- Related Topics:
- 12-tone music
- atonality
What is atonal music?
Atonal music is a distinct form of music, wherein the establishment of a central key or tonal center is disregarded. Hence, unlike traditional Western music, atonal music is not fall on pitches centered around one note or chord. It further focuses on utilizing the 12 chromatic pitches more equally, resulting in sounds that are dissonant or that seem unpredictable.
Most Western Classical music is based on tonality. In this a system a central key underlies melodies and harmonies. In the late 19th century, however, divergence from tonal harmony emerged, primarily in the form of increasingly complex chromaticism. About 1908 Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg abandoned traditional tonality altogether, becoming one of the first composers to write consistently atonal works. His innovations were later developed by his students Alban Berg and Anton Webern. Schoenberg and his pupils are collectively known as the Second Viennese School.
The usual patterns of tension and resolution found in tonal music are not present in atonal music. Rather, atonality is organized through the use of recurring melodic and rhythmic patterns, contrasting textures, or chosen pitch relationships. In the early 1920s Schoenberg introduced the 12-tone method, in which all 12 pitches of the chromatic scale are arranged into a specific sequence, or tone row, that serves as the basis for an entire composition. This technique became one of the most influential methods of organizing atonal music during the 20th century.
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Listeners who are accustomed to tonal harmony may find atonal music confusing, initially. Nonetheless, its influence on modern classical composition, film scores, jazz, and experimental music cannot be ignored. Tonal and atonal elements may be used together to build a sense of uncertainty or dramatic intensity. .