Impressionism

Definition

Impressionism is an artistic movement that originated in the late 19th century, characterized by a focus on capturing fleeting moments and the effects of light, often using vivid colors and loose brushwork. In music, this translates to a similar emphasis on atmosphere and emotion, as composers sought to evoke sensations rather than depict explicit narratives, leading to a departure from traditional forms and structures.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Impressionist music often uses non-traditional scales such as whole-tone scales and pentatonic scales to create a distinct sound.
2. Composers like Maurice Ravel and Erik Satie also contributed significantly to the development of impressionism in music, expanding its characteristics.
3. The movement sought to convey mood and emotion through texture and harmony, rather than following strict compositional rules or forms.
4. Impressionist music typically avoids strong tonal centers, allowing for fluidity and exploration of different sound landscapes.
5. The term 'impressionism' itself was initially used as a criticism of the movement but was later embraced by its proponents.

Review Questions

• How did impressionism influence the approach composers took toward harmony and texture in their music?
  • Impressionism significantly changed the way composers approached harmony and texture by focusing on creating atmospheric soundscapes rather than adhering to traditional harmonic progressions. Composers utilized chords of added tones and explored new scales to evoke emotions and impressions, which led to a more fluid musical structure. This shift allowed for greater freedom in expression and experimentation with sound.
• Discuss the connection between impressionism in music and its counterpart in visual arts. How did both movements reflect similar principles?
  • Impressionism in both music and visual arts shared principles of capturing fleeting moments and evoking emotions rather than presenting detailed narratives. Just as painters like Monet focused on light, color, and atmosphere to depict a scene's essence, musicians like Debussy used innovative harmonies and textures to create sensory experiences. Both movements emphasized individual perception, celebrating subjective experience over conventional techniques.
• Evaluate how impressionism challenged traditional musical forms and what implications this had for future music movements.
  • Impressionism challenged traditional musical forms by prioritizing atmosphere over structure, breaking away from established norms of tonality and rhythm. This departure opened doors for later movements such as modernism and minimalism, which further explored freedom of expression in music. As composers began to embrace more abstract concepts, the focus shifted towards individual creativity and interpretation, laying the groundwork for various avant-garde trends that followed.

Related terms

Claude Debussy:

A French composer who is often associated with the impressionist movement in music, known for his innovative harmonic language and emphasis on mood and atmosphere.

Symbolism:

A literary and artistic movement that influenced impressionism by emphasizing metaphor and emotional resonance over direct representation.

Chords of Added Tone: Harmonic structures that include tones beyond the basic triad, commonly used by impressionist composers to create richer, more complex sonorities.