Modern Music: A Concise History

by Paul Griffiths

Beginning at the threshold of the modern era, with the late Romanticism of Debussy and Mahler, the author traces the new directions of music through composers such as Alban Berg and Anton Webern, Charles Ives, Edgard Varese and Olivier Messiaen, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, Philip Glass and Elliott Carter. The various paths are made clear by a concentration on the major works and turningpoints in the music of our time: the new rhythmic force that came in with The Rite of Spring, the unbounded universe of Schoenberg's atonality, the undreamed-of possibilities opened up by electronics, the role of chance in the music of John Cage and the astonishing diversity of minimalism.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction, Research, Art, Classical Music

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Paul Anthony Griffiths, OBE, is a British music critic, novelist and librettist. He is particularly noted for his writings on modern classical music and for having written the libretti for two 20th century operas, Tan Dun's Marco Polo and Elliott Carter's What Next? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gr...]

Reviews

[Maurits · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure that, for anyone a little bit knowledgeable about music, this is a great read. So, for that reason, I'm rather sad I'm not one of those people who are knowledgeable about music. I noticed I missed the necessary background knowledge to understand what the writer was going on about sometimes.
Still, for anyone who does have the necessary background knowledge, I'd recommend this book. The prose is very pleasant to read, making it an easy read that allows you to learn anyway.

[Anna Þórhildur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mjög fín en hann minntist varla á eina konu í allri bókinni, þó svo að hún hafi verið skrifuð árið 1978 en ég meina kommon

[Nikoleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ένα πολύ καλό βιβλίο που παρουσιάζει την πορεία της σύγχρονης μουσικής σε συνδυασμό με τα ιστορικά γεγονότα και τα βιογραφικά του εκάστοτε μουσικού συνοπτικά και συμμαζεμένα. Άμα το αντίτυπο τον εκδόσεων Ζαχαρόπουλος δεν ήταν τόσο κακό (μέχρι την σελίδα 33 είναι τυπωμένες οι μισές σελίδες, σελίδα παρά σελίδα, όπως επίσης οι μισές σελίδες δεν είναι κομμένες) θα το διάβαζα πολύ πιο ευχάριστα.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Created a narrative through the sometimes chaotic direction of twentieth century classical music. I don't know what Philip Glass has done to him though, because he's the only composer in the entire book that Griffiths pointedly criticises.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book works well an an introduction to contemporary music up until the mid-1970s, and Griffiths' prose is very readable. However, I can't recommend it for anyone who already has a good grasp of modern music. It doesn't cover any new ground, and the title is a bit of a misnomer. Griffiths sticks mainly to the usual suspects, with a bit more emphasis on the ways in which their music covered new ground or pushed boundaries. He spends hardly any time on Harry Partch, George Antheil, Henry Cowell, or other 20th century composers who really went out on a limb and went all the way to the edges of new music. Griffiths also ignores a lot of the truly experimental world of extended techniques and multimedia.

[Elzira Rai · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and engaging, if dated and sometimes excessively biased, overview of the main trends in modern music. Some important absences and disdainful approaches to certain currents (and geographies). An oversimplified insistence on the freedom of American composers as opposed to the alleged traditionalism of European artists. Sometimes a bit superficial, with a chronological presentation (then comes X, then Y) rather than a thematic approach or more insightful arguments. Lack of sociological and historical context. Still, it delivers most of what is advertised.

[Tony Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A re-read. Paul Griffiths was the Chief Music critic of The Times. This book provides an good and readable summary of the major themes of classical music development through the first eight decades of the 20th century. It takes in the late Romantic, Neoclassicism, Serialism, Electronics, and the burgeoning interest in opera and other performance work in 1960s. A good reminder of much I had appreciated, but not put in context. Very focused on the authors perspective, and therefore a little selective.

[fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Griffiths writes great music history books.

[Carol Surges · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is very dated, c 1978, and has John Cage and others still among the living, I found it immensely readable and far more friendly than _The Rest Is Noise_ by Alex Ross. Perhaps because I'd made it through Ross' erudite tome, this one seemed so much less intimidating at around 200 pages. And yes, I've been informed by those far more well versed in music than I that Ross'book is NOT a tome or erudite for that matter, by any stretch of the imagination. Just goes to show you how much I need to learn.

Anyway, Griffiths divides Avant-Garde music into neat packages that show what the musical influences of the time were. Chapters include 'Neo-Classicism', 'Eastern influenced', 'Serialism', 'Electronic Music', 'Chance', and 'Theater and Politics' and finally 'multiplicity' which is where we are now with the vast and roiling variety of different musical styles and types and no clear theme or momentum in evidence. Griffiths' focus tends towards Europe with less time spent on the musicians of the West coast and NYC at that time. Ives, Cage, E. Browne, Feldman and C. Wolff do get notice along with a few others.

Because of its dated-ness, I wouldn't suggest anyone going out of their way to find it. The paperback copy I read (glued spine, acidic paper) came from the local library and the pages were falling out as I read.

[S.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

By “Modern Music” Griffith means the composed music of the 20th Century that’s rarely programmed in so-called “Classical” media formats. Too often it’s perceived as too experimental, too “mathematical,” and too unlistenable: attributes which too often turn listeners away before they can decide for themselves. Griffith considers links between Modern Music and older Classical forms, illustrating that it’s sometimes as much a reactionary continuation as it is a radical departure; and when it is truly radical, Griffith offers the historical context that made it an inevitable development. At worst, this book will provide you with an historical appreciation of what Modern Music’s about; at best, it will pique your curiosity to explore the music itself.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am using this book as a source for my Digital Humanities paper, and since it is short and I figured I could use a quick music history refresher, I decided to go ahead and read it. It was definitely worth the couple of hours it took.
Griffiths covers the gamut of 20th century music, starting in 1894 with Debussy's Prelude a L'Apres-midi d'un faun up though the early 1990s (the book was published in 1994). He is indeed concise and straightforward in a way that allows him to include a wide range of composers and compositional styles. Although fairly Euro-centric (and andro-centric for that matter), this book was a good overview of modern music and provided just the kind of big-picture review I was looking for.

[Craig Pruitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fundamental book for learning of early 20th century composers. It is ordered chronologically and very easy to understand. It is concise, as the title implies, and historical; this is not a technical book so those wishing to learn technique and form should look elsewhere. It reads easily and flows gradually into more modern times. It gives examples from many of the composers so one is able to develop a fundamental understanding of the rapid change in music during the 20th century.

Many copies that i've found have problems with the binding. Don't plan on this book staying together while you read it.