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.
Eine kleine Instrumentenschau
for: Orchester; Kinderchor (2 gleiche Stimmen) und Sprecher ad libitum
Choir score
Item no.: 754002
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
for: Piano, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 749306
for: gemischter Chor, Sopran- und Bariton-Solo und Orchester
Choir score
Item no.: 758354
"Es wollte ein Fuhrmann fahren" (Lothringen) /In allen guten Stunden"
for: Männerchor (TTBB/TTB)
Choir score
Item no.: 742779
zum Fest des Hl. Antonius von Padua "Der Geist Gottes, des Herrn, ruht auf mir"
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 742723
"Auf, ihr wilden Männer, wacht" (Franken)
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 742668
Ein deutsches Weihnachtsliederspiel nach oberbayerischen und tiroler Weisen
for: gemischter Chor (SATB) (Frauenchor, Kinderchor) mit Soli (SSATBarB) und kleines Orchester
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 784042
Hymnische Kantate "Nächtliche Stille, heilige Fülle"
for: Männerchor (TTBB), KCH (SMezSA) und Blasorchester
Choir score (men voices)
Item no.: 782761
5 Kinderchöre
for: Kinderchor (1-3 stimmig), Flöte, 2 Violinen und Violoncello
Choir score
Item no.: 782742
"Das mir alles das hold sei" (nach dem Orff-Schulwerk)
for: Mixed choir (SSATBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 782729
1. Vom Hausregiment "Es ist gewiss ein frommer Mann"
for: Mixed choir (SSATBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 747121
2. Ein Hering liebt eine Auster
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 747074
for: Soli TBar, Gemischter Chor (SATB), Piccoloflöte, Flöten (2), Oboen (2), Klarinetten (2), Fagotte (2), Hörner (2), Trompeten (2), Posaunen (3), Ophikleide, Pauken, Violinen (2), Viola, Cello, Kontrabass, [Hörner (2), Harfe]
Download (Audio)
Item no.: 1336586
for: Lead Sheet
Item no.: 1360890
Limburger Domfest-Messe
for: Choir (1 voice), organ [concert band]
Textblatt und Melodieblatt
Item no.: 781978
Konzertstück
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 720668
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 728070
for clarinet, cello and piano
for: Clarinet, cello, piano
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1654614
for: Alto saxophone, piano
Music score
Item no.: 792091
theme from first movement
for: Alto saxophone, piano
Music score
Item no.: 792088
Thema des zweiten Satzes
for: Flute, piano
Music score
Item no.: 792085
From "For Children"
for: Viola, piano
Music score
Item no.: 791924
Prelude
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 791762
From "Rodeo"
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 791550
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 791543
Concerto sereno
for: Guitar, orchestra
Single part Double bass
Item no.: 1552386
4. Morgengloria "Dunkel, über der Erde noch"
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 740097
"Die Sterne sind erblichen"
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 740096
aus "Schilflieder
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 740062
for: Mixed choir (SAM) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1586957
"Frühling kommt angezogen" - Idylle
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir part Alto
Item no.: 782550
2 Rondos - Nr. 1: Des Lebens Sonnenschein
for: Women's choir [children's choir] (SSA), piano
Chorstimme Sopran II
Item no.: 782533
from "Four Greek Folk Songs"
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 791294
from "Four Greek Folk Songs"
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 791292
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 791290
from "Five Bagatelles"
for: Flute, piano
Music score
Item no.: 791201
for: Kornett in B und Klavier
Music score
Item no.: 791195
"Ich setz ein Streit: Musik und Jägerei"
for: Männerchor (TTBB) und kleines Orchester
Choir part Bass 2
Item no.: 791107
(Offenbarung 3, 14-21), Motette
for: gemischter Chor (SSAT/ATBB)
Choir score (Choir 1)
Item no.: 791059
Gradus ad Symphoniam
for: school orchestra
Single part Viola
Item no.: 760679
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 751924
"Kind, wo bist du hin gewesen?"
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 751921
3. Unmut "Mich ärgert was dem andern wohlgefällt"
for: Mixed choir (SSATBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 751854
1. Das Krokodil
for: gemischter Chor (SSAATTB)
Choir score
Item no.: 751840
2. Notturno "In einer Nacht"
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 751750
3. Das arme Mägdlein: "Ich armes Mägdlein klag mich sehr" (16. Jh.)
for: Women's choir (SSAA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 751707
aus der Kantate "Vergangen ist die Nacht" (Schweden)
for: Frauen- oder Kinderchor (SMezA)
Choir score
Item no.: 751623
for: Clarinet
Instrumental Solo
Item no.: 1052331