Impressionism,

Expressionism
and Primitivism
MUSICAL STYLES
Impressionism
Impression, Sunrise (1872)
Claude Monet
 As with most artistic
movements, the
Impressionist movement in
music was a reaction to
the previous era of music,
namely the Romantic era,
in which the music of
many composers is heavy
and overly dramatic
by comparison.
Impressionism
Originated in Paris, France during the late 19th century-
early 20th century.
Impressionism was a rejection of the Romantic style in
which composers wrote music that portrayed emotions.
The goal of Impressionism was to create a mood.
 Tone color

Atmosphere

Fluidity
- the quality of sound that
distinguishes one instrument
or voice from another
 The sounds work together to
create a space where sound
becomes the encompassing
theme, mood and character of
the immediate environment.
is used as a metaphor for the
expressive relationship
between the composer and
performer
Expressionism
The term Expressionism was originally
borrowed from visual art and literature.
Artists created vivid pictures, distorting
colours and shapes to make unrealistic
images that suggested strong emotions.
Expressionist composers poured intense
emotional expression into their music
exploring their subconscious mind.
Expressionist music often features:
A high level of dissonance
Extreme contrasts of dynamics
Constantly changing textures
Distorted melodies and harmonies
Angular melodies with wide leaps
Primitivism
Primitivism is a word that describes
the condition or quality that
belongs to something crude and
unrefined. In music, primitivism was
a reaction to the rich complexity
of Romanticism and later on,
Impressionism.
CHARACTERISTICS:
Exploration of cultural concerns
from outside of the European tradition
Crudeness and rawness of
materials.
Abstraction of the figure in visual
arts.
Emphasis on rhythm and percussive
elements in music.
20th
Century
Composers
Impressionism
Claude Debussy
(1862-1918)
the primary exponent of the
impressionist movement and the
focal point for other impressionist
composers

he gained a reputation as an
erratic pianist and a rebel in theory
and harmony
he won the top prize at the Prix
de Rome competition with his
composition L Enfant Prodigue
(Prodigal Son)

he got exposed to the music of

Richard Wagner
Debussys mature creative period was
represented by the following works:
Ariettes Oubliees
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
String Quartet
Pelleas et Melisande (1895)his famous
operatic work that drew mixed
extreme reactions for its innovative
harmonies and textural treatments.
 La Mer (1905)a highly imaginative
and atmospheric symphonic work
for orchestra about the sea
Images, Suite Bergamasque, and
Estampeshis most popular piano
compositions; a set of lightly textured
pieces containing his signature work
Claire de Lune (Moonlight)
 his compositional style is
mainly characterized by its
uniquely innovative but not
atonal style of harmonic
treatment.
Ravels works include the following:
Pavane for a Dead Princess (1899), a
slow but lyrical requiem
Jeux dEau or Water Fountains (1901)
String Quartet (1903)
Sonatine for Piano (c.1904)
Miroirs (Mirrors), 1905, a work for
piano known for its harmonic evolution
and imagination
 Gaspard de la Nuit (1908), a set
of demonic-inspired pieces based on the
poems of Aloysius Bertrand which is
arguably the most difficult piece in the
piano repertoire.
These were followed by a number of
his other significant works, including
Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (1911)
 Le Tombeau de Couperin
(c.1917), a commemoration of the
musical
advocacies of the early 18th century
French composer Francois Couperin,
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Bolero
Expressionism
 Arnold Franz
Walter Schoenberg
(1874-1951)
Primitivism
Maurice Ravel
(1875-1937)
Igor Stravinsky
(1882-1971)
Bela Bartok
(1881-1945)