Serialism Breakdown of tonality Schoenberg Verklarte Nacht 1899

Serialism • • Breakdown of tonality Schoenberg – Verklarte Nacht (1899) Abandonment of tonality Schoenberg – Six little pieces for piano (1911) Schoenberg was also a painter – this is a self-portrait

Another way? • Schoenberg felt the need for a new way of writing extended pieces – without relying on key • Suite for Piano (1923) was his first serial piece – ie a piece based on a series or tone row (sometimes called a note row) http: //www. bbc. co. uk/music/profiles/schoenberg. shtml

Not just Schoenberg • Although Schoenberg was credited with the tone row idea, another composer seemed to be thinking the same way. • Josef Hauer wrote a song in 1922 which uses 12 note techniques

This is a fairly simple example of how to use a tone row

More examples • Stravinsky hopped on the serial bandwagon for a time • Below is an example of one of Stravinsky’s tone rows

Listen to Stravinsky’s Fanfare • Rhythm plays a large part in this, as you would expect of a fanfare • There is very little sense of pulse, but with quick repeated notes, the piece sounds very exciting Stravinsky – by Picasso

How a tone row works • Prime Order (P) is the original note row • The Prime Order of Stravinsky’s Fanfare is shown below:

• The row can be developed by turning it upside down. This is called an inverted order (I) • To invert, start on the first note and move the same intervals, but in the opposite direction.

• You can also play the row backwards. This is called a retrograde order (R). • A retrograde inversion (RI) would be backwards, and upside down!

Transposition • You can also transpose the row any number of semitones up or down. • The example below is RI 6, the retrograde inversion transposed up six semitones.

Verticalisation • You can also have chords made from the notes of a tone row. This is called verticalisation.

• Whilst we have been using a Stravinsky piece as an example, Stravinsky only used serial techniques in a few of his compositions. • Two big disciples – and pupils – of Schoenberg also worked in Vienna. • Anton Webern was Austrian, and a pupil of Schoenberg’s.

Webern – Variations for piano op 27 • Listen to the Webern Variations. • Webern took Schoenberg’s serial techniques very seriously and used them in most of his pieces. • Webern’s pieces were often very short – more intense than his serial friends! • See next slide for a picture of Webern.

Anton Webern 1883 -1945 http: //www. wwnorton. com/enjoy/shorter/composers/webern. htm

Canonic Structure • Webern often used Canonic structure in his pieces. • His canonic pieces were characterised by huge melodic leaps, intertwining melodies and much use of verticalisation. • He also structured his piece by use of motives

Other important characteristics of Webern’s Variations • Monophonic texture • Much use of different articulation marks and dynamics • Similar to pointillist painting Seurat: Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte

Alban Berg (1885 -1935) • Berg was another pupil of Schoenberg’s • Berg’s brand of serialism was perhaps less strict • His famous violin concerto is composed using serial techniques, but is much more Romantic sounding http: //www. karadar. net/Dictionary/berg. html

Serialism in a nutshell • Developed in the early 20 th century by Arnold Schoenberg • Based on a 12 -note row which can be used in Prime order (P), inversion (I), retorgrade (R) or Retrograde Inversion (RI) • Don’t forget other techniques such as transposition and verticalisation • Berg and Webern, and later Stravinsky, all used serial techniques in their work