A clarinet recital : lyricism and virtuosity in selected early 20th century music

Abstract

In the first half of the twentieth century the world witnessed profound changes in many aspects of life, be they social, economic, cultural and political. The main causes of these massive changes were the two world wars - World War I (1914 – 1918) and World War II (1939 – 1945). These changes in so many sectors of society inevitably exerted their influence on the musical movements of the era. Indeed several groups and movements that were formed during this period challenged the ideals and forms used by artists who had been inspired by the Romantic movement. Romanticism is a term that was first used to describe new ideas in literature and painting at the end of the eighteenth century, but later (1850 – 1900) it was also adopted by the musical establishment. Its predominant characteristics are compositions featuring lyrical melodies, and the presence of discords and chromatic harmonies. This was the era where a new style of composition evolved, known as Programme music, which attempted to conjure up images that give an impression of a narrative Romantic composers were inspired by other artistic forms and genres, such as the visual arts. The French composers, Claude-Achille Debussy and Maurice Ravel, are considered two of the pioneers of the Impressionism and Symbolism (Post- Impressionism) movements. Their Impressionist music expresses subtle emotions and evokes an atmosphere, that is redolent of the Romantic Period. These Impressionist composers were heavily influenced by Impressionist paintings that had taken top billing in the 1860 Paris Impressionist exhibition. This movement, which reached its peak around 1875 to 1925, owes its origin to a painting by Claude Monet, Impression Sunrise. As described by Grout and Palisca (2010) the characteristics of Impressionist music are the use of whole-tone scales, dissonant chords and chromaticism. Moreover, symbolisic music is derived from an art movement which originated in the heyday of Romanticism, and flourished towards the end of the nineteenth century in Europe.