The Age of Extreme
This nickname for the Modern Era reflects its violence and tech leaps
The Age of Extreme!
Atonal music lacks this central musical “home base."
A tonal center or Key!
Russian‑born composer with three major periods: Russian, Neoclassical, and Serial.
Igor Stravinsky!
The “fancy” term for Chance Music.
Aleatoric!
Style with raw, powerful sound inspired by non‑Western or ancient traditions; often heavy repetition. (Like the Rite of Spring)
Primitivism!
These global conflicts strongly shaped the music of the era.
The World Wars!
“A story with no main character and unpredictable plot” is the class analogy for this style:
Atonality!
Stravinsky’s period that revived traditional forms using modern techniques.
Neoclassical!
A common method John Cage used to make compositional choices in Chance Music.
A coin flip or dice roll!
Style that brings back 18th‑century forms but uses modern techniques.
Neoclassicism!
The term for clashing notes that create tension.
Dissonance!
Schoenberg’s 12‑tone row uses all 12 of these.
All 12 Chromatic Notes!
The 1913 ballet whose premiere caused an uproar and changed how composers think about rhythm.
The Rite of Spring!
Piano technique that adds objects to or between strings (or retunes them) for unusual sounds.
Prepared Piano!
Stravinsky’s neoclassical suite that revisits older forms.
Pulcinella!
This musical element—normally “sounds nice”—was challenged and transformed in the Modern Era.
Harmony!
In a 12‑tone row, this must always be preserved when using the notes.
The Order of the Row!
The term for overlapping contrasting rhythms used heavily in The Rite of Spring.
Polyrhythm!
Cage’s philosophy: these everyday noises have value and musical potential.
All sounds!
Name one Holst movement we discussed and what it means.
Mars: The Bringer of War, Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity, Neptune: The Mystic
The Modern Era loved these rhythmic surprises—frequent ______ changes and complicated rhythms.
Rhythm changes or Polyrhythm!
Austrian‑born, later in L.A., he loved jazz and pioneered the 12‑tone method—earning a certain “father” nickname.
Arnold Schoenberg! (The Father of the 12 Tone Row)
At the chaotic premiere, dancers couldn’t hear; the solution was this wild conducting move.
The conductor stood on a chair and shouted the counts!
The famously silent piece we listened to that spotlights ambient sound.
4'33"
This Rachmaninoff work showed how diverse 20th‑century music could be—even with lush, Romantic vibes.
His Second Piano Concerto!