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.
Orff-Schulwerk
for: Kinderchor (SMezA) mit Soli, Sprecher und Instrumenten
Single part for mallets
Item no.: 729212
Kantate nach einem französischen Weihnachtslied
for: Frauenchor (SSAA) mit Sopran-Solo und Streichquintett
Single part Viola
Item no.: 727203
op. 54
for: gemischter Chor (SATB) mit Soli (STB) und Streichorchester; Flöte und Cembalo ad libitum
Single part Viola
Item no.: 744557
for: GCH ORG (2)
Single part(n)
Item no.: 307647
kleine Weihnachtskantate
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 230492
Choralkantate
for: Solo voice (soprano), mixed choir (SATB), chamber ensemble
Single part Double bass
Item no.: 695780
Worte eines französischen Weihnachtsliedes
for: Frauenchor (SSAA) mit Sopran-Solo und Streichquintett
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 1650943
Galopp für Zupforchester
for: Mandolin orchestra
Single part Double bass
Item no.: 604759
Magnificat
for: Double bass
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 231042
for: Viola
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 230836
Choralkantate
for: Solo voice (soprano), mixed choir (SATB), chamber ensemble
Single part Violin
Item no.: 695779
for: Frauenchor (SSAA) mit Sopran-Solo und Streichquintett
Single part Viola
Item no.: 185256
for: Horn
Music lesson book
Item no.: 104900
for: Voice [choir]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 198593
Sections III and IV
for: Cello
Music lesson book
Item no.: 681877
without accompaniment
for: Voice
Music lesson book
Item no.: 362681
für Posaune
for: Trombone
Music lesson book
Item no.: 136346
for: Voice (melody instrument]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 257111
for: Violin
Music lesson book
Item no.: 121374
Flute (Technik) (Technique)
for: Flute
Music lesson book
Item no.: 166261
for: Piano
Music lesson book
Item no.: 257115
Music lesson book
Item no.: 113281
for: 2 soloists (TBar), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Playback-CD (mp3) (choir part alto)
Item no.: 688561
The Repertoire for all Vocal Genres
for: Voice (mezzo-soprano), piano
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 765057
for: Piano
Music lesson book
Item no.: 376648
60 besondere Übungen für Violine zur Ausbildung der linken Hand
Heft 3
for: Violin
Music lesson book
Item no.: 392895
for: Violin
Music lesson book
Item no.: 397138
(Teaching material)
Book
Item no.: 411874
for: Voice (melody instrument]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 256976
Tägliche Studien zur technischen, rhythmischen und musikalischen Ausbildung
for: Piano
Music lesson book
Item no.: 282822
eingeleitet und kommentiert von Leonard Stein
Book
Item no.: 124159
Praktischer Lehrgang für den Anfangsunterricht unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Volksliedes. Teil 1: Grundlehrgang (Lehrmaterial) (Teaching material)
for: Piano
Music lesson book
Item no.: 106414
Music lesson book
Item no.: 272704
for: Violin
Music lesson book
Item no.: 121372
Advanced Technique
for: Classical guitar
Music lesson book
Item no.: 206938
for: Organ
Music lesson book
Item no.: 312607
Volume 1: 70 études très faciles et faciles pour cor (Collection)
for: Horn
Music lesson book
Item no.: 100748
Music lesson book
Item no.: 136474
Tägliche Studien zur technischen, rhythmischen und musikalischen Ausbildung
for: Piano
Music lesson book
Item no.: 282823
for: 1–2 violins
Music lesson book, 2 playback CDs
Item no.: 134140
Schule
for: Guitar
Music lesson book
Item no.: 252194
77 zweistimmige Singübungen
for: 2 voices
Music lesson book
Item no.: 198597
for: Violin
Music lesson book
Item no.: 612629
for: Violin
Music score
Item no.: 397139
for: Voice (melody instrument]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 257084
for: Violin
Music lesson book
Item no.: 560688
Volume 1 (Lehrmaterial) (Teaching material)
Book
Item no.: 411867
for: Piano
Music lesson book
Item no.: 282824