
Modern Era 1900-present
A period of time that creates a sense of suspension due to the vagueness of the pulse of the music.
The modern era came after both the impressionism era from 1890-1920 and the expressionism era from 1910-1930.
Modern composers felt the need to find new things to say new things, which meant that the melody harmony, rhythm, and tone had to be reassessed. As a result, the octave was split into smaller intervals than the twelve traditional ones. This was known as "microtonality", resulting in "quarter-tone" pianos and the use of traditional instruments which could play intervals smaller than the semitone.
In the modern era, there are no restrictions when it comes to melodies, as a melody can be a single note, a handful of notes, or even no melody at all. A composer may approach a harmony from any number of angles as there is no specific harmony that is required in this era. In addition, the composer determines the form of the music freely as they can select from already existing templates. As for the dynamics music in the modern era has reached beyond the lines of just the beautiful symphony of an orchestra, as with access to sound technology composers are able to create and release music that releases tension and makes the listener feel something.
Instruments used during this era are guitars, piano, the revival of the harpsichord, large orchestras, many percussion instruments, electronic instruments and devices, tape recorders, and synthesizers.
Impact of Technological Development on Music.
Electronic music and spectral music emerged once technology evolved and advanced. Musical thinking expanded from individual notes to fields and to extra-musical phenomena such as noise. Besides popular and valuable instruments such as the electric guitar and the synthesizer, technology has brought us new production equipment such as high-fidelity microphones, re-mastering equipment, and CD-ROMs that provide us with a crystal clear sound of the recording. The development of these equipment has allowed the audience to experience a higher quality of sound coming from both live concerts and recordings. Furthermore, easiness of transportation that came along with the technological developments in the sector, has allowed the record labels to distribute music all around the world. The music industry also got many opportunities for advertisements since they were now not limited to billboards, TV, and radio. Many companies can now promote their records by playing a preview for the user, on certain websites.