Twelve-tone technique

Definition

The twelve-tone technique is a method of musical composition developed by Arnold Schoenberg that involves using all twelve notes of the chromatic scale in a specific sequence called a tone row, without repeating any notes until all have been used. This approach marked a significant departure from traditional tonality and was a major influence on 20th-century music, reflecting broader movements in experimental music history and changing relationships between traditional composition methods.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The twelve-tone technique was first articulated by Arnold Schoenberg in the 1920s and became a foundational method for many composers of the 20th century.
2. Schoenberg's twelve-tone system aims to create a sense of equality among all pitches, eliminating the hierarchical structure found in traditional tonal music.
3. Composers like Alban Berg and Anton Webern were heavily influenced by Schoenberg's twelve-tone method, further developing it into their own unique styles.
4. The technique can be manipulated through variations such as inversion, retrograde, and transposition to create new musical ideas while maintaining coherence.
5. While initially controversial, the twelve-tone technique paved the way for later movements such as minimalism and postmodernism, highlighting its enduring impact on contemporary music.

Review Questions

• How does the twelve-tone technique challenge traditional notions of tonality in music composition?
  • The twelve-tone technique challenges traditional notions of tonality by utilizing all twelve pitches of the chromatic scale without establishing a single tonal center. This creates a sense of equality among pitches rather than emphasizing one note as a home base. By avoiding repetition until all notes have been played, composers break away from conventional harmonic structures, leading to innovative forms of expression and expanding the possibilities of musical creation.
• Discuss how Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique influenced subsequent composers and movements in experimental music.
  • Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique significantly influenced subsequent composers like Alban Berg and Anton Webern, who adopted and adapted his ideas to develop their own styles. This influence extended beyond individual composers to entire movements in experimental music, as the focus on atonality and structure led to new ways of thinking about composition. The principles behind serialism emerged from Schoenberg's work, impacting genres such as avant-garde music and influencing later developments in minimalism and postmodernism.
• Evaluate the impact of the twelve-tone technique on the evolution of music from traditional composition methods to modern experimental practices.
  • The twelve-tone technique represents a pivotal shift in music that moved away from traditional composition methods towards more modern experimental practices. By emphasizing atonality and equality among pitches, it allowed composers to break free from established norms and explore new sonic territories. This transformation not only reshaped how music was composed but also influenced broader artistic movements across various disciplines, demonstrating how revolutionary ideas can redefine creative expression and lead to innovations in sound and structure.

Related terms

Tone Row: A specific ordering of the twelve pitches in the twelve-tone technique, serving as the basis for composition.

Serialism: A compositional technique that extends the principles of the twelve-tone technique to other musical elements such as rhythm, dynamics, and timbre.

Atonality: A musical style that avoids establishing a tonal center, often associated with the works of Schoenberg and other composers who embraced the twelve-tone method.