Modernism in the Arts

Question 1

Impressionism

Answer 1

A French movement developed by visual artists who favored vague, blurry images intended to capture an “impression” of the subject. Impressionism in music is characterized by exotic scales, unresolved dissonances, parallel chords, rich orchestral tone color, and free rhythm.

Question 2

Symbolism

Answer 2

Literary movement that paralleled Impressionism, in which poetic images were invoked through suggestion or symbol rather than literal description.

Question 3

Surrealism

Answer 3

Early-twentieth-century artistic movement that explored the subconscious, often through fantastic imagery.

Question 4

Second Viennese School

Answer 4

Name given to composer Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils Alban Berg and Anton Webern; represents the first efforts in twelve-tone composition.

Question 5

Expressionism

Answer 5

The international counterpart to French Impressionism. Favored hyper-expressive harmonies, extraordinarily wide leaps in the melody, and the use of instruments in their extreme registers. The Germanic temperament preferred digging down to the depths of the psyche.

Question 6

Neo-Classicism

Answer 6

Focused attention on craftsmanship and balance, a positive affirmation of the Classical virtues of objectivity and control. Turned away from the symphonic poem and the Romantic attempt to bring music closer to poetry and painting