Page 298 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

296 INTRODUCTION

Pierre Schaeffer In France, Iannis Polish composer
and Pierre Henry Xenakis composes Krzysztof Penderecki’s
create Symphonie Pithoprakta, a Threnody for the Victims
pour un homme piece inspired by of Hiroshima explores
seul from mathematical and sonorism with a 52-piece
recorded sounds. engineering principles. string orchestra.

1950 1956–1957 1960

1956 1958 1964

In the Soviet Union, Three orchestras Terry Riley writes
Aram Khachaturian’s simultaneously In C—one of the
ballet Spartacus, about bring Karlheinz first minimalist
the first-century slave Stockhausen’s Gruppen compositions, with
revolt against Rome, wins to life at its premiere no set number of
the Lenin Prize. in Cologne, Germany. performers or duration.

n the wake of World War II, Messiaen, their teacher at the elements of his compositions by
classical music became Paris Conservatoire, Pierre Boulez tossing coins and sorting yarrow
I increasingly experimental, and Karlheinz Stockhausen sticks or giving ambiguous graphic
as composers searched for more became the leading lights of instructions to performers. One
adventurous ways to rework the serialism, while Iannis Xenakis of his works (4´33˝) specified four
language of music. Turning their used it as a starting point for a minutes and 33 seconds of silence,
back on the past, they looked to music that was based on a in which only the ambient sounds
new sources of inspiration, such combination of mathematical of the auditorium could be heard.
as mathematics and physics, and and acoustic theories. Composers
overturned former concepts of also found rich inspiration in Ideas spread
structure. They even questioned technology, which provided access After the death of Joseph Stalin
fundamental aspects of music, to a whole new sound world. In in 1953, news of these fresh
such as what constituted a musical Paris, Pierre Henry and Pierre developments began to reach
instrument, the necessity of a Schaeffer pioneered a technique composers behind the Iron Curtain,
“performer,” and what music known as musique concrète, using where the Soviet-dominated
itself can be. sounds recorded onto magnetic regimes had censored music
In Europe, the postwar tape as their building blocks. that it considered degenerate or
generation pushed the serial At the same time, a young subversive. György Ligeti, born
method of composition pioneered American composer, John Cage, in communist Romania, made
by Arnold Schoenberg in the 1920s explored music determined by his way to the West via Hungary
further by applying the technique chance, or aleatory music, and in 1956 and developed an
to volume and duration as well examined the musical potential idiosyncratic style after coming
as pitch. Encouraged by Olivier of silence. He determined key across the music of Stockhausen

US_296-297_Chapter_Intro_Contemporary.indd 296 26/03/18 1:01 PM