The Cambridge introduction to serialism / Arnold Whittall.

Author/creator Whittall, Arnold
Format Book
Publication InfoCambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Descriptionxiv, 285 pages ; 26 cm.
Subjects
Music--20th century. --History and criticism.
Serialism (Music)

SeriesCambridge introductions to music
Cambridge introductions to music. ^A793992
Contents Introducing the introduction. Some initial questions ; History and hindsight: an overview ; A Webern analysis ; Collection, mode, series, set ; Notes and numbers ; Back to Webern ; Forms of post-tonal composition ; Terms, techniques ; Serialism in critical perspective ; A personal perspective -- Schoenberg's path to the twelve-tone method. Interpreting transition ; Tonal or post-tonal? ; Twelve-tone technique in embryo ; Ideals and practicalities ; Post-war problems ; Parallels and pitfalls: Hauer ; Eye witness: Gerhard -- Serialism in close-up. From Bach to Schoenberg ; Schoenberg as music ; Serialism as music ; Fixed and free ; Op. 25: further details ; A twelve-tone canon ; Coda -- Schoenberg in the 1920s. 1920-3 ; Making, meaning: op. 23 no. 5 ; 1923-4 ; Schoenberg on Schoenberg: the wind quintet ; More on the wind quintet ; The wind quintet's finale ; 1925-9 ; Op. 29 and after ; Meaning, making -- Alban Berg: reverence and resistance. Wozzeck and transition ; Personal space ; Berg - Klein - Berg ; Berg's chamber concerto ; A first step ; Series, cycles ; Lyric suite ; Lyric suite: finale ; The final dialogues ; Serialism in Lulu and the violin concerto -- Anton Webern: discipline and licence. Purity, anxiety ; Beginnings ; The route to independence ; String trio, op. 20 ; The method perfected ; Form and feeling ; Symmetry and balance ; Twelve-tone canons -- The later Schoenberg. Laying down the law ; Religion, politics and serialism ; Exile and readjustment ; 'Good old tradition!'? The fourth string quartet ; Models for form and style ; Suspended tonality? ; Grammar or gibberish ; Matters of quality ; Ambiguous endings -- American counterpoints: I. From method to system ; Varese ; More pioneers ; Krenek ; Sessions, Copland, Perle ; Babbitt: words ; Babbitt: music ; Babbitt: music, words and politics ; Consequences and contingencies -- American counterpoints: II. Stravinsky: a balance of tensions ; Stravinsky: series and centres ; Cage and Nancarrow ; The minimalists ; The serial inheritance ; Carter ; Carter's practice ; Gra: playing with sets -- European repercussions: I. Facing both ways ; Britten and the British ; Shostakovich and the Soviets ; Lutoslawski and the Poles ; Cold war and style wars: Dallapiccola ; Nono: commitment to progress ; Nono: Il canto sopeso -- European repercussions: II. From Messiaen to Boulez ; Testing extremes ; Structures ; Hearing techniques ; Behing Le Marteau sans maitre ; Serialism in Le Marteau sans maitre ; Stockhausen: Cologne, Paris, Darmstadt ; Stockhausen and the piano ; Gruppen -- European repercussions: III. Xenakis ; Ligeti ; Ligeti's techniques ; Berio ; Berio's transformations ; Kagel -- European repercussions: IV. The later Boulez ; Boulez as lecturer ; Style and idea in Incises ; The later Stockhausen ; Serialism in excelsis ; Kurtag -- European repercussions: V. The contemporary scene ; Scandinavia: Norgard ; British serialism after 1950 ; Maxwell Davies: before 1970 ; Magic squares and serial structures ; Maxwell Davies since the 1970s ; Birtwistle ; Ferneyhough ; Knussen ; An ending.
Abstract From the earliest years of the twentieth century, composers sought ways in which to break from earlier musical traditions. Serialism is one of the most prominent innovations resulting from this. From Schoenberg to Stockhausen, Berg to Boulez, this introduction tells the story of how serialism emerged, and provides a basic outline of serial compositional techniques.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 259-270) and index.
LCCN 2008020522
ISBN9780521863414 (hardback)
ISBN0521863414 (hardback)
ISBN9780521682008 (pbk.)
ISBN0521682002 (pbk.)