Expressionism in music is a modernist movement that originated in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. It is characterized by the full embrace of jarring dissonance and the expression of intense and often extreme emotions. Expressionist music aims to convey powerful feelings by avoiding traditional forms of beauty and instead using techniques such as high levels of dissonance, extreme contrasts of dynamics, constant changing of textures, "distorted" melodies and harmonies, and angular melodies with wide leaps.
Some key features of expressionist music include:
- High level of dissonance
- Extreme contrasts of dynamics
- Constant changing of textures
- "Distorted" melodies and harmonies
- Angular melodies with wide leaps
- Wild leaps in tempo, rhythm, and chord structure
- Extreme pitches and tonal changes
- Absence of cadence
- Dominance of dissonance rather than consonance.
Expressionism in music can be considered the musical counterpart of expressionist paintings, such as Edvard Munchs "The Scream," as both aim to convey intense emotions and create a nightmarish atmosphere.
