Chamber music is a type of classical music written for a small group of instruments. Traditionally, these groups were small enough to fit in a palace room or large space. Generally, it refers to music played by a few performers, with each musician playing a different part (unlike orchestral music, where many musicians share parts).
An orchestra is a large group of musicians that plays music typical of classical music. It includes instruments from different families. There are usually four main groups of instruments: Other instruments, such as the piano, harpsichord, pipe organ, free-bass accordion, and celesta, may sometimes be part of a fifth group or play alone as solo instruments.
Electronic music is a type of music that uses electronic instruments, electronic technology, and software to create sound. It includes music made with both electronic and electromechanical methods. Pure electronic instruments, such as synthesizers, theremins, and electronic oscillators, produce sound entirely through electronic circuits.
Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, began as a cultural movement in the West that influenced art, literature, theater, music, and architecture. It was inspired by the styles and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome. Neoclassicism started in Rome, partly because of the writings by Johann Joachim Winckelmann during the time when ancient cities like Pompeii and Herculaneum were rediscovered.
Atonality, in its broadest meaning, refers to music that does not have a central key or tonal center. This type of music is often found in compositions created from the early 20th century to the present day. These works typically do not use a clear arrangement of sounds centered around one main three-note chord, and the notes in the chromatic scale (which includes all the notes in an octave) do not depend on each other in a structured way.
The twelve-tone technique, also called dodecaphony, twelve-tone serialism, or twelve-note composition (in British usage), is a way of writing music. This method ensures that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are used equally often in a piece of music. It avoids giving special importance to any single note by using tone rows, which are specific orders of the 12 different pitches.
Serialism is a way of creating music using different elements like pitches, rhythms, and dynamics. It began mainly with Arnold Schoenberg’s twelve-tone technique, though other composers at the same time also helped develop serialism as a new approach to music after traditional tonal systems. The twelve-tone technique uses all twelve notes of the chromatic scale in a specific order, forming a row or series that helps shape a piece’s melody, harmony, structure, and changes.
Minimalism is an art movement that began after World War II in Western art. It is often seen as a response to abstract expressionism and modernism. The movement influenced later art styles that built on or thought about minimalism’s ideas.
Modern classical music is Western art music written in recent times. At the start of the 21st century, it often referred to post-1945 post-tonal music after Anton Webern died. This included types like serial music, electronic music, experimental music, and minimalist music.
Contemporary classical music is Western art music written in recent times. In the early 2000s, this type of music often included post-1945 music that used non-traditional scales, which became common after the death of composer Anton Webern in 1960. It included styles such as serial music, electronic music, experimental music, and minimalist music.