Twelve Tone Music: A compositional technique that uses a series of all twelve notes of the chromatic scale in a fixed, recurring order, ensuring no note is repeated until all others have been used.

Context and Significance

Twelve Tone Music plays a crucial role in the evolution of 20th-century classical music. Developed to bring structure to atonal music, it is commonly used in serial compositions. This method allows composers to explore new harmonic possibilities by avoiding traditional tonal hierarchies. It is often employed in orchestral, chamber, and solo instrumental works, providing a unique framework for musical innovation.

Historical Background

The technique was pioneered by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg in the early 1920s as a response to the disintegration of tonal music. Schoenberg sought a method to give structure and coherence to atonal compositions, marking a significant shift in compositional practice. Twelve Tone Music laid the foundation for the Second Viennese School, influencing composers like Alban Berg and Anton Webern.

Examples

Arnold Schoenberg’s Suite for Piano, Op. 25, is a seminal work employing Twelve Tone technique. Other notable examples include Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite and Anton Webern’s Symphony, Op. 21. These compositions demonstrate the method’s versatility and its impact on expanding the expressive range of classical music.

Related Terms

Serialism: An extension of twelve-tone technique, applying series to elements like rhythm and dynamics.

Atonality: Music that avoids a central key or tonal center.

Second Viennese School: A group of composers, including Schoenberg, who advanced atonal and twelve-tone techniques.

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