Music since the First World War

by Whittall Arnold

This survey of the most significant modern composers and their techniques has become a standard work on the constantly shifting musical developments during the greater part of the twentieth century. In a concise and accessible narrative, Whittall examines the continued but declining commitment to tonality, twelve-note serialism, and the gradual emergence of new aesthetic attitudes and concepts of musical form. Introduction -- Pt. 1 The survival of -- Symphonic music Nielsen, Sibelius, Vaughan Williams, and others -- Béla Bartók -- Igor Stravinsky -- Symphony music Hindemith, Prokofiev, Shoskatovich, and others -- Richard Strauss, Weill, Janácek, Prokofiev, Britten, and others -- Pt. 2 Twelve-note -- Arnold Schoenberg -- Alban Berg -- Anton Webern -- The spread of Stravinsky, Sessions, Gerhard, Dallapiccola, Babbitt -- Pt. 3 From past to -- The radical Satie, Varèse, Cage, and others -- Three Tippett, Messiaen, Carter -- Seven Lutoslawski, Xenakis, Ligeti, Berio, Boulez, Henze, Stockhausen.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[J.M. Hushour]

I blundered into this one and should've at least flipped through it casually years ago before snatching it. Finally getting around to reading it, I realize this is a magisterial analysis of the technical aspects of the music of various 20th century composers. And that's about it. There's little biographical data, little discussion of their contexts (other than technical) and the role of their moments in shaping their work. Definitely not for the layman. A technician of this art might find it worthy of 5 stars.