Impressionism

Question 1

Chromatic

Answer 1

Melody or harmony built from many if not all twelve semitones of the octave. A chromatic scale consists of an ascending or descending sequence of semitones.

Question 2

Whole tone scale

Answer 2

Scale pattern built entirely of whole-step intervals, common in the music of the French Impressionists.

Question 3

Characteristics of Impressionism

Answer 3

Sentiment that the possibilities of the major/minor system had been exhausted
 Attraction to ancient scales (church modes of the Middle Ages), exotic scales (chromatic, whole tone)
o Interest in non-Western music flourished
 Moorish music of Spain, Javanese, and Chinese orchestras (as heard at the 1889 World Exposition in Paris)
o A departure from Classical harmony is witnessed in Impressionism
 Unresolved dissonances, parallel chords, ninth chords
 Use of the chromatic scale and whole-tone scale parallel chords, ninth chords
o Orchestral color was exploited in new ways
o The pulse in Impressionist music tended to be obscured
o The large forms of the past were abandoned in favor of short lyric forms

Question 4

Prelude on the afternoon of a Faun

Answer 4

Debussy
Symphonic poem, based on a Mallarmé pastoral poem
 Mythological faun
o Free ternary form
o Chromatic melody
o Rich orchestration creates evocative mood expressing poem’s sensuality

Question 5

Planing

Answer 5

Parallel chord movement keeping the same quality (major , minor, etc.)

Question 6

Transparent texture vs. Dense texture

Answer 6

few instruments playing vs. many instruments playing

Question 7

Extensions/tensions

Answer 7

9ths, 11ths, and 13ths added to chords for ‘colour’. These dissonances may not resolve in Impressionistic music.

Question 8

Altered tensions

Answer 8

9ths, 11th, 13ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths, can be flatted or sharped to stress dissonance and add colour to a chord. An example of a chord symbol would be ‘Bmaj7b5.’ Very common in jazz and impressionistic music.

Question 9

Free rhythm

Answer 9

Pulse in the music is obscured; difficult to feel the beat.

Question 10

Impressionistic Orchestra Instruments

Answer 10

Lighter overall approach to colour; use of two harps, woodwinds dominate for colour, strings play less of a role, brass use mutes, use of english horn, contrabassoon, and other instruments with unusual timbres.

Question 11

Forms

Answer 11

tone poem still popular, but about simpler subjects than Romantic tone poems. Form is still very related to themes.

Question 12

Obscured tonality

Answer 12

Difficult to tell if in a key or not. Usually done through whole tone scales or other exotic scales.

Question 13

How Impressionism is still like Romantic Music

Answer 13

Impressionism continued the fundamental tendencies of the Romantic movement in its emphasis on program music, tone painting, and nature worship; addiction to lyricism; attempt to unite music, painting, and poetry; and emphasis on mood and atmosphere.