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Which later composers were influenced by Arnold Schoenbergâs 12-tone technique?
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Arnold Schoenberg
Austrian-American composer Arnold Schoenberg was one of the most influential teachers of music composition of the 20th century. He also was known for his creation of new methods of musical composition involving atonality, namely serialism and the 12-tone row.
Arnold Schoenbergâs 12-tone technique, a method of serialism that replaced traditional tonality, significantly influenced a wide range of composers throughout the 20th century.123
His most direct influence was on his prominent pupils, the Austrian composers Alban Berg and Anton von Webern, both of whom adopted and adapted the 12-tone method in their own distinct ways.12
Other notable composers who incorporated 12-tone techniques into their work include:
- Igor Stravinsky: Though he initially criticized the approach, he later adopted the 12-tone method after writing much non-12-tone music.2
- Roger Sessions: An American composer who also turned to the technique later in his career.2
- Ernst Krenek: An Austrian-born composer.2
- Luigi Dallapiccola: An Italian composer.2
- Hans Werner Henze: A German composer.2
Additionally, some composers utilized concepts behind the 12-tone row while maintaining tonal elements, such as Walter Piston, Ernst Toch, and Dmitry Shostakovich. Benjamin Johnston further expanded these principles by combining them with microtonality.2