At the dawn of the 20th century, radical changes were happening across the musical landscape. One of those was the slow development of an aesthetic movement called Modernism: a shift away from traditional composition methods. But before experiments of atonality and complex rhythms were popularized by artists like Igor Stravinsky and Béla Bartók, composers were veering from traditional forms in more subtle manners. Explore how Claude Debussy, Eugène Ysaÿe, and Edvard Grieg went beyond traditional forms of the day to better express their musical creativity.
Prelude to Modernism
James Thompson (Photo: Carlin Ma)
Playlist
Claude Debussy: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune for Piano, Four Hands (arr. Ravel)
Tara Helen O’Connor, Flute; Stephen Taylor, Oboe; Jose Franch-Ballester, Clarinet; Daniel Ching, Violin I; William Fedkenheuer, Violin II; John Largess, Viola; Joshua Gindele, Cello; Scott Pingel, Double Bass; Michael Stephen Brown, Harmonium; Lucille Chung, Piano; Ian Rosenbaum, Percussion
Eugène Ysaÿe: Sonata in D minor for Violin, Op. 27, No. 3, Ballade
James Thompson, Violin
Edvard Grieg: Quartet in G minor for Strings, Op. 27
Erik Schumann, Violin I; Ken Schumann, Violin II; Liisa Randalu, Viola; Mark Schumann, Cello
