A Paper on Nationalism, Minimalism and Neo-Classicism By Melisa Camba

Nationalism

Twentieth century nationalism differed from its counterpart in the nineteenth century in one important aspect. Composers of this period approached traditional music and folk songs scientifically. By this time, the phonograph has already been invented and this has become a great advancement to composers and musicians since recording is now within reach. Because of the ability to preserve folk musical traditions more accurately, the works of 20 th nationalist composers sounded more authentic and true in terms of traditional music elements.

National schools of compositions also developed and progressed around Europe in France, Russia, England, Germany, Spain, Scandinavia and in other countries in Eastern Europe. Some products of these schools include Bela Bartok, Segei Prokovief, Benjamin Britten, Carl Orff and Zoltan Kodaly. Nationalist composers incorporated folk song melodies, rhythms and harmonies to establish the connection to their countries, regions and ethnicities since the influence of Western Music has already become very prominent in their cultures.

This era introduced a new identity to music. New scales and rhythmic ideas, modern poly-tonal language, dissonant counterpoint, and programmatic compositions were introduced and established in nationalist compositions.

Out of Doors by Bela Bartok

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xU-p9wmSqg

Out of Doors is a set of five piano solo pieces composed by Bela Bartok in year 1926. This work is among of his few compositions with programmatic titles. Out of doors has five melodic episodes which are prefaced and separated (except for 4th and 5th episode) by ‘ritornello’ type sections of cluster chords repeated in a clashing rhythm (duplets in 6/8 measure).

Minimalism

Minimalistic music has been existent for a long time in other cultures, but its spread into Western art and music began in the mid-20th century. The use of small amount of musical material was the main concept behind minimalist musical works. Composers create simple musical patterns and repeat them over and over. They vary these over long stretches of time, often so that the listeners cannot distinguish and perceive the changes. Therefore, minimalist music is often said to have a hypnotic effect that puts the listeners in a trance-like state.

Just like many other kinds of modern music, some people find minimalist hard to appreciate. This probably because these types of compositions are not based on melodic lines that are further stretched and developed but rather on musical patterns. For example, composers like Beethoven used notes to create melodic contours and suggests harmonic progressions and modulations; whereas composers like Philip Glass use patterns of notes to create a mood or feel. Therefore, minimalist compositions may sound like a broken record with no apparent change really happening. Listening to the overall effect of the music is really the key of this genre.

Glassworks by Philip Glass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Stu7h7Qup8

Glassworks is a chamber music composition of six movements by Philip Glass. It is said to be characteristically a “Glass-like” work.

The piece played with eighth notes over duple eighth notes and over whole notes in 4/4. Formally, Glassworks consists of three groups of four-measure phrases of three to four chords, repeated four times each (ABC: || ABC). In some movements of the piece, there were uses of oscillation arpeggiating figures—mostly of Major 7th chords. Modulatory devices weren’t present in the work but the harmonic progression simply repeats over and over again. The entirety of the piece is described to be a “layering of contrasting timbres”.

Neo-Classicism

Neo-Classicism, as its name implies, was a new form of classicism. It was a combination of musical elements from the Classical Period with the newer developments in the twentieth century. These classical elements included clarity of form, melodic contour and evident tonalities (tonal centers). Adapting these influences, neo-classicist composers added modern flavorings such as unusual rhythmic patterns, spiky dissonances, and chromaticism.

The neo-classical movement was quite prevalent with many composers from Europe and America contributing to the growth of the genre. Igor Stravinsky, Paul Hindemith, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev and Aaron Copland are just a few of the more recognized neoclassical composers. The profound musical experimentation of the early part of the century left some composers yearning to reconnect with the classical tradition—and this became their motivation for neo-classicism. They held on to these musical influences while integrating the new aspects of music composition (that these composers were developing) with their works. Reviving the old musical forms was not their aim but to simply acknowledge tradition.

During this period, there had been several reactions against the chaotic musical period of the early 1900s—neo-classicism and Arnold Shoenberg’s twelve-tone method to name a few. Both tried to take over the previously “wild” music of the 20th century. The great difference though is that Shoenberg’s twelve-tone system had the approach of creating an entirely musical language, while neoclassicism did it by revisiting “tried-and-true” musical heritage.

Igor Stravinsky was perhaps the greatest neo-classicist of all composers of this genre. According to him, “The need for restriction, for deliberately submitting to a style, has its source on the very depths of our nature... Now all order demands restraint...In borrowing a form already established and consecrated, the creative artist is not in the least restricting the manifestation of his personality. On the contrary, it is more detached and stands out better when it moves within the definite limits of a convention.”

Histoire du soldat by Igor Stravinsky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RewFQpEY55w *as performed by Constella Ballet and Orchestra

Histoire du soldat (The Soldier’s Tale) is a theatrical work for three actors, several dancers with an accompaniment of a septet of instruments. Stravinsky based this work on a Russian folk tale, The Runaway Soldier and the Devil.

The work opens with the “Soldier’s March” which is a stiff caricature of militarism. Next come the “Soldier’s Violin” characterized by rhythmic and driving repetitions. Then follows the Little Concert and Three Dances which have the Tango, Valse and Ragtime metres—these actually made this work of his musically elaborate. The piece ends with the Devil’s Dance, blanketed with a diabolical and triumphant musical expression.