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| Postmodern music | |
|---|---|
| Name | Postmodern music |
| Cultural origins | Late 20th century, United States, Europe |
| Derivatives | Eclectic contemporary styles |
| Fusiongenres | Experimental rock, Ambient, Neo-serialism hybrid |
Postmodern music is a broad label used to describe musical practices from the late 20th century onward that reject modernist teleologies and embrace pluralism, eclecticism, and irony. It overlaps with developments in electroacoustic music, minimalism (music), ambient music, and avant-garde music, drawing practitioners from academic institutions, independent scenes, and popular culture. The term has been applied to works by composers and artists across New York City, London, Berlin, and Los Angeles, and is debated by scholars affiliated with Columbia University, King's College London, University of California, Berkeley, and The Juilliard School.
Definitions vary among critics at The New Yorker, theorists at Princeton University, and curators at Museum of Modern Art. Common characteristics include citation and quotation practices akin to Charles Ives’s collage technique, hybridity comparable to projects by John Zorn and Brian Eno, and rejection of master narratives championed by figures at Institute for Advanced Study and conferences at Royal College of Music. Other traits are pastiche present in albums by David Bowie, temporal fragmentation like works premiered at Wien Modern, and intertextuality echoed in exhibitions at Tate Modern. Composers often reference materials associated with Igor Stravinsky, Anton Webern, Arnold Schoenberg, Scott Joplin, and Gustav Mahler within single compositions.
Roots trace to mid-20th-century ruptures such as critiques by scholars at Harvard University and the fallout from debates at Darmstadt School gatherings. Early antecedents include experiments by Charles Ives, cross-genre projects by George Antheil, tape works circulated at International Society for Contemporary Music festivals, and electroacoustic breakthroughs at IRCAM and Bell Labs. The cultural matrix also involved influences from Pop Art exhibitions at Whitney Museum of American Art, theoretical writings by Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault debated in seminars at École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, and responses to technological shifts exemplified by products from MIDI Manufacturers Association and studios like Sun Studios. Political events such as protests in Prague Spring and institutional changes at BBC Radiophonic Workshop shaped reception.
Figures associated with the label include John Cage, whose chance procedures intersect with experiments by Iannis Xenakis; Philip Glass and Steve Reich for minimalist crossovers; Fredric Rzewski for politicized works; Meredith Monk for theatricalization; Laurie Anderson for multimedia practice; and Frank Zappa for satire. Scenes include the downtown New York milieu around The Kitchen and CBGB, the experimental labels ECM Records and Nonesuch Records, and European centers such as Scholars at IRCAM and ensembles like Ensemble InterContemporain. Movements with overlapping agendas include Fluxus, associated with George Maciunas and events at Fluxus Festivals; Neo-Romanticism (music), linked to performers at Carnegie Hall; and the appropriation trends seen in releases from Warp Records and Factory Records.
Techniques include quotation and collage exemplified by orchestral works referencing Gustav Mahler and songs sampling James Brown records; pastiche as practiced by Igor Stravinsky-influenced arrangers; bricolage similar to productions by Brian Eno and David Bowie; and past-performance strategies deployed by ensembles like Bang on a Can. Stylistic features involve juxtaposition of tonality and atonality found in pieces premiered at Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall, polystylism practiced by Alfred Schnittke, rhythmic recontextualization akin to Steve Reich’s phasing, and incorporation of popular idioms from jazz musicians such as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Technologies including sampling machines from Akai, spatialization methods used at Miller Theatre, and notation experiments published by Boosey & Hawkes further characterize the soundworld.
Reception ranges from acclaim in reviews in The New York Times and The Guardian to skepticism from proponents of modernist continuity at Princeton University Press and polemics in Musical Quarterly. Critics such as Theodor Adorno’s legacy is invoked in disputes with advocates of pluralism represented by scholars at Yale University and manifestos circulated via conferences at Royal Music Conservatory, The Hague. Debates focus on authenticity issues raised by sampling courts influenced by cases at United States District Court and cultural appropriation critiques voiced in symposia at European Cultural Foundation. Institutional recognition includes awards such as the Pulitzer Prize for Music and commissions from organizations like BBC, prompting controversy when experimental winners disrupt expectations.
Postmodern practices have informed indie rock acts on labels like Sub Pop, electronic producers associated with Warp Records, hip hop sampling traditions from crews linked to Def Jam Recordings, and film scoring trends in projects by composers performing at Sundance Film Festival. Cross-pollination appears in collaborations with pop stars such as Björk and Madonna, and in soundtrack aesthetics for franchises showcased at Cannes Film Festival. Academic pedagogy at Juilliard and curricula at Royal College of Music incorporate postmodern repertoires, while festivals like Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and venues including Sydney Opera House program works that reflect its pluralist legacy.
Category:Music genres