Impressionism in Music: It's History and Affects on Art Today
Impressionist music evolved from the development of the Romantic period of Western classical music. Instead of the seriousness, pomp and detailed-picture that was being drawn in the early 19th century by various composers (Chopin, Schubert, Wagner) in their music, Impressionist composers such as Debussy, or Ravel, chose to provoke emotion, and atmospheric elements. Choosing to tug at the strings of the soul and heart to unmask unto the listener what their music was saying. To touch upon their feelings within, as opposed to wondering about the ideas of the composer without. To paint a picture and evoke emotions about an “idea” of an object or event, as opposed to the object or event itself. In this paper, I will be researching how Impressionism itself came to be, Debussy (the most popular of composers from this musical styling), techniques used that proved to be staples of the Impressionist sound, as well as how the music is still influenced in the modern day.
In order to speak of Impressionist music, it is important to talk of how it originated; it's birth. When a musical revolution occurs, or when anything stylistically different arises, it’s more often than not answering some sort of societal question. Or at the least, it’s displaying a response to the come-to-life sound of events that have been, and continue to, occur. In the case of Impressionism, the come-to-life sound was influenced by the boom in Paris’ visual arts scene at the time; specifically painters. The most influential and well know of the Impressionist artists were Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet (The term Impressionist came originally from one of Monet’s paintings: Impression: Sunrise, first exhibited in 1872) [Taruskin, Gibbs 830].
At this time during Paris, “Le Salon” was where artists would exhibit their pieces to a crowd consisting of simply onlookers and critics (Impressionism in the Visual Arts). Typically, most pieces were of a traditional form: compositions consisting of a central, possibly dramatic or theatrical figure, colors that were incredibly rich, deep and distinguished, and in maybe the most contrasting effect of Traditional vs Impressionist paintings; the intent that each brush stroke was smooth, and intended to look as if the painting was not a painting at all, but as if you were looking out a window and everything had stopped. Impressionist paintings (and eventually, music) were criticized, chastised and for some time not allowed at Le Salon. There was a sense of imperfection within Impressionists that critics did not appreciate. They used different themes which were less dramatic; perhaps a couple sitting by a boat, or a random, possibly unassuming, or even dull, object. The object(s) of a painting was often cropped in ways that were unusual and shocking to most. Brushstrokes were not near as meticulous as far as traditional paintings were concerned, which was very purposeful by nature. This technique was often used in order to display the light we see that shines off of objects or radiates around people (Impressionism in the Visual Arts). Essentially, they did not "color within the lines," so to speak. But inherently, the goal was not to create an idealistic view of the world; it was to create the truth that all things are fleeting. In music and in visual arts, the Impressionist cared more for the feeling that resulted from the idea of an object, as opposed to the idealised view of the object itself.
“The common ingredients of Impressionism, which critics have always found hard to specify in words… include things such as calculated effects of spontaneity; fascination with subtle gradations in color and texture that in sensuousness than in psychology or strongly declared emotion. Naturally, all these traits could easily be described as failings by hostile critics: vagueness, confusion, and lack of expressivity.” (Taruskin, Gibbs 831)
In fairness, and in regard, to those who created Impressionist music, Debussy would retort that music was not “the expression of a feeling, it is the feeling” (Taruskin, Gibbs 831). An “ah ha!” moment if there ever was one, in my opinion. Obviously, like any musical styling that can be considered new, cutting edge, or frankly threatening to those who would rather not question traditional practice, Impressionism was very much looked at as inferior in it’s infancy. As a matter of fact, the very term “Impressionism” was meant to be offensive and a put-down created by those very critics. Obviously, over time the connotations have changed. This change was due to not only the aforementioned painters, but musically, primarily to the artist who not only pioneered Impressionism in music, but popularized it: Claude Debussy.
Claude Debussy was a leading figure in the Impressionist musical movement (which also consisted of other prominent figures of the time such as Maurice Ravel, Frederick Delius, Charles Griffes) and his music often correlated with the Impressionist paintings that were displayed in Paris. “Even the strikingly static effect of Debussy’s harmony--the absence of forward drive--could be viewed as painterly, an effort to lessen the discrepancy between an art that unfolds in time and one that extends in space” (Taruskin, Gibbs 831). Essentially, Debussy had very many similarities between his music and the paintings with which were becoming so popular of the time. The techniques he used to create his style mimicked some of the visual arts that he was so influenced by. Even his subject matters were of Impressionist paintings. He often would compose based on topics like gardens, rain, wind, balconies in the moonlight, or “Footprints in the Snow,” as opposed to the more common form of Musicality such as writing for a loved one, or expressing one’s emotions. Things which are taken very seriously. One of Debussy’s finest quotes speaks to how his approach is dissimilar to this. How music is not, in his words, “the expression of a feeling, it is the feeling itself” (Taruskin, Gibbs 831). To understand this, one must take a look at his music.
