Debussy – Jeux (1912)
I enjoyed this piece of music. The tempo varies greatly throughout and not in a formal way. I tried to follow the score whilst listening to this piece. Debussy used some instruments unusual in an orchestral setting, with celesta and cor anglais given leading parts. Whilst strings played a leading part in the piece they are not as dominant as you come to expect in orchestral works. Rhythm changes in this as well, with the short motifs as a consequence. Passages are in 3/8 time for much of the piece, but it starts in common time. The tone colour is not as elaborate as late nineteenth century romantic works, e.g. a Tchaikovsky ballet, whilst still a clearly danceable rhythm.
Stravinsky – RIGHT OF SPRING (1913)
I listened to this with the score in front of me (I’m not a good enough reader to follow it properly yet!), as a guide. It definitely helps to have the score in front of you, even if you only have a rudimentary knowledge of music theory. The changes in rhythm throughout are what stands out about the piece. Stravinsky used some unusual time signatures at times as well as frequently changing them. The influence of Russian folk melodies is also a feature of the music you can hear. There was an interesting array of instruments used in this work, Stravinsky used many combinations. Woodwind has an especially large role to play. The bassoon solo at the start, the duet in the Ritual of the Ancients and other solo parts for woodwind instruments. Strings also play a large part in this piece. Percussion, especially Timpani also plays a significant role. The things that set this piece apart from Debussy’s Jeux, is the rhythmic changes and the unusual stresses.
Schoenberg – PIERROT LUNAIRE (1913)
This was a very different piece from the others. Schoenberg changed the arrangement of the instruments, with various types of woodwind, piano (in most movements) and either violin or cello as strings, but light use of strings. Unlike Stravinsky’s work, this piece had regular rhythm. Dynamics varied and some movements were atonal, especially towards the latter part of the work. These elements set this piece apart from Jeux or Rite of Spring.
Debussy, Stravinsky & Schoenberg
These three composers used different elements to create very different landscapes to their music. Debussy’s use of short motifs and the timbre he gave to the sound with use of specific instruments, e.g the celesta and the woodwind instruments, as well as the changing tempo gave Jeux it’s defining features. Stravinsky’s changing rhythmic measures, timbre of orchestral sound to evoke the Russian peasant theme of the piece and the offbeat accents gave Rite of Spring it’s specific sound quality. Schoenberg dispenses with the major/minor key system, changes the timbre of the sound by using different combinations of ensemble for each movement, to give that atonal sound to Pierrot Lunaire.
Each composers has used different advancements of compositional elements from the late nineteenth century romantic tradition they were bought up on to impose their own personality on each piece, thus all advancing the progress of music, whilst each coming up with very different styles. I personally enjoyed all three pieces of music and thought they all offered something to the pallet of 20th century music.