(Shenton, 2017). Many of the composers who found inspirations from other music genre and
with the other continental. Due to freedom to become creative composers used wide range of
musical themes which were not used in past time. Apart from this, technological advancements
in television, radio etc. has enabled the public music at their own home.
In the early 20th century there are many composers experimented with rhythm. Further
they also gained inspiration from folk music and measure their views on tonality (Hill, 2017). It
is analyzed that composers of this period were more willing to experiment with new music forms
and they used new technologies for increasing their composition. Most of the time this composer
get support or may be rejected by the audience. Hence, it results in shifting the way music was
composed, performed and appreciated (Healey, 2016).
Two of the composers laid a major contribution in laying foundation and development of western
music, which are as follows:
Olivier Messiaen: Olivier Messiaen who was known as a French composers, educator and
organist. Further his work can be prominence other notable names in music such as Pierer
Boulez and Karlheinz. Few of its major composition who earn good response form the side of
public are "Turangalîla-Symphonie", "Quatuor Pour La Fin du Temps," etc. He was a famous
French composer and organist. Durin the World war II, he was made a war prisoner and was
jailed where he composed his famous composition “Quartet for end of time”, using just four
instruments, he is well known for using the color schemes and tuning of the music as per the
timing which played a key role in increasing his popularity among 20th century western music
audience. He is known to use a whole tone scale in his music composition (Stephenson, 2016).
Gian Carlo Menotti: being an Italian- American native, music had the fusion an d combination
of cultures of both the company. He is well known for his Christmas operas and gave the music
for many stage plays and TV shows (Meyer, 2016). Besides this, his choral works and ballet
music influenced the western music as well as producers to incorporate the music in TV shows.
He also founded Festival of two Worlds at Spoleto. It is a three week event where the opera
performers gather to perform. It have been a great platform for launching many western singers.
He was also awarded Pulitzer Award for music for his valuable contribution. He composed
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music in both, Italian and English, increasing his audience base. Gian Carlo Menotti was known
as Italian composer, librettist (Tsou, 2017). He was also known as stage director who developed
the Centenary of two worlds in Spoleto, Italy. The said festival honors musical works from
Europe and America. At the earlier age he wrote two operas which become famous that are "The
Little Mermaid" and "The Death of Pierrot". His operas gain wider popularity as compared to
others in 20th century. His realistic operas on his own words has become successful combination
in dramatic situation of 2th century because of the traditional form of Italian opera.
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Reference
Burkholder, J. P., & Grout, D. J. (2014). A History of Western Music: Ninth International
Student Edition. WW Norton & Company.
Moore, R. (2015). Nationalizing blackness: Afrocubanismo and artistic revolution in Havana,
1920-1940. University of Pittsburgh Pre.
Warner, T. (2017). Pop Music-Technology and Creativity: Trevor Horn and the Digital
Revolution. Routledge.
Nettl, B., Turino, T., Wong, I., Capwell, C., Bolman, P., Dueck, B., & Rommen, T. (2015).
Excursions in world music. Routledge.
Lee, C. A. (2016). Aesthetic music therapy. In The Oxford Handbook of Music Therapy.
Shenton, A. (2017). Olivier Messiaen's system of signs: notes towards understanding his music.
Routledge.
Hill, P. (2017). Messiaen recorded: the Quatre Études de rythme. In Olivier Messiaen (pp. 105-
116). Routledge.
Healey, G. (2016). Messiaen's Musical Techniques: The Composer's View and Beyond.
Routledge.
Stephenson, J. G. (2016). Luigi Dallapiccola's Il Prigioniero and Gian Carlo Menotti's The
Consul: a comparative study (Doctoral dissertation, University of Alabama Libraries).
Meyer, J. (2016). Concert: Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra: 2016 Concerto Competition
Concert.
Tsou, J. (2017). An archive and a collection of rare music scores: the William Crawford III
Collections. Notes, 73(4), 673-697.
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