What is CONTEMPORARY music and its characteristics

Just when we thought that everything had already been invented, human curiosity and the hunger to expand creativity to delve into the depths of the arts comes to light. The world of classical music is a vast universe that has passed through many stages and has evolved in extraordinary ways. Even so, people emerge who take their interest to extremes to continue investigating and learning from the phenomenon of sound. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will learn what is contemporary music and its characteristics so you can learn about the alternative evolution of classical music and its properties today.

For contemporary We understand that we live in that time, so contemporary music is all that recent music that has occurred in recent years and that continues to be produced to this day. More specifically, it has been determined that the era of contemporary music began at the end of musical Modernism, in the mid-1970s (1970). In other cases, it is considered that this stage began after the forms of posttonal music, when Anton Webern died and at the time of the Second World War (1939-1945).

Since we are still in this ongoing stage, it has not been clearly defined whether the term "contemporary music" should apply to current music of any style, or if it should exclusively be used for the music of the avant-garde composers (who perform experimental music). In any case, when it comes to the classical framework, we refer to the last mentioned case.

Image: Slideshare

It is a bit complex to define exactly the characteristics of contemporary musica because many of the works are created with experimental ideas and break the structures of classical music with total freedom. In this way, we obtain endless possibilities that are difficult to define or pigeonhole.

If we try to be inclusive, these would be some of the characteristics that we find in contemporary music:

• Merge various techniques musicals.
• Collection of styles and ideas from different sources.
• It does not necessarily belong to a single style.
• It is created anywhere in the world, It is not located in any continent or specific area.
• The elements of music (harmony, tonality, rhythm, tempo, meter, shape, textures, instrumentation, etc.) do not they cling exclusively to nothing but are totally free, unless they seek to adhere to a style specific.
• It has several movements different of which we find a great variety: modern movement, postmodern, polystyrene, conceptualism, postminimalism, electronic music, neo-romanticism, spectralism, neotonalism, new simplicity, free improvisation, new complexity and art sonorous.
• Cross the boundaries and he uses other arts, not necessarily sound, such as painting, poetry and the plastic arts.
• The use of tools it is totally free, as long as there is a musical concept. Elements as contradictory as silence itself can be part of a contemporary music work. The work 4'33 ”by John Cage is a great example, as it lasts as long as the name of the work indicates and not a single note is played.
• Use of recordings orelectronic musical elements which are not necessarily musical instruments.
• Use of digital or electronic instruments such as synthesizers and MIDI (which uses samples or “samples” of previously recorded instruments).
• Can return to classical musical styles with the intention of reforming them, such as neo-romanticism, which follows some early Romanticism.
• Contemporary music can sometimes become confusing or very complex to understand, so in response some musicians seek simplicity.
• Explore the properties of sound itself, such as the musical timbre. Spectral music is an example of this, where the perception of sound is played for the creation of musical works.
• Reuse of techniques used less frequently in recent times such as strict tonality. Neotonalism for example.
• Some styles of contemporary music do not seek to follow a specific style, but instead try to to break the rules or the structure of some particular idea.
• I play with improvisation and spontaneity to totally unleash creativity.
• Sometimes it is sought to avoid referencing recognizable musical genres or styles with the intention of creating something totally new.
• Can be very abstract, dissonant and atonal. Which can be difficult to hear or even understand.
• Use of extended techniques, complex textures, instability as a resource, microtonality (use of tones smaller than semitone), discontinuous melodies, abrupt changes in textures and complex rhythms.
• It incorporates other elements and senses in addition to hearing, resulting in the use of technology, sculpture, video, the human body and much more.

There is no doubt that curiosity is unlimited for the human being and that it turns out to be one of his most important qualities for evolution and development in art.

Image: Slideshare