Why did Neoclassical composers return to balance and formal discipline in the early 20th century?

In the early 20th century, Neoclassical composers returned to balance and formal discipline primarily as a reaction against the perceived excesses of the Romantic movement and the experimental trends that emerged around 1910, such as Impressionism and Expressionism.12

Following the social and political upheaval of World War I, composers like Igor Stravinsky, Paul Hindemith, and others sought to move away from the emotional intensity, vagueness, and complex, often dissonant, experimentalism of the preceding decade. By turning to the aesthetic ideals of the late 18th century, they aimed to restore clarity, restraint, and craftsmanship to music.12

Key characteristics of this shift included:
* Structural Clarity: A move toward simpler, more balanced forms and a clearer concept of "sections" in orchestration.12
* Technical Focus: A revival of interest in linear counterpoint rather than a reliance on harmonic or instrumental color.1
* Economy of Means: A preference for chamber music ensembles over large, late-Romantic orchestras, emphasizing economy and precision.2

Ultimately, Neoclassicism represented a conscious effort to ground 20th-century idioms in the formal discipline and objective beauty associated with Classical antiquity.13