History, analysis and commentary about western classical music
Introduction to Twentieth Century Music Part 3
Primitivism
As the dominance of the Austro-German Western classical tradition waned, composers looked for other sources of inspiration for their music. Many early twentieth century composers collected folk song of their native countries. Along with its non-western scales, alternative rhythms and non-western musical procedures, composers also drew inspiration from its primitivism.
Some exponents
Bela Bartok (1881 – 1945) Hungarian
Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) Russian / Lived in France and the USA
Carl Orff (1895 – 1982) German
John Antill (1904 – 1986) Australian
Igor Stravinsky - Le sacre du printemps [The Rite of Spring] (1913)
Ballet / Pagan ritual of sacrifice
Non-western approach to harmony, rhythm and melody
Repetition small melodic fragments
Clashing harmony
Static musical states
Repetitive and pulsating rhythms
Created a riot and scandal at its first performance due to its unfamiliar musical language
