*
IMPRESSIONISM	PRIMITIVISM	NEO-CLASSICISM
EXPRESSIONISM	SERIALISM	TOTAL SERIALISM
INDETERMINISM	TEXTURALISM	MINIMALISM
ELECTRONICISM	NEO-ROMANTICISM	ECLECTICISM

IMPRESSIONISM: an appeal to the senses

	Monet's painting of water lilies is deliberately vague, but through color and shading he creates the impression of flowers, clouds, and reflections.
Claude Monet: Water Lilies	(1917)

Background

Impressionism is named for the movement in art history which favored the representation of the "idea" of an object rather than the object itself; where light and color, rather than line and shape, define the images. Musical Impressionism also has a very strong connection to Symbolist poetry (as seen in the works of Charles Baudelaire and Stephane Mallarme). In the art, poetry, and music of ImpressionismIn we find a common thread: an evocation of meaning without direct reference to reality. Impressionism is the recollection of memories where details give way to general impressions. This often results in a general cloudiness or vagueness in presentation since clearly delineated objects or ideas would provide a strong connection to reality.

In musical Impressionism, seen almost exclusively in the music of Claude Debussy, this means we find an obscuration of tonality, harmony, and rhythm. Tonality is vague, often defined only by pedal points. Counterpoint, the great defining feature of the Common Practice Period, is virtually non-existent; this is one of the greatest revolutions of the 20th century, and truly creates a definitive break from the past.

Impressionism in music seemed to have been dead-ended; even Debussy appeared to be moving in a different direction before his death in 1918. But the concepts developed in this style continue to influence composers even today.

Read more information about Impressionism at Impressionist Influences in the Music of Claude Debussy on the web.

Composers associated with Impressionism

• Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
• Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
• Frederick Delius (1862-1934)
• Charles Griffes (1884-1920)

Musical elements

A. Tonality

1. Impressionistic music, like the Common Practice Period, is tonal. A single tonic is evident, although it does not achieve importance through specific voice leading since the leading tone is fundamentally absent. Frequently, tonic is created through the use of a pedal point.
2. Melodies are often of irregular phrase design, and frequently are motivic in nature.
3. Cadences avoid the traditional relationships of the Common Practice Period. Impressionistic cadences are much freer and can be constructed in many different ways. They might move in a root motion of 3rds (such as III to I), or be plagal (IV to I), or even be authentic but without a leading tone (such as minor v to I). Unlike the Common Practice Period, cadences are not formulated.

B. Vocabulary

1. Melodies tend to be drawn from the traditional church modes, pentatonic scales, or whole-tone scales. The common thread to all of these is a lack of leading tones, which tends to weaken the expectation of tonic.
   
2. The process which determines the mode or scale pattern being used is called a PITCH INVENTORY. To take an inventory, one must first isolate what the tonic note is (which can be as simple as locating an important pedal point). Taking that tonic, stack all pitches above it as closely as possible, stepwise if possible. Then, analyze the intervallic structure to describe the scale or mode.
3. Chromaticism is often found, but tends to be used in a free, coloristic manner, and not to enhance diatonic pitches.

C. Texture

1. Counterpoint is virtually non-existent. When it is present, it is temporary, usually very simple, and done sparingly, and tends to be located at cadential points.
2. The predominant musical texture is monolinear, but can be expanded with ostinati, pedal points, and PLANING. Planing is a collection of parallel harmonies (the anathema of the Common Practice Period) and can be done diatonically (within the key signature), or chromatically, to preserve consistent sonorities (a good example of the free chromaticism mentioned above).
   

D. Sonority

1. Harmonic dissonances will not resolve in traditional ways (as seen in the planing example above).
2. Harmonies take on different constructions. This can be done with tertian harmonies (stacked in thirds) by adding more dissonances, such as 9-11-13th chords. One can also find harmonies which are constructed in fourths (QUARTAL harmonies) or fifths (QUINTAL harmonies). A grouping of three notes is called a TRIAD, four notes a TETRAD, or five notes a PENTAD.
   

E. Time Organization

1. Strong beats tend to be obscured, with ties, syncopations, or hemiolas.
2. Compound meters, with frequent cross-rhythms, are common. Please note the notation in the example below: although the three triads in measures 2 and 4 are all equal in length, the middle one is written as two eighth notes tied together. This shows where the second strong beat of the original meter falls. If three quarter notes were used, a different meter would be indicated (i.e., 3/4).
   

Analysis projects

• Claude Debussy: Pour le piano: "Sarabande" [MA #460, CD #98]
  
• Claude Debussy: Preludes, X: "La Cathedrale engloutie" [MA #461, CD #99]

Suggested listening

• Claude Debussy: Prelude to "Afternoon of a Faun" (1894)
• Claude Debussy: Nocturnes (1899)
• Claude Debussy: Peleas et Melisande (1902)
• Claude Debussy: Preludes (both volumes, 1910 and 1913)

Composition project

Write an Impressionistic piece for piano, one page or less, which is a complete musical thought. Include the following:

1. Mixolydian mode, with some whole tone embellishment (do NOT use a key signature)
2. Planing with extended tertian and quartal harmonies
3. Pedal points and an ostinato
4. Cadences (at least two) in a root relationship of a third
5. Compound meter (notated with beats showing by proper beaming), but with frequent cross-rhythms
6. Tempo-mood-dynamics-articulations

GO TO TOP OF PAGE