The Effects of the First World War and Industrialization on the Music of England
Presentation Type
Poster
Keywords
music, wwi, England, musicology, theory, industrialization, style, technology
Major
Music Composition
Abstract
The First World War and the industrialization of the era changed the world drastically, and much of these changes are evident in the music of the time. This project, through the analysis of the changes in music in England during World War I, attempts to categorize these effects on music. These ideas were then applied to the evolution of current music and to the future of music.
This project was conducted by theoretically analyzing important pieces of English music and by researching the historical context of each piece. Multiple pieces (from before and from after the war) written by certain composers were investigated. These pieces were categorized in order to easily observe the changes in style.
Nearly all of the pre-war music illustrated a distinctively innocent and pastoral “English” style. Some music was written to support or profit from the war. Some music was written in remembrance of people or ideas. Some music was written to show the evils of the war, and some music was written in hope for a better future. Significant changes in music are often due to a composer’s reaction to a given event.
The First World War is a perfect example of this concept.Furthermore, with the innovations of the time, exposure to other events was more common than ever, resulting in a large number of changes in music. The fact that there has not been a developed, defined musical era in the past century is due to the ever-increasing access to news media.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Gary Cobb
Funding Source or Research Program
Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
29-3-2019 2:00 PM
End Date
29-3-2019 3:00 PM
The Effects of the First World War and Industrialization on the Music of England
Waves Cafeteria
The First World War and the industrialization of the era changed the world drastically, and much of these changes are evident in the music of the time. This project, through the analysis of the changes in music in England during World War I, attempts to categorize these effects on music. These ideas were then applied to the evolution of current music and to the future of music.
This project was conducted by theoretically analyzing important pieces of English music and by researching the historical context of each piece. Multiple pieces (from before and from after the war) written by certain composers were investigated. These pieces were categorized in order to easily observe the changes in style.
Nearly all of the pre-war music illustrated a distinctively innocent and pastoral “English” style. Some music was written to support or profit from the war. Some music was written in remembrance of people or ideas. Some music was written to show the evils of the war, and some music was written in hope for a better future. Significant changes in music are often due to a composer’s reaction to a given event.
The First World War is a perfect example of this concept.Furthermore, with the innovations of the time, exposure to other events was more common than ever, resulting in a large number of changes in music. The fact that there has not been a developed, defined musical era in the past century is due to the ever-increasing access to news media.