Twelve-Tone: A method of musical composition that uses a series of all twelve notes of the chromatic scale, ensuring each note is used before any is repeated.
Context and Significance
The twelve-tone technique is significant in 20th-century music composition. It allows composers to create atonal music that avoids a central key, thereby expanding the possibilities for musical expression. This approach is widely used in avant-garde, modern classical, and experimental genres, providing a structured yet innovative framework. Instruments like the piano and orchestra benefit from this technique, offering a broad palette for composers to explore new harmonic textures and melodic development.
Historical Background
Developed by Arnold Schoenberg in the early 1920s, the twelve-tone technique emerged as a revolutionary approach to composition. It was conceived as a response to the chromatic excesses of late Romanticism, aiming to bring order to atonal music. This method became a cornerstone of the Second Viennese School, influencing composers like Alban Berg and Anton Webern. The technique’s emphasis on equality of pitches was a radical departure from traditional tonal hierarchies.
Examples
In Schoenberg’s Suite for Piano, Op. 25, the twelve-tone method is evident through its structured yet free-flowing melodic lines. Anton Webern’s Symphony, Op. 21, demonstrates the technique’s potential for creating intricate, pointillistic textures. Composers such as Pierre Boulez and Igor Stravinsky have also explored twelve-tone serialism, showcasing its versatility and adaptability within their works.
Related Terms
Serialism: A broader technique using series for aspects beyond pitch, such as dynamics.
Atonality: Music that lacks a tonal center or key.
Chromatic Scale: The twelve-tone scale including all semitones within an octave.