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.
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1714957
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB), Gemeinde, 2 Oboen, 3 Trompeten, 3 Posaunen, [2 Blockflöten (SS)]
Score
Item no.: 230210
for: Small wind band
Single part Trumpet 1 (B-flat)
Item no.: 165604
for: VL VA KB
Study score
Item no.: 309956
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 327109
op. 99
for: Guitar, orchestra
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 730208
for: String quartet [string orchestra]
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1666520
for: String quartet [string orchestra]
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1666523
for: String quartet [string orchestra]
Violin 3 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1666522
for: String quartet [string orchestra]
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1666521
for: 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass (string quintet)
Single part Cello
Item no.: 1653721
for: 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass (string quintet)
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 1653727
Ballade für Frauenchor, Altsolo und Orchester
for: Soloist (alto), women's choir (SSAA), orchestra
Single part (solo)
Item no.: 172728
for: Accordion orchestra
Single part Accordion 1
Item no.: 141938
for: Accordion orchestra
Single part Accordion 4, Bass instrument
Item no.: 160991
for: Accordion orchestra
Single part Accordion 1, 2
Item no.: 218761
Single part Bass instrument 1
Item no.: 104134
for: Accordion orchestra
Single part Accordion 3
Item no.: 161842
for: Accordion orchestra
Single part Accordion 1
Item no.: 327925
Single part Trumpet 1 (C)
Item no.: 314233
Preciosa
Horn 1, 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 313697
Preciosa
Single part Trumpet 1
Item no.: 297799
Single part
Item no.: 290428
Revision von Thomas Daniel Schlee
for: Organ
Single part Organ
Item no.: 1690974
Single part 2
Item no.: 386027
Single part
Item no.: 150948
for: Accordion orchestra
Single part Accordion 4
Item no.: 126324
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 445998
for: Brass winds (4 parts)
Single part Trombone 1 (B-flat, Treble Clef)
Item no.: 1018381
for: Concert band
Single part Euphonium (B-flat)
Item no.: 296162
Single part Trombone 2 (B-flat)
Item no.: 167294
Single part Trumpet 2
Item no.: 158954
Single part Flugelhorn 1
Item no.: 150974
for: Brass winds (4 parts)
Single part Cornet 3
Item no.: 1066062
for: Symphonic orchestra
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 430015
for: Klavier und Streichorchester mit Flöte oder Violine
Single part Cello
Item no.: 784103
Music for three Violins soloists or groups destined for the group-teaching and adapted to various methods
for: 3 violins
Single part Violin 3
Item no.: 731334
op. 43/1
for: Streichorchester (Viola auch Solo), Flöten und Oboen
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 784760
for: String orchestra
Single part Viola
Item no.: 784684
Schulwerk für Instrumental-Zusammenspiel
for: 2 violins, viola [violin, 2 violas], cello, double bass (string quintet)
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 784662
Schulwerk für Instrumental-Zusammenspiel
for: 2 violins, viola [violin, 2 violas], cello, double bass (string quintet)
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 784661
for: 3 violins
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 740592
Abendsegen und Traumpantomime aus der Oper "Hänsel und Gretel"
for: Symphonic orchestra
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 725231
op. 99
for: Guitar, orchestra
Single part Viola
Item no.: 730213
for String orchestra
for: String orchestra
Single part Cello
Item no.: 783916
for: 2 Holzbläser (Flöten, Alt-Blockflöten oder Flöte und Oboe) und Streichorchester
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 783821
for: String orchestra
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 783818
for: String orchestra
Single part Double bass
Item no.: 783814