{"id":17246,"date":"2023-07-15T08:04:53","date_gmt":"2023-07-15T12:04:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/audioapartment.com\/?p=17246"},"modified":"2023-07-15T08:04:56","modified_gmt":"2023-07-15T12:04:56","slug":"what-is-the-modern-era-in-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/audioapartment.com\/music-theory-and-composition\/what-is-the-modern-era-in-music\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Modern Era in Music? Your Vibrant Guide to 20th Century Soundscapes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Are you ready to uncover the essence of the modern era in music<\/strong>? From groundbreaking genres to technological advancements that have revolutionized how we create and consume music, we’ll explore how artists have ingeniously pushed boundaries, embraced diversity, and crafted unique sounds that resonate with the pulse of our ever-evolving society. Get ready to discover the sonic wonders of the modern era that have us tapping our feet and singing along in awe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What’s the modern era in music?<\/strong>\u00a0It’s the period that kicked off in the 1900s and, like a fat drum fill, is still echoing loud and clear. The modern age set a new tempo, reshaping music with its unprecedented global events and technological leaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dude, if you were to spin some tracks from 1900 and compare that to your latest Spotify playlist, it\u2019d sound about as similar as a kazoo and a Marshall stack. So, what happened?\u00a0The modern era in music bestowed on us a sonic reality that\u2019s as much a part of our daily life as our morning coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like a seasoned drummer dropping a beat, history played out its rhythm<\/strong>, and music danced along. The Great Depression, both World Wars, tech advances that\u2019d make a synth jock blush, and the feeling that we are all more connected; these global events turned the amp up to 11 on how music evolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n E-beats, baby! Electronic music went off! Picture a bunch of composers in basements getting crazy with electronic sounds. Imagine some airy synth chords mixed with a gritty bassline. Yeah, that\u2019s the stuff!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You started seeing a pushback against equal temperament (think of tuning in music) from the Baroque period. Instead, they began exploring other systems, often harking back to the past or nodding to non-Western music styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this golden era of experimentation, composers cranked their creativity knobs, pushing boundaries like some fearless guitarists pushing the overdrive pedal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let\u2019s move from backdrop to frontstage, spotlighting the big names that surfed this wave of change, cranking out some epic material. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The modern era in music is typically divided into two major periods: the early modernist period around the turn of the 20th century and the late modern or contemporary period, which broadly encompasses the late 20th and early 21st centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prominent modernist composers, who transformed musical language around the turn of the 20th century<\/strong>, include Arnold Schoenberg, known for his rejection of tonality in chromatic post-tonal and twelve-tone works, and Igor Stravinsky, who made significant shifts away from metrical rhythm. Other important modernist composers from various countries include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 20th century was marked by boundary-pushing genres like serialism, aleatoric music, and minimalism. Prominent composers of this period include Edward Elgar (1857\u20131934), Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872\u20131958), Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), Lili Boulanger (1893-1918), and William Grant Still (1895-1978).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the contemporary period of the 21st century, there are many prominent composers whose works are shaping the future of classical music. Some of these include Max Richter, known for his training under Luciano Berio and his innovative use of looping and phasing techniques<\/a>; Ludovico Einaudi, whose minimalist piano music has become a hallmark of his work; and Hildur Gu\u00f0nad\u00f3ttir, the award-winning Icelandic composer known for her impactful film and TV scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From your listening sessions or maybe even your own mixing experiments,<\/strong> you may have come across some iconic tracks attributed to the Modern era. Ever jammed to Maurice Ravel or grooved to B\u00e9la Bart\u00f3k? Well, you’re vibing with the Modern era, fam!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ruth Crawford Seeger channeled the voices of American folk, while Alban Berg took Schoenberg’s twelve-tone serialism for a ride.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Tracks like Ravel’s impressionist-laced music or Bart\u00f3k’s folk-inspired compositions are a reflection of how these composers were sitting on the same historical roller coaster as we are now. Ruth Crawford Seeger channeled the voices of American folk, while Alban Berg took Schoenberg’s twelve-tone serialism for a ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John Adams, with his piece “Phrygian Gates”, and Sofia Gubaidulina, famed for her chamber works, each added their verses to the song of the Modern era. Ever heard of a piece called “4’33”, where performers just rest for four and a half minutes? Yeah, that’s John Cage giving us a taste of his avant-garde thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Old-timey silent films? Not in the Modern era! Thanks to some legendary composers, films started to have their own unforgettable scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irving Berlin gave us the Christmas classic “White Christmas”, while Leonard Bernstein\u2019s “West Side Story” is still getting feet tapping. John Williams (I’d say “may the force be with you,” but that’s so last century, right?), Hans Zimmer, and Danny Elfman have taken film and television scores to a whole new level. Even today, their music paints a vivid audio picture in our minds<\/strong>, resonating with the visuals like a well-mixed track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This table breaks down some of the defining elements of music<\/strong> in the Modern era. These are vital ingredients that shaped the music of today, helping you craft your sound in your home studio and giving your audio engineering experiments that added edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow did the 20th century and beyond influence music?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What changes occurred in the modern era?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What innovations were brought in music in the modern era?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Who were the prominent composers of the modern era?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What were some significant works during the modern era?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How did film and television music shape up in the modern era?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are the key musical elements characterizing the modern era?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n