The classical modern period, 1900-1945, saw a great deal of cultural change, and many different composers helped shape the musical landscape of the early 20th century. Browse our sheet music and scores, take a look at our Classical Modern Sheet Music Downloads, and explore the wide world of classical modernism with Stretta Music today
The horrors of World War I brought about such a shift in perspective, that art would never be the same again. The cultural and social changes that had already begun at the end of the 19th century led to new prospects, which were mirrored and expressed through various innovative artistic movements, them sum of which is called Classic Modernism.
During the 20th century, the boundaries of tonality were stretched so far that one could no longer speak of tonal music. The most striking examples of this are polytonality, employed by composers like Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, and Charles Ives, and to an even greater extent serialism, the twelve-tone music of Arnold Schönberg and his students.
The rise of nationalism in the late 19th century sparked a great interest in rediscovering folk music. New technical developments, such as the invention of the phonograph, also made it easier to document and collect folk music. Great folk Pioneers were the Romanian composer Béla Bartók, the Czech composer Leo Janáček, the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, and the Australian-American composer Percy Grainger.
This development led to a new idiom within classical music, both melodically and rhythmically. Good examples of the integration of folklore into classical modern music are the melodies from Janáček’s Jenufa, which are based on the rhythm and intonation of the Czech language, and Bartók’s Second Violin Rhapsody.
Expressionists aimed to capture true emotions without glossing over them. Above all, they looked at the subjective inner world, in contrast to the outer world, and left all traditional ideals of beauty behind.
Expressionist music is characterised by dissonance, extreme dynamics and great contrasts in colour, pitch and effect. In music, expressionism is generally associated with the Second Viennese School, founded by Arnold Schönberg and his students Anton Webern and Alban Berg, and the dodecaphonic, twelve-tone technique they used, known as serialism.
Examples of expressionist music include Schönberg’s Erwartung, 1909, and Berg’s Wozzeck, 1922.
Another classical modern departure from the ideals of the Romantic Period was to draw on forms and tropes of the Baroque Period and the Classical Period. This was expressed in the use of traditional musical forms, as in Martinů’s Concerto da Camara, 1937, the use of traditional instrumentation, as in Manuel de Falla’s Concerto for Harpsichord, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet & Cello, 1926, and also in the use of thematic material from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, 1920.
Kantate
for: Frauenchor (SSA) mit Kinderchor (SMezA), gemischtem Chor (SSATBB) und kleinem Orchester
Chorpartitur Kinderchor
Item no.: 782680
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1007431
Klassik
for: Voice (medium), piano
Score
Item no.: 1353295
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 999533
Que Le Boeuf
for: Men's Choir [TTBB] and Piano
Choir score
Item no.: 977157
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1103029
for: Violin, piano
Book
Item no.: 1007152
Originale Unterhaltungsmusik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1590377
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1118097
Originale Unterhaltungsmusik
for: Salon orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1590488
Originale Unterhaltungsmusik
for: Salon orchestra
Buch
Item no.: 1590759
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Score
Item no.: 1007881
The Great Classics
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 872916
Originale Unterhaltungsmusik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1590655
for: Flute, piano
Book
Item no.: 1007119
Walzer "Der letzte Sonnenschein"
for: Male choir (TTBB), piano
Choir part Tenor 1
Item no.: 782629
for Vocal, Clarinet, Violin and 2 Pianos
for: Vocal, Clarinet, Violin and 2 Pianos
Score
Item no.: 833173
for: Salon orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 1590359
Score
Item no.: 1005701
Originale Unterhaltungsmusik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1590676
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1076655
Hierusalem Verwoest
for: Mixed choir (SATB), chamber ensemble
Choir score
Item no.: 1024328
Gegenwartsmusik
for: Mixed ensemble
Score
Item no.: 832953
Originale Unterhaltungsmusik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1590593
Folk aus England
for: Piano 4 hands
Book
Item no.: 1005312
2. Christe, du Lamm Gottes - Passionsmotette
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 737972
Fanfarenklange
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1648007
"Zum Tanz! Zum Tanz! Schon stürzt herbei der Mond"
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 738890
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1639824
for: Viola, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 1670145
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1043637
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1201101
for: Piano, harmonium
Music score
Item no.: 1202559
for: school orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1117688
Introduzione e Allegro = Concertino Teil I
mit eingelegter zweiter Klavierstimme
for: Piano, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 1640311
for: 4 saxophones (SATBar)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 796723
From "West Side Story"
for: Piano 4 hands
Music score
Item no.: 791891
Petrulus hirrutus
for: Kinder- oder Jugendchor, 2 Flöten, Streichorchester und Klavier, Schlagzeug ad libitum
Einzelstimme Orchesterklavier
Item no.: 782036
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1649141
Final Version 1906
additional part
for: Soloist (alto), boys' choir, women's choir, orchestra
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 781361
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1649142
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1649034
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 821504
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Score
Item no.: 106031
for: Choir (2 voices), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 950449
from 'Quartetto geniale'
First print
Foulds Edition
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Score, Parts (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1344460
for: Piano 4 hands
Ensemble score
Item no.: 888549