World War II inspired many artistic movements in all genres
After World War II, the entire world was changed. Many artists used music as an outlet to vent the frustration associated with the war or as a means of escape from its horrible brutality. Many different types of music began after World War II, while others were expanded upon to create a whole new musical texture in the second half of the 20th century.
Electronic Music
For the first time, electronic instruments such as the Hammond and Theramin were introduced in the post-World War II period. These instruments were at first modeled after traditional western sounds, such as that of the pipe organ, but eventually developed monophonic and polyphonic timbres of their own. The first analog synthesizer was released in the early 1950s, which gave an artist control over his music. These electronic instruments were used to create ambient soundscapes that had notes complexly layered on top of one another.
Twelve Tone Composition
The modernist movement sought to deal with the horrors of World War II by removing conventions from their artistic style as a way of challenging the old order. One popular form of this was 12 tone music, made popular by Iannis Xenakis and Stravinsky. This music used all of the notes in a musical scale, rather than the traditional Western scale which only used a few. The result was complex music that was in many ways informed by mathematical equation.
Bebop
Jazz saw a major change in the years after World War II. Big bands, or bands that featured 10 or more musicians and instruments, were on the decline, and Bebop rose in its place. Bebop music used smaller groups, usually four or five members, and placed an emphasis on solo performance. They also allowed for more advanced melodies with multiple layers and syncopated rhythms, which made the music harder to dance to, but also more complex in nature.
Rhythm and Blues
Another form of music that saw its start after World War II was Rhythm and Blues. This movement started when African American performers such as Little Richard and Chuck Berry began incorporating electrically powered instruments, such as the new electric guitar, into traditional blues style. These performers were soon joined by white artists such as Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, who emulated their style and served as a precursor to rock 'n' roll music.
Related posts
Rhythm & blues music became popular with audiences of all racial backgrounds.Rhythm and blues music (R&B) means many things to many listeners. Contemporary R&B music is very different...
Types of Music LicensesMusic licenses give a person or organization permission to publicly perform a particular piece or catalog of music. A public performance includes any time the music is playe...
Music in the '50s ranged from rock 'n' roll to the big band sound.The postwar period of the 1950s brought optimism to the United States, and the music of that era reflected that attitude. Although...
From phonographs to MP3 players, technology has transformed the way people listen to music.From phonographs to MP3 players, popularized music players drastically have evolved in the last two centu...
Music players can be used to organize and listen to your library of music.Music players are pieces of software that can be used to organize and play music files from your collection. Many differen...
