20^thCentury Period

Pieces in national styles often showing the influence of folk music.

Textures likely to be varied, sometimes with dramatic contrasts; equally, a particular texture sometimes a main focus (for example: in minimalist music).

Vigorous rhythms, perhaps with abrupt changes between ideas and use of spiky accents. Pieces showing the influence of jazz or blues, such as syncopation, swing rhythm, or walking bass lines.

Wide dynamic possibilities, sometimes featuring sudden changes, and exploration of the extreme of note range and dynamic level.

Melodic phrasing tending to be freer and less clearly defined, with asymmetric phrase lengths possible.

Harmony likely to be more adventurous and dissonant, with a variety of chord types (inclduing note clusters and unrelated chords used for their colouristic impact or effect). Tonal Centres that may be less obvious, or a complete lack of tonal centre.

Benjamin Britten

George Gershwin