This Year in Classical Music: 1908

The early 20th century was a time of divergent paths in classical music. As Romanticism reached its cultural and tonal peak, the turn of the century — with its Industrial Revolutions and its ideological transformations — heralded a new era of musical experimentation. It was these emergent sound worlds which would — tentatively, and painstakingly — come to unshackle a “classical” music identity from the confines of tonality. As early as 1908, the seeds were sown for the avant-garde that was to come. These four works below, all completed in 1908, capture the dynamism of an era of flux in both political and musical realms.

“The Unanswered Question” by Charles Ives

One of the most confounding musical figures in the early 20th century, Charles Ives broke compositional ground, tonally and thematically, decades before others would catch up. Arguably his magnum opus, “The Unanswered Question” is truly a masterwork of the 20th century. Catching the listener in a soft palm of dream-like strings, Ives forges new sonic possibilities, as winds and solo trumpet drift from dissonance to intermingle with an expanded tonal language. Whilst three independent layers each contain a universe unto themselves, through their careful juxtaposition, Ives unravels each self-contained world into an organic narrative, posing an essential, yet enigmatic “question” to composers for decades to come.

“Feu d'artifice” by Igor Stravinsky

A short orchestral work feverishly depicting fireworks, “Feu d’artifice,” in its florid opening passage, set the stage for the iconic orchestration which Stravinsky would become famous for. “The Firebird” in particular shares a similar textural fluidity to this miniature — indeed the ballet was commissioned by Diaghalev after hearing his orchestration skill in “Feu d’artifice.” As fleeting as the work is, “Feu d’artifice” offers a thrilling glimpse into Stravinsky’s expansive timbral imagination, with his expert orchestration — particularly in his writing for wind — resulting in a unified, yet timbrally diverse soundscape that overflows with light.

“Violin Concerto No. 1” by Béla Bartók

Bartok’s first Violin Concerto is the work of a composer in the throes of unrequited love. Written when he was only 26, the concerto — particularly the yearning solo opening to the first movement — is a tender profession of love to the young violinist Stefi Geyer, who, unable to reciprocate his feelings, rejected the piece. Following this rejection, the work wasn’t performed for almost 50 years. Whilst the concerto doesn’t possess the distinctive orchestral innovation and charisma Bartok would eventually become known for, a powerful earnestness prevails throughout. Indeed, the opening violin solo is as tender as it is tragic, capturing the audience coyly yet intimately — much like a first love.

“Le Poème de l'extase” by Alexander Scriabin

A work constantly on the brink, Scriabin’s orchestration in “Le Poème de l'extase” journeys from the lithe and sinewy to the addictively sumptuous. Teasing the listener over and over again with dense plumes of sound, rich string-heavy textures are counterbalanced elegantly with gleams of colour in the wind and brass. The work itself came at a time where Scriabin was deeply immersed in the practice of Theosophy, the ideology of a mysterious society that explored the cosmic through ancient Eastern wisdom. Scriabin’s intellectual interests are richly represented throughout the work, endlessly seeking ecstasy through relentless cycles of tension and release.

—Staff writer Lauren V. Marshall can be reached at lauren.marshall@thecrimson.com.