Twentieth Century (1910-present): Introduction

The twentieth century had so much information to use from previous centuries. Some composers brought back the traditions of the Classical era. Others preferred the nationalistic traditions of the Romantic era. Since world travel was so easy to do, many composers brought in the sounds they found in other countries during their travels. Others chose to bring music down to the simplest form possible—called minimalism. The twentieth century has more variety of sounds than any other period in history. However, the most interesting segment is the division between art or trained classical music and popular music just as it was in medieval times between the church and folk music.

Historical Themes

• Technology
• The advent of instantaneous global communications
• The growth and eventual decline of totalitarian culture

Musical Context

• Ambivalent attitudes toward the musical past
• A widening gap between art and popular music
• The advent of sound recording
• The birth of a World Music culture