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.
for: Salon orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 328404
for: Oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon
Score, Parts
Item no.: 352419
for: hohe Männerstimme und Klavier
Item no.: 352153
for: Voice (medium), piano
Item no.: 352026
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Study score
Item no.: 288480
for: Soloists, mixed choir, flute, string quartet, percussion
Piano reduction
Item no.: 288414
for: 2 solo voices (SBar), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Choir score
Item no.: 351907
Festliche Kantate
for: Kinderchor, Frauenchor, Männerchor und Blas- oder Streichorchester
Chorpartitur Kinderchor/Frauenchor
Item no.: 782748
for: Kinderchor (SMezA) mit Männerchor (TTBB) und Streichorchester, Trompete in B und Pauken oder Blechbläser
Set of parts
Item no.: 1545615
Concerto sereno
for: Guitar, orchestra
Single part Double bass
Item no.: 1552386
for: Kinderchor (SMezA) mit Solo, Sprecher und Streichorchester, Bläser und Schlagzeug ad libitum
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1546110
for: 2 Trompeten (Flügelhörner), 2 Posaunen (Hörner) und Tuba ad libitum
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1546029
for: Männerchor (TTBB) mit Solo (T) und kleines Orchester
Choir part Bass 2
Item no.: 1545831
for accordeon and orchestra
for: Akkordeon und Sinfonieorchester
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 1209572
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1115057
for: Kinderchor (SMezA) mit Solo, Sprecher und Streichorchester, Bläser und Schlagzeug ad libitum
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1545093
for: Männerchor (TTBB) und 3 Hörner in F
Choir part Tenor 1
Item no.: 1545025
for: Violin, viola, cello (string trio)
Study score
Item no.: 1544907
for: gemischter Chor (SATB) mit Soli (MezBar), Flöte, Kontrabass und Klavier
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1544744
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1110681
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 865640
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 890094
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 865735
for: Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Saxophone, C-Trumpet, Percussion, 2 Cello's
Score, Parts
Item no.: 863566
for: Mixed choir (SATB), precentor, parish, organ
Choir score (for the parish)
Item no.: 307092
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Ensemble score
Item no.: 306994
for: Klarinette, Fagott, Violine, Viola, Violoncello
Stimmen-Set
Item no.: 306560
for: Guitar
Item no.: 283256
for: Horn
Music score
Item no.: 345919
for: Piano
Item no.: 121587
for: Wind instruments
Set of parts
Item no.: 307998
for: 2 pianos
Music score, CD
Item no.: 478965
for: Piano
Item no.: 466236
for: Piano
Item no.: 305463
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ; orchestra ad lib.
Single part Kettledrums
Item no.: 696294
for: Wind instruments
Set of parts
Item no.: 307658
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 310059
for: FL KLAR TRP HRN FAG
Study score
Item no.: 310057
for: Cello, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 309937
for: Tenorsaxophon und Klavier
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 873846
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 889758
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Set of parts
Item no.: 965148
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 965049
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 1002594
for: Opera
Lyrics
Item no.: 902142
for: Solo Baritone Voice + Orchestra
Score
Item no.: 318207
for: Voice, guitar
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 1163998