Definition

1. Noun:
   • A method of musical composition developed in the early 20th century, primarily associated with Arnold Schoenberg. It is a form of serialism where all twelve notes of the chromatic scale are arranged into a specific, non-repeating sequence called a tone row or series. This row, along with its mathematical transformations (like inversion, retrograde, and retrograde inversion), forms the entire harmonic and melodic basis of the composition, ensuring that no single note is emphasized as a tonal center.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Arnold Schoenberg is credited with developing twelve-tone music as a way to move beyond traditional tonality.
  • The composer's later works are characterized by his use of twelve-tone technique.
  • Studying twelve-tone music requires an understanding of its strict organizational rules.

Advanced Usage

• "Twelve-tone technique" / "Twelve-tone method": These terms are often used interchangeably with "twelve-tone music" to specifically refer to the compositional system itself.
  • He applied the twelve-tone technique to create a completely atonal structure.
• "Tone row" / "Series": The fundamental building block of twelve-tone music.
  • The entire piece is derived from a single tone row.
• "Serialism": Twelve-tone music is the first and most famous type of serialism, which later evolved into total serialism controlling other musical parameters like rhythm and dynamics.
  • Twelve-tone music is the foundational form of serialism.

Variants and Related Words

• Dodecaphony (n): Another term for twelve-tone music, derived from Greek ( meaning twelve, meaning sound).
  • The principles of dodecaphony influenced many 20th-century composers.
• Atonal (adj): Music that lacks a tonal center or key. Twelve-tone music is a systematic form of atonality.
  • The atonal nature of the piece was challenging for the audience.
• Serial music (n): A broader category of music that uses a series of elements as a compositional basis. Twelve-tone music is a specific type of serial music.
  • After mastering twelve-tone composition, he began experimenting with other forms of serial music.

Synonyms

• Serial technique (when referring specifically to the twelve-pitch method).
• Dodecaphonic music.

Related Terms and Concepts

• Inversion: A transformation of the tone row where the intervals are reversed in direction (e.g., an ascending major third becomes a descending major third).
• Retrograde: Playing the tone row backwards.
• Retrograde Inversion: Playing the inverted row backwards.
• Prime form: The original, stated form of the tone row.

Noun

1. a type of serial music introduced by Arnold Schoenberg; uses a tone row formed by the twelve semitones of the chromatic scale (and inverted or backward versions of the row)