Serialism

This lesson is part of the Style & Compositional Techniques category.

Objectives

• Students will explore the compositional techniques of serialism and stochasticism.

Resources

Readings

• Shaffer, Wharton (eds.), Open Music Theory:
  • "Intervallic Structure"
  • "Derivation"
  • "Invariance"
  • "Analyzing 12-tone Music"
• Kelley, Introduction to Post-Tonal Music Analysis:
  • "Advanced Twelve-Tone Techniques"
  • "Contour Analysis"

Class Activities

• Further discussion of Schoenberg’s twelve-tone row process and discussion of integral serialism
• Improvisation within a integrally serial structure
• Composition of a piece according to stochastic techniques

Assignments

• Analysis of integral serialism in written and recorded music
• Creation of a short musical composition using a stochastic method