Modernism (music)

Modernism in music is a philosophical and aesthetic stance underlying the period of change and development in musical language that occurred around the turn of the 20th century and continued throughout the 20th century. It represents a conscious break from the traditions of the common practice period (approximately 1750-1900), rejecting established norms and conventions in favor of new approaches to melody, harmony, tonality, rhythm, form, and instrumentation.

Key characteristics of musical modernism include:

• Atonality: Abandonment of traditional tonal systems and hierarchical relationships between notes. This often involves the use of serialism or other methods to avoid establishing a tonal center.
• Dissonance: Increased use of dissonance and a move away from the traditional resolution of dissonances.
• Experimentalism: A willingness to explore new sounds, techniques, and technologies. Composers experimented with extended techniques on traditional instruments, electronic instruments, and unconventional sound sources.
• Abstraction: A move towards more abstract and intellectual musical structures, sometimes prioritizing form and process over immediate emotional appeal.
• Irregularity: Use of irregular rhythms, meters, and phrase structures.
• Influence of Other Cultures: Incorporation of elements from non-Western musical traditions.
• Rejection of Romanticism: A reaction against the emotional excess and sentimentality of the Romantic era. While some composers maintained certain Romantic elements, the overall trend was towards objectivity and intellectual rigor.

Musical modernism is not a monolithic style, but rather an umbrella term encompassing a variety of compositional approaches and aesthetic ideals. It is often seen as a precursor to, and sometimes overlaps with, postmodernism in music. The chronological boundaries of musical modernism are debated, but it is generally considered to have begun around 1900 and continued until the 1970s or 1980s, when postmodernist aesthetics began to gain prominence. The term "modern music" is sometimes used interchangeably with "modernist music," but can also refer more broadly to any music composed in recent times.