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: Voice (high), piano
Music score
Item no.: 466139
for: 2 bassoons
Ensemble score
Item no.: 266853
for: Flute, piano
Book
Item no.: 136440
for: Orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 325813
"Chrisimas Day in the morning"
for: Frauenchor oder Kinderchor (SSAA) oder 4 solo Singstimmen
Choir score
Item no.: 755312
for: Voice, piano [guitar]
Piano/Vocal
Item no.: 1026408
for: 4 voices, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 313921
for: Voice (medium/high), piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 2982
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Book
Item no.: 818500
for: Soloist (baritone), male choir (TTBB), chamber ensemble
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 769233
for: Viola
Music score
Item no.: 473428
for: Flute
Music score
Item no.: 395364
for: Violin
Music score
Item no.: 635981
for: Voice, strings
Score
Item no.: 665865
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 353999
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 227646
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 212229
for: Voice (high), piano
Music score
Item no.: 328827
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 619362
for: Narrator, soloists, male choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 198784
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 351745
for: Flute, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 837735
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 780633
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 324684
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 611531
in 3 Books
Volume 2: 20 very difficult studies
for: Trumpet [flugelhorn/cornet]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 240452
from Gianni Schicchi
for: Flute, piano
Music score
Item no.: 722350
for: Violin, cello
Ensemble score
Item no.: 395542
for: Classical guitar
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 766962
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 389766
for: Viola, piano
Book
Item no.: 315751
for: Voice (high), piano
Music score
Item no.: 668244
for obtaining a sure piano technique
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 197483
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 262388
for: Voice (soprano), piano
Music score
Item no.: 1595938
Liriche per baritono e basso
for: Voice (bass/baritone), piano
Music score
Item no.: 1595935
Preparatory Exercises for free Improvisation
for: Organ
Music lesson book
Item no.: 101001
for: Piano 4 hands
Book
Item no.: 1317974
The Original Edition
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 770308
for: Voice, big band
Score
Item no.: 805052
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 166090
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 124485
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Score
Item no.: 907629
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 417813
for: Mixed choir (SSAATTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 476962
for: Voice (medium), piano
Piano score
Item no.: 676196
for: 2 soloists (SBar), narrator, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 113087
for: Women's choir (SA), piano
Score
Item no.: 674177