In analysing Debussy’s Impressionist pieces, to compare them to the Common Practice at the time is vital. Common Practice typically centered around a tonic. This tonic was “teased” throughout the works, utilizing voice leading to create dissonance and tension which would typically cadence to that of a V to I to ease this tension. Impressionist music, similar to that of its painting counterpart, challenged these traditions. Impressionist Practice did center around a tonic and would make it clear that there was indeed a home key, however the tonic was not inferred through the aforementioned tensions and dissonances that were commonly used at the time. Instead, the home key remained less needed; less required by the music. The want to bring a song back to consonance was not what the music was centered around, instead the Impressionist form remained mysterious and airy. Giving a sense of floating in the clouds.
“Unlike the music of the Common Practice Period. Impressionistic cadences are less formulated and can be constructed in many different ways. They might move in a root motion of 3rds (such as III to I), or be plagal (IV to I), or even be authentic but without a leading tone (such as minor v to I). They generally end on consonant structures, such as a simple tertian triad” (Magnuson 41.3)
According to Philip Magnuson, Professor of Music at the University of Dayton, Impressionist Practice would often employ these unconventional styles of composition. minor v cadences and the lack of a leading tone going into the I was not uncommon for Impressionism. Plagal cadences as well as root motion of III to I, which even today would be uncommon in popular music, was experimented with by Debussy and Impressionist composers to create these trademark airy, floating sensations.
Aside from harmonic function, melody and texture were often used in varying ways as well. “Counterpoint is virtually non-existent. When it is present, it is temporary, usually extremely simple, and done sparingly, and frequently tends to be located at cadential points” (Magnuson 41.3). Essentially, the method of intertwining two, independent lines of music to create a complex harmony was not a very “Impressionist” thing to do. It was much simpler than that. It can be compared to peeling back the layers of an onion; what you need, the answer, or what have you, is behind all the pomp and circumstance (not that there is anything wrong with pomp and circumstance!). Instead of counterpoint or more complex melody, Impressionist music, and Debussy in particular, would often use pedal points or ostinati to point towards the home key.
“Planing,” the parallel movement of multiple lines, by tertian, quartal or quintal means, was also utilized constantly in the Impressionist sound. This went along with the desire to create a music that keeps you afloat, keeps you away from a pre judged idea of what it should be, and instead allows you to, as I feel Debussy put it, feel the music as it is in your raw emotions. Music is not “the expression of a feeling, it is the feeling itself.” Melody was not as important as the grasp of that feeling.
Impressionist music, and especially art, still continue on into the modern day. Van Goh was heavily influenced by Impressionist art, and it would be hard to argue that his legend is not still in the mind and creative spirit of many many visual artists today. Musically, as the years progressed, many composers took from Claude Debussy and the Impressionist movement. Bela Bartok, Charles Ives, George Gershwin, the jazz movement including Django Reinhardt, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and the minimalist movement with Philip Glass citing Debussy as an influence. Impressionism, like many styles, was not well received upon its inception, however, there is no doubt of the legacy it has left behind and influence it has left amongst musicians looking to experiment, whether atonally or pantonaly, in their compositions. Impressionsionism opened avenues that had not been explored at that point in time, and still continues to do so.
Works Cited
Taruskin, Richard. Gibbs, Christopher H. The Oxford History of Western Music. New York. Oxford University Press. 2013.
Magnuson, Philip. Soundscapes: A Structural Examination of Tonality, Vocabulary, Texture, Sonorities, and Time Organization in Western Art Music. Dayton. 2008 - 2009. Soundscapes. Web. 10 May 2015. http://academic.udayton.edu/PhillipMagnuson/soundpatterns/microcosms/impressionism.html
Welcome to Impressionism.org: Impressionism in the Visual Arts. Impressionism.org, 2012. Web. 10 May 2015 http://www.impressionism.org/i...
