atonalism
C2Academic, Technical, Formal
Definition
Meaning
The theory, principle, or practice of composing music without a tonal centre or key.
The systematic avoidance of traditional harmony and tonal relationships in music. It can also refer more broadly to any artistic approach that rejects central organizing principles in favor of dissonance or abstraction.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in musicology and criticism. While closely related to 'atonality', 'atonalism' often implies a more conscious, theoretical, or systematic doctrine rather than just a descriptive characteristic of a piece.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or spelling. Usage is equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Same connotations of high modernism, avant-garde music, and academic composition in both dialects.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both; slightly more likely to be encountered in specialized academic texts than in general discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + advocates/practices/rejects + atonalism.Atonalism + is + [adjective phrase].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[none applicable for this technical term]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in musicology, critical theory, and cultural studies to discuss 20th-century musical movements.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
The primary domain. Precisely describes a compositional philosophy in music theory and composition.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The composer was atonalising folk themes in his later work.
- He sought to atonalise traditional structures.
American English
- The composer was atonalizing folk themes in his later work.
- He sought to atonalize traditional structures.
adverb
British English
- The work proceeded atonalistically, avoiding any hint of a home key.
American English
- The work proceeded atonalistically, avoiding any hint of a home key.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Atonalism is a word for very modern music.
- This music has no key; it is atonalism.
- Some composers in the 1900s used atonalism in their music.
- Atonalism means not following the usual rules of harmony.
- Schoenberg's radical atonalism broke decisively with the Romantic tradition.
- Critics of the time were often baffled by the complexity of strict atonalism.
- The lecturer argued that the composer's early atonalism was more expressive than his later, more rigid serialist period.
- While often conflated, atonality is a characteristic, whereas atonalism implies an ideological stance against tonal hierarchy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A-TONAL-ISM. 'A' as in 'without', 'TONAL' as in 'key', and 'ISM' as in 'system or belief'. So, the belief in music without a key.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARTISTIC FREEDOM IS THE REJECTION OF RULES (Atonalism as a liberation from the 'tyranny' of the tonic).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'атональность' (atonality), though they are closely related. 'Atonalism' is the '-ism', the doctrine or movement.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'atonalism' with 'atonality' (the latter is the quality, the former is the practice/system).
- Using it to describe any noisy or discordant sound outside a musical context.
- Spelling as 'atonalicism' or 'atonisim'.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'atonalism' primarily used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Atonality is the quality or state of being atonal (lacking a key). Atonalism is the specific theory, doctrine, or systematic practice of composing atonal music.
No, but they are related. Serialism (especially twelve-tone serialism) is one highly organized method for achieving atonalism. Atonalism is the broader concept of avoiding tonality, which can be achieved through other methods as well.
It emerged in the early 20th century, primarily associated with the Second Viennese School composers like Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern.
That's very difficult because atonalism deliberately avoids the familiar melodic and harmonic patterns (like scales) that make a tune easy to hum. It focuses on dissonant intervals and avoids establishing a 'home' note.