Impressionist and Expressionist Music - Essay Example

?Full Impressionist and Expressionist Music Music, like any other arts, had its share of changes as the generations of artists changed their tastes and styles. In the 20th century, the impressionists and expressionists arose. Impressionism in paintings, based from the name, created an impression that called for the mood and setting that the paintings depicted. Similarly, impressionist music had similar characteristics although one of the pioneers, Claude Debussy disliked the term used. His aim then was to make something different from what seemed to be an overuse of the romantic approach to music. However, no matter how the great Debussy argued about the term used for his music, there was not much he could have done but to continue to create the sound that he wanted to let people listen to (Ajero). It was such a great success, obtaining the goal of the composer that is, creating a new kind of music and has influenced other musicians from that time on. Impressionist music uses alternating slow and fast sounds that creates an impression of action and emotions. The slow music evokes emotions such as love, sadness, happiness, despondency or a reflective mood. On the other hand, the fast movement of the sounds in an impressionistic music suggests activity like dancing, or perhaps jumping for joy. This is probably the reason why the music is called impressionist, because it does leave an impression of what must be the composer’s imagination when the music was being created. The alternating slow and fast sounds keep the listener focused and not get bored of the sound heard. This is perhaps one of those which show the success of Debussy, showing a contrast to romantic music which could lull listeners to sleep (Ajero). In addition, there is also a variety of volume created that corresponds to the speed of the impressionist music. For instance, when fast notes are played, the volume is raised, enhancing the impressions created in the listeners’ mind. Going back to a statement mentioned earlier, the fast music, when coupled by a raise in volume, increases the intensity of action and emotion in the sound. Likewise, a slow movement of sound when compounded by a soft volume creates a mood of tranquility, an impression of thoughtfulness or other similar emotions. The sound is never loud when the movement goes slow and vice versa. This shows that in impressionist music, the volume and speed complement each other. The impressionist music also has a smooth flow in changing its speed and volume, making the transition beautiful to listen to (modernexample). Moreover, the changes in the volume of sound in the music create an impression of moving far or near to the listener. For example, when the sound is amplified, it gives a feeling of being very near the source of the sound but when the sound softens, the sound seems to be coming from a distance. The pitches created in the impressionist music are similarly varied with similar effects as the motion and volume of the sound. The overall impact of these sound qualities is the creation of a beautiful composition that stirs different emotions in just one piece of music (modernexample). The expressionist music on the other hand is not as beautiful to listen to. This is perhaps because the music was deliberately created to express feelings that were often suppressed. The high pitch in this kind of music is similar to how the fear of a woman or a child is expressed through a high sounding scream. It evokes a chilling feeling that listeners might not like to listen to for entertainment purposes. The sounds are similar to those often played during Halloween and in horror movies. Often, a note is played for a short period in between silence. This makes the music seem chopped or fragmented. At one point, the musician seems to be very careful in his movements that the sound is soft and slow. This expresses the fear the character in the music is feeling. For this reason, most of the sounds made in the expressionist music are low and slow. At another, the music suddenly becomes loud. Whenever there is a change in volume, speech and speed, it is often immediate that it does not lose the negative emotions that were formerly established (Juilliard String Quartet & Yo-Yo Ma). This technique expresses intensity in the emotions felt in the music. In contrast to impressionist music, the change in volume in the expressionist music does not create a sense of distance rather it intensifies caution because of the emotions being felt. Similarly, the change in speed intensifies the emotions, too. The suddenness of these changes is such that they are not good to listen to but rather creates a feeling of shock. Perhaps the beauty in this kind of music is not in the sound but the effect on the composers. From the word itself, it is understood that the music is an expression of their emotions. This then, is their outlet for the negative feelings they have that they would rather not talk about or fear to face. The music is therapeutic to the composers and probably even to the listeners because it deals with emotional problems commonly encountered by people regardless of age and status. Sometimes, even if fears are not discussed by the people concerned, listening to expressionist music assures them that they are not alone, that fear is a universal feeling that different people encounter and deal with everyday. To the listeners, impressionist music suggests emotions that they eventually embrace and make as their own. Therefore, when a person is listening to a slow impressionist music, the tendency is for the listener to take time in his activities, relax a little or even be lulled to sleep because that is the impression/affect the music is made for. This kind of music is now used in meditation or dance classes. When a person is feeling lazy and he listens to a fast impressionist music, he can be awakened and made to change his mood. Expressionism on the other hand seems to encourage the hidden feelings from people to be brought out and expressed rather than held back. Today, the music is used in many genres of movies because it helps to express the unseen expressions of emotions and unspoken thoughts of the characters. The expressionist and impressionist kinds of music may differ in the effects they create in the listeners but they are still considered wonderful. Today, at a time when the different kinds of emotions are now courageously faced by people, some consider the expressionist music as beautiful as the impressionist music. The beauty that has always been in impressionist music is still considered wonderful after so many years and they serve as inspirations to modern composers. Whatever reactions the two kinds of music create, perhaps the more important thing to consider now is the appreciation of these music. For anyway, there are different genres of music as there are different tastes of people. Moreover, the study of these kinds of music is helpful for the kinds of music that the modern generations listen to because of the evolution of music from what has been established in the former generations. References Ajero, Doc. Debussy and Impressionism. Youtube. June 2, 2010. Web. September 15, 2012. . Ajero, Doc. Expressionism and Schoenberg. Youtube. June 2, 2010. Web. September 15, 2012. . Juilliard String Quartet & Yo-Yo Ma. Schoenberg Verklarte Nacht (Transfigured Night) Op. 4 Part 1. Youtube. Puffthecat. August 3, 2010. Web. September 15, 2012. . Modernexample. Passepied – Claude Debussy Impressionist Music and Art. Youtube. November 30, 2010. Web. September 16, 2012. . Read More