The concept of “12-tone” or “serialism” in music refers to a method of composition that emerged in the early 20th century,
Primarily developed by Arnold Schoenberg and his students, Alban Berg and Anton Webern, who are part of the Second Viennese School.
Here’s an explanation of 12-tone serialism:
12-Tone Technique: This is a method of composition that uses all twelve notes of the chromatic scale in a specific, pre-determined order, known as a tone row or series. Each of the twelve tones must be used before any can be repeated, ensuring that no single note dominates the composition.
Tone Row: The foundation of 12-tone music is the tone row, which is an ordered sequence of the twelve different pitches of the chromatic scale. This row can be manipulated in various ways to generate musical material.
Permutations: The tone row can be used in its original form (prime), in retrograde (backwards), in inversion (upside down), and in retrograde inversion (backwards and upside down). These permutations provide a structured framework for the composition.
Avoidance of Tonality: By treating all twelve pitches equally, the 12-tone technique avoids traditional tonal centres and hierarchical pitch relationships, leading to atonal music.
Serialism: This broader term refers to the application of the 12-tone principles to other musical elements beyond pitch, such as rhythm, dynamics, and articulation. Serialism extends the systematic approach of the 12-tone technique to create highly structured compositions.
Development: Arnold Schoenberg developed the 12-tone technique in the early 1920s as a way to provide structure and coherence to atonal music.
It was a response to the perceived need for a new organisational system after the breakdown of traditional tonal harmony.
Influence: The technique was adopted and further developed by Schoenberg’s students, Alban Berg and Anton Webern, who each brought their unique voice to the method.
Arnold Schoenberg: “Suite for Piano, Op. 25” (1921–1923) is one of the first pieces to fully employ the 12-tone technique.
Alban Berg: “Lyric Suite” (1926) for string quartet, which combines expressive Romantic elements with 12-tone serialism.
Anton Webern: “Symphony, Op. 21” (1928) is a concise and highly structured work that exemplifies Webern’s approach to 12-tone composition.
Innovation: The 12-tone technique represented a radical departure from traditional compositional methods and had a profound influence on the development of modern music.
Controversy and Adoption: While initially controversial, the method was embraced by many mid-20th-century composers and became a significant force in avant-garde and academic music circles.
The 12-tone technique and serialism represent a systematic approach to composition that avoids traditional tonal hierarchies by treating all twelve pitches equally.
Developed by Arnold Schoenberg and furthered by his students, this method has had a lasting impact on the evolution of Western classical music, pushing the boundaries of musical expression and structure.