Music of Germany
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| [[Trance music]] is a style of electronic music that originated in Germany in the very late 1980's and early 1990's, upon German unification. | [[Trance music]] is a style of electronic music that originated in Germany in the very late 1980's and early 1990's, upon German unification. | ||
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| + | The first half of 20th century saw a split between German and Austrian music. In Vienna, [[Arnold Schoenberg]] and his pupils [[Alban Berg]] and [[Anton Webern]] moved along an increasingly avant-garde path, pioneering [[atonality|atonal music]] in 1909 and [[twelve-tone music]] in 1923. Meanwhile, composers in Berlin took a more populist route, from the cabaret-like socialist operas of [[Kurt Weill]] to the [[Gebrauchsmusik]] of [[Paul Hindemith]]. In Munich there was also [[Carl Orff]], who was influenced by the French [[Impressionist music|Impressionist]] composer [[Claude Debussy]]. He began to use colorful, unusual combinations of instruments in his [[orchestration]]. His most popular work is ''[[Carmina Burana (Orff)|Carmina Burana]]''. | ||
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| + | Many composers emigrated to the United States when the [[Nazi Party]] came to power, including Schoenberg, Hindemith, and [[Erich Korngold]]. During this period, the Nazi Party embarked on a campaign to rid Germany of so-called [[degenerate art]], which became a catch-all phrase that included music with any link to Jews, Communists, jazz, and anything else thought to be dangerous. Some figures such as [[Karl Amadeus Hartmann]] remained defiantly in Germany during the years of Nazi dominance, continually watchful of how their output might be interpreted by the authorities. | ||
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| + | After the dissolution of the [[Third Reich]], musicians were also subjected to the Allied policy of [[denazification]]. But here, the supposed non-political nature of music was able to excuse many, including [[Wilhelm Furtwängler]] and [[Herbert von Karajan]] (who had actually joined the Nazi Party in 1933). They both claimed to have concentrated mainly on music and to have ignored politics, but also to have conducted pieces in ways that were meant to be "gestures of defiance." | ||
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| + | In West Germany in the second half of the 20th century, German and Austrian music was largely dominated by the avant-garde. In the 60s and 70s, the [[Darmstadt New Music Summer School]] was a major center of European modernism; German composers such as [[Karlheinz Stockhausen]] and [[Hans Werner Henze]] and non-German ones such as [[Pierre Boulez]] and [[Luciano Berio]] all studied there. In contrast, composers in [[East Germany]] were advised to avoid the avant-garde and to compose music in keeping with the tenets of [[Socialist Realism]]. Music written in this style was supposed to advance party politics as well as be more accessible to all. [[Hanns Eisler]] and [[Ernst Hermann Meyer]] were among the most famous of the first generation of GDR composers. | ||
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| + | More recently, composers such as [[Helmut Lachenmann]] and [[Olga Neuwirth]] have extensively explored the possibilities of [[extended techniques]]. Hans Werner Henze largely dissociated himself from the Darmstadt school in favour of a more lyrical approach, and remains perhaps Germany's most lauded contemporary composer. Although he had lived outside the country since the 1950s and until his death in 2012, he remained influenced by the Germanic musical tradition. | ||
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Revision as of 20:37, 7 December 2016
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Forms of German-language music include Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW), Krautrock, Hamburger Schule, Volksmusik, trance, Schlager and multiple varieties of folk music. Classical composers include Richard Wagner and Johann Sebastian Bach, while Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was among many opera composers who created the field of German opera.
The beginning of what is now considered German music could be traced back to the 12th century compositions of mystic abbess Hildegard of Bingen, who wrote a variety of hymns and other kinds of Christian music.
Contents |
Popular music
Disco
Many European artists recorded disco music; in Germany, Frank Farian formed a disco band by the name Boney M around 1975. They had a string of number one hits in a few European countries which continued into the early 1980s, with songs such as Daddy Cool, Brown Girl in the Ring and By the Rivers of Babylon. Still today, the trademark sound of Boney M is seen as emblematic for late 70's German disco music.
Electronic music and techno
Germany has the largest electronic music scene in the world. The band Kraftwerk was one of the first bands in the world to make music entirely on electronic equipment, and the band Tangerine Dream is often credited as being among the originators and primary influences of the "Berlin School" of electronic music, which would later influence trance music. Some other bands like Liaisons Dangereuses, Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft and Die Krupps created a style later called Electronic body music. Also well-known are Scooter. Recently a few electronica artists have become successful in the mainstream, such as Xavier Naidoo, Blümchen and MIA. Artists on the cutting edge of German-language techno include Ich + Ich and Klee.
Trance music is a style of electronic music that originated in Germany in the very late 1980's and early 1990's, upon German unification.
20th century
The first half of 20th century saw a split between German and Austrian music. In Vienna, Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils Alban Berg and Anton Webern moved along an increasingly avant-garde path, pioneering atonal music in 1909 and twelve-tone music in 1923. Meanwhile, composers in Berlin took a more populist route, from the cabaret-like socialist operas of Kurt Weill to the Gebrauchsmusik of Paul Hindemith. In Munich there was also Carl Orff, who was influenced by the French Impressionist composer Claude Debussy. He began to use colorful, unusual combinations of instruments in his orchestration. His most popular work is Carmina Burana.
Many composers emigrated to the United States when the Nazi Party came to power, including Schoenberg, Hindemith, and Erich Korngold. During this period, the Nazi Party embarked on a campaign to rid Germany of so-called degenerate art, which became a catch-all phrase that included music with any link to Jews, Communists, jazz, and anything else thought to be dangerous. Some figures such as Karl Amadeus Hartmann remained defiantly in Germany during the years of Nazi dominance, continually watchful of how their output might be interpreted by the authorities.
After the dissolution of the Third Reich, musicians were also subjected to the Allied policy of denazification. But here, the supposed non-political nature of music was able to excuse many, including Wilhelm Furtwängler and Herbert von Karajan (who had actually joined the Nazi Party in 1933). They both claimed to have concentrated mainly on music and to have ignored politics, but also to have conducted pieces in ways that were meant to be "gestures of defiance."
In West Germany in the second half of the 20th century, German and Austrian music was largely dominated by the avant-garde. In the 60s and 70s, the Darmstadt New Music Summer School was a major center of European modernism; German composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Hans Werner Henze and non-German ones such as Pierre Boulez and Luciano Berio all studied there. In contrast, composers in East Germany were advised to avoid the avant-garde and to compose music in keeping with the tenets of Socialist Realism. Music written in this style was supposed to advance party politics as well as be more accessible to all. Hanns Eisler and Ernst Hermann Meyer were among the most famous of the first generation of GDR composers.
More recently, composers such as Helmut Lachenmann and Olga Neuwirth have extensively explored the possibilities of extended techniques. Hans Werner Henze largely dissociated himself from the Darmstadt school in favour of a more lyrical approach, and remains perhaps Germany's most lauded contemporary composer. Although he had lived outside the country since the 1950s and until his death in 2012, he remained influenced by the Germanic musical tradition.
