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.
op. 13
for: für großes Orchester
Taschenpartitur
Item no.: 124616
op. 5
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Taschenpartitur
Item no.: 124611
for: Violin
Item no.: 124506
op. 15
for: für Sopran, Flöte, Klarinette (Bassklarinette), Trompete, Harfe und Violine (Viola)
Score
Item no.: 124429
op. 31
for: für Violoncello
Item no.: 124411
für vier Klarinetten (drei Klarinetten und Bassklarinette)
The Clarinettist's Repertoire
for: 4 clarinets
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 124240
Spielmusik für drei Violinen - Moderne Tänze
for: 3 violins
Score, Parts
Item no.: 127554
Spielmusik für drei Violinen
zur solistischen und chorischen Verwendung im Unterricht unter Berücksichtigung der verschiedenen Lehrmethoden
for: 3 violins
Ensemble score
Item no.: 127547
Spielmusik für drei Violinen
zur solistischen und chorischen Verwendung im Unterricht unter Berücksichtigung der verschiedenen Lehrmethoden
for: 3 violins
Ensemble score
Item no.: 127546
for: Accordion orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 126358
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 400923
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 404552
Leuckart-Reprint
for: Voice (low), piano
Item no.: 408794
Klarinette Bibliothek
for: Clarinet, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 408331
for: Clarinet, piano
Item no.: 407968
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 404290
Werke mit Opuszahl (op. 1-74), Werke ohne Opuszahl (WoO 1-25). Fragmente (Anh. 1-46), Discographie (78 UpM, LP, Bibliographie (Werkverzeichnis) (Catalog of works )
Book
Item no.: 131958
Für Schlagzeugquartett
for: Percussion quartet (4 players)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 130991
for: 3 guitars
Score, Parts
Item no.: 130965
2 Picc./6 Fl./1 Altfl.
for: 9 FL
Item no.: 130769
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 412001
for: Cello, piano
Score
Item no.: 411995
for: Bassoon, piano
Score
Item no.: 411922
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 411803
Solo-Konzert
for: Violin, piano
Score
Item no.: 411799
Faciles Pour Violon Et Piano
for: Violin, piano
Score
Item no.: 411769
Faciles Pour Violon Et Piano
for: Violin, piano
Score
Item no.: 411768
for: Organ or Harmonium
Score
Item no.: 411693
Pour Piano
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 411611
Réduction par Grégoire Fitelberg
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 411579
Transcription Pour Deux Pianos
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 411519
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 411447
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 411414
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 411096
Siete Canciones Populares Españolas 2. N. 7
for: Voice (medium), piano
Music score
Item no.: 411026
Drame lyrique en deux actes et quatre tableaux
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 410995
for: Mixed Ensemble
Score
Item no.: 410928
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 412894
for: Mixed Ensemble
Score
Item no.: 412823
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 412790
for: Mixed Ensemble
Score
Item no.: 412748
for: Trumpet [2 Trumpets] and Piano
Score
Item no.: 412454
for: Piano
Single edition
Item no.: 405409
Single edition
Item no.: 405319
10 leichte Stücke
Edition Schott
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 133811
im Spiegel des Briefwechsels mit seinen Zeitgenossen (1884-1893)
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 133473
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 557074
und Instrumente
Klarinette
for: CHORMUSIK FRAUEN- + KINDERCHOR MIT BEGLEITUNG WELTLICH EINZELN
Item no.: 429274