All Topics  
Contemporary music

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Contemporary music
 
 
  Topics Contemporary music Topic Home

In the broadest and popular sense, Contemporary music is any music being written in the present day. This could include any kind of present music
Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture ....
. However in the strict historical and musicological terminology, the term Contemporary music exclusively refers to the modern forms of art music
Art music

Art music , is an umbrella term generally used to refer to musical traditions implying advanced structural and theoretical considerations and a written musical tradition....
, this includes:



In a more restricted sense it may only include the most recent forms of this music:



In a much less restricted sense the term contemporary is sometimes used to refer to certain generational trends in music.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Contemporary music'
Start a new discussion about 'Contemporary music'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


In the broadest and popular sense, Contemporary music is any music being written in the present day. This could include any kind of present music
Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture ....
. However in the strict historical and musicological terminology, the term Contemporary music exclusively refers to the modern forms of art music
Art music

Art music , is an umbrella term generally used to refer to musical traditions implying advanced structural and theoretical considerations and a written musical tradition....
, this includes:

  • The post-1945 modern forms
    Modernism (music)

    Modernism in music is characterized by a desire for or belief in progress and science, surrealism, anti-romanticism, political advocacy, general intellectualism, and/or a breaking with the past or common practice period ? Ezra Pound's modernist slogan, "Make it new," as applied to music....
     of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern
    Anton Webern

    Anton Webern was an Austrian composer and Conducting. He was a member of the Second Viennese School. As a student and significant follower of Arnold Schoenberg, he became one of the best-known proponents of the twelve-tone technique; in addition, his innovations regarding schematic organization of pitch, rhythm and dynamics were formative...
     (including serial music, Concrete music, experimental music
    Experimental music

    Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-twentieth century, particularly in North America, and whose most famous and influential exponent was John Cage ....
    , atonal music, etc.)


In a more restricted sense it may only include the most recent forms of this music:

  • Contemporary classical music
    Contemporary classical music

    Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to a period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism . However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to the post-1945 Modernism of post-tonal music from the death of Anton Webern ...
     (post-1975) (including post-modern music, Spectral music
    Spectral music

    Spectral music refers to a musical composition practice where compositional decisions are often informed by the analysis of sound spectra. Computer based sound spectrum analysis using a Fast Fourier transform is one of the more common methods used in generating descriptive data....
    , minimalist music
    Minimalist music

    Minimalist music is an originally American genre of experimental music or Downtown music named in the 1960s based mostly in consonance and dissonance, steady pulse , stasis and slow transformation, and often reiteration of musical phrase or smaller units such as Figure , Motif , and Cell ....
    , etc.)


In a much less restricted sense the term contemporary is sometimes used to refer to certain generational trends in music. The pop era of the late 80's early 90's, though contemporary in its day, would no longer be considered contemporary in the 21st century. With the rapid growth of indie labels
Independent record label

An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels....
, the music industry has grown exponentially over the last 5 years introducing genres never before heard of. Thus contemporary music can easily be defined by current market trends.