Whilst the use of some of these melodic devices was not unique (Wagner and Chopin had both used chromatic melody and modal harmony had been used in European folk music for centuries), the way that the Impressionists adopted these techniques in composing melody was a bold step forward. The impressionist composers experimented far more with different options for harmony, often utilising chromatic (all 12 notes in an octave), pentatonic and whole-tone scales, or atonality to create different moods or even utilising less-common modal voicings.
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This rejection of traditional structure also extended through to rhythm with more use of free time or changing rhythm and feel throughout a piece. Where composers prior to the impressionists tended to fit their music into prescribed structures and movements, depending on what kind of piece they were writing, the Impressionists didn’t follow a pre-defined form. Impressionism in music is characterized by three main areas: 1. What Are The Characteristics Of Impressionism In Music? Impressionism in music took place through the turn of the century and beyond the First World War and into the 1920s, but the impact of composers like Debussy, Ravel, Fanelli, Sibelius, and Scriabin is felt throughout modern classical music to this day. Interestingly, Debussy famously hated the term Impressionism and stated that only “imbeciles” would call his music impressionism and described it as “a term employed with the utmost inaccuracy, especially by art critics who use it as a label to stick on Turner, the finest creator of mystery in the whole of art!” It’s a relatively short symphonic piece at just under 12 minutes and is essentially a string of motifs and leitmotifs across different instruments – feeling more like a music poem than some of the more structured classical music from earlier in the 19 th Century and certainly than the rigid forms associated with pre-19 th Century classical stylings and the Baroque period. Musical impressionism trailed slightly behind the visual art initiative – where Monet’s painting above is from 1872, the real start of Impressionism in music came in 1894 when Debussy first performed his piece Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the afternoon of a faun). The Impressionist era began in the late 19 th Century in France, pioneered by the likes of Maurice Ravel (born in 1875) and Claude Debussy (born in 1862).
Historical Background Of Impressionism Music The purpose of the music is to evoke a feeling or convey a mood and to achieve that the composers often explore alternative chord sequences or scales as well as looking at new ways to generate sound from instruments. Impressionism in music does have some ties to the visual art movement – the focus of the genre is the exploration of mood and atmosphere above distinct melody lines.
Generally speaking, the technique involved using small, thin brush strokes to show changing depictions (or impressions) of light such as the below Impression, Soleil Levant by Monet.īut the Impressionist movement also spread to music and in this article, we’ll look in more detail at what is impressionism in music, what are the characteristics of impressionism in music and impressionism in music examples, and the key pioneer composers of impressionism in music. If you studied art at school, you are probably familiar with the term ‘impressionism in music’ – a 19 th Century artistic trend that was mainly focused in France and popularised by artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt.
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