The classical modern period, 1900-1945, saw a great deal of cultural change, and many different composers helped shape the musical landscape of the early 20th century. Browse our sheet music and scores, take a look at our Classical Modern Sheet Music Downloads, and explore the wide world of classical modernism with Stretta Music today
The horrors of World War I brought about such a shift in perspective, that art would never be the same again. The cultural and social changes that had already begun at the end of the 19th century led to new prospects, which were mirrored and expressed through various innovative artistic movements, them sum of which is called Classic Modernism.
During the 20th century, the boundaries of tonality were stretched so far that one could no longer speak of tonal music. The most striking examples of this are polytonality, employed by composers like Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, and Charles Ives, and to an even greater extent serialism, the twelve-tone music of Arnold Schönberg and his students.
The rise of nationalism in the late 19th century sparked a great interest in rediscovering folk music. New technical developments, such as the invention of the phonograph, also made it easier to document and collect folk music. Great folk Pioneers were the Romanian composer Béla Bartók, the Czech composer Leo Janáček, the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, and the Australian-American composer Percy Grainger.
This development led to a new idiom within classical music, both melodically and rhythmically. Good examples of the integration of folklore into classical modern music are the melodies from Janáček’s Jenufa, which are based on the rhythm and intonation of the Czech language, and Bartók’s Second Violin Rhapsody.
Expressionists aimed to capture true emotions without glossing over them. Above all, they looked at the subjective inner world, in contrast to the outer world, and left all traditional ideals of beauty behind.
Expressionist music is characterised by dissonance, extreme dynamics and great contrasts in colour, pitch and effect. In music, expressionism is generally associated with the Second Viennese School, founded by Arnold Schönberg and his students Anton Webern and Alban Berg, and the dodecaphonic, twelve-tone technique they used, known as serialism.
Examples of expressionist music include Schönberg’s Erwartung, 1909, and Berg’s Wozzeck, 1922.
Another classical modern departure from the ideals of the Romantic Period was to draw on forms and tropes of the Baroque Period and the Classical Period. This was expressed in the use of traditional musical forms, as in Martinů’s Concerto da Camara, 1937, the use of traditional instrumentation, as in Manuel de Falla’s Concerto for Harpsichord, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet & Cello, 1926, and also in the use of thematic material from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, 1920.
Hawkes Pocket Scores HPS 774
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 886754
for: 2 Voices and Piano
Book
Item no.: 900801
Christus, der uns selig macht
for: Choir, organ
Choir score
Item no.: 1639828
3. Caprice
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1148293
Sudien und Übungen
for: Solfege
Book
Item no.: 818527
Organ Collection
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 903584
G. Schirmer Band-Orchestra
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 646004
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 690937
Klassik
for: Violin, piano
Score
Item no.: 992956
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Book
Item no.: 992584
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 777235
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 777105
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 1201163
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 643424
Gegenwartsmusik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1530563
Drei der größten Erfolge von George Gershwin
für Blockflöten-Quartett mit Gitarrenbegleitung ad libitum
for: 4 recorders (SATB); guitar ad lib.
Single part Tenor recorder
Item no.: 680409
Drei der größten Erfolge von George Gershwin
für Blockflöten-Quartett mit Gitarrenbegleitung ad libitum
for: 4 recorders (SATB); guitar ad lib.
Single part descant recorder
Item no.: 680406
Southern Music
for: Trumpet, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 494270
Klassik
for: Choir
Score
Item no.: 878000
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Score
Item no.: 851837
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1648904
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 829643
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1137200
Klassik
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1102694
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 863690
"Der Vogel der im Fluge ruht"
for: Mixed choir (SSAATTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 742541
for: Piano 4 hands
Music score
Item no.: 791763
Passionsmotette, Chorvariationen mit Fuge
for: Mixed choir (SSATBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 751857
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 683385
D Abendkonzert - Nr. 4: Variationen
for: Clarinet, string orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1582566
Oper/Operette
for: Libretto
Score
Item no.: 821841
Edition A Bl497
for: Solfege
Book
Item no.: 818088
für Orchester
Studienpartitur
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 1344993
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1105692
Musetta's Waltz
for: Concert Band and Vocal Soloist
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1067865
for: Marching band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1067406
for: Voice
Buch
Item no.: 1085685
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1202595
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1145355
for: Harp, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 782231
for: Cello or 2 Celli and Piano
Score
Item no.: 852971
Klassik
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 838229
sinfonisches Blasorchester
Partitur und Stimmen
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1626845
for: Viola
Piano reduction
Item no.: 1316858
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 890744
Suites No. 4-6
for: Violin, piano
Music score
Item no.: 758120
"Was mag doch diese Welt". Kantate
for: Jugendchor (Mez/SMezA) mit Streichorchester und Orgel (Klavier) oder Blasorchester oder mit Klavier 2- oder 4-händig
Choir score
Item no.: 742595
(Offenbarung 3, 14-21), Motette
for: gemischter Chor (SSAT/ATBB)
Choir score (Choir 2)
Item no.: 791060