Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado
Faculty Sponsor
Carissa Reddick
Abstract
After the end of the Romantic era of music, one of the most infamous new compositional styles was Arnold Schoenberg’s twelve-tone technique which uses all 12 tones of the chromatic scale to form a set that is then manipulated in various ways to produce an entire piece of music. Quite frankly, the end result is difficult to listen to. Needless to say, twelve-tone technique has since fallen out of popularity. However, some composers have modified the twelve-tone technique to create music that is strikingly beautiful. Samuel Barber is one such composer. His piano piece Nocturne Op. 33 contains twelve-tone compositional techniques, but they is masterfully disguised so as to make the piece easier to listen to and understand. My analysis delves into the piece and uncovers the twelve-tone techniques employed in hopes to introduce the music of Samuel Barber to others as well as foster an appreciation for the piece itself.
Recommended Citation
Wambolt, Nathan C.
(2013)
"Tonal Atonality: An Analysis of Samuel Barber's "Nocturne Op. 33","
Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado: Vol. 2:
No.
3, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/urj/vol2/iss3/3