10 Art Music after 1945
Introduction
In Chapter 7’s discussion on Modernism, we say a variety of “isms,” or different artistic trends, styles, and aesthetics: Impressionism, Neoclassicism, Primitivism, Expressionism, Twelve-tone music, etc. As art composers created new music after World War II, a proliferation of styles continued, with varied aesthetics influenced by music of the past, different music from around the world (some of which we sampled in Chapter 8), popular music (Chapter 9), and new artistic philosophies and the creations of completely new sounds.
World War II is widely regarded as the deadliest conflict in human history in terms of total deaths, partly due to advancements in technology such as machine guns, tanks, and eventually the atom bomb. It’s no surprise that the new music of this era mirrored the urgency and turmoil in the world at large.
In the aftermath of World War II, Postmodernism emerged. Where the Modernism of the early twentieth century was reactive against earlier traditions, Postmodernism abandoned them. In Postmodernism, anything can become art, with little distinction between high and low art. For example, Andy Warhol’s depictions of Campbell Soup cans and pop culture icon Marilyn Monroe could be displayed in the same spaces that housed masterworks of the Renaissance. It’s also worth noting that works that were less aesthetically challenging or abstract compared to Modern works were being celebrated again.
Any artifact of any culture or style can be of merit. And speaking of culture, it’s worth noting the decreasing cultural differences throughout the world through globalization. A plane ride can take you almost anywhere in the world in less than a day. Breaking news from one corner of the world can reach the entire globe in minutes. And there’s also homogenized popular music and popular culture. While it’s wonderful to have near-instant access to countless news stories and styles of music, homogenization also means that less common languages risk disappearing. To use one example, Icelandic, a language only widely spoken in the country of Iceland with its 360,000 residents, was far less commonly integrated into smartphones and smart speakers compared to English. If new technologies neglect languages, how do those languages remain prevalent?
As we’ve seen before, boundaries in style can blur. For example, what one considers Modern, another could conceivably consider Postmodern.
Edgard Varèse (1883–1965) and Electronic Music
Edgard Varèse was born in France and relocated to the United States in 1915. In his first composition written in the United States, Amériques, he wrote for traditional instruments like string, brass, and woodwind, but also called for new percussion instruments like sleigh bells and sirens. He started writing pieces using only percussion instruments, like Ionization; instruments earlier used for accents or keeping the beat now comprised all of the music. He was especially inspired by the new so