20th Century
...ventions were not the only things that defined the technical age. The resolution calling for woman suffrage had passed, at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, convened by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. In The Declaration of Sentiments, a document based upon the Declaration of Independence, the numerous demands of these early activists were elucidated. The 1848 convention had challenged America to social revolution that would touch every aspect of life. Early women's rights leaders believed suffrage to be the most effective means to change an unjust system. By the late 1800s, nearly fifty years of progress afforded women advancement in property rights, employment and educational opportunities, divorce and child custody laws, and increased social freedoms. The early 1900s saw a successful push for the vote through a coalition of suffragists, temperance groups, reform-minded politicians, and women's social welfare organizations. Not only, then, was the twentieth century technological, but women were treated as equals in society. Composers during the modern period have found completely different ways to express themselves through there music. Many composers use different music and styles from around the world, combining them into odd melodies. 12-tone scales have also became very popular, in which each note is used during the piece. Nationalist music that portrays the history of a specific culture or country are also used. A lot of composers try to give their compositions flavor in which they try to find new ways to play an instrument, altering there sound so they sound completely different. Modern music is not only this but also has bits and pieces of the past in it as well. Many composers use styles from the Renaissance, Classical, Barouche, and Romantic and incorporate them into their music. Many other styles of music have developed as well including rap, gospel, pop, country and jazz. When you look at 20th century music and Romantic music you will see many similarities and differences. First of all, the Romantic period was based on emotion, which you also see a lot Modern music, but the Romantic period was full of complicated operas that showed off talent and ability. Not saying that the 20th century does involve this, but only to a certain extent. Three very famous piano works that have been composed in this era consist of the following: Piano Concerto No.1 in D major, Op. 10 and Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26 by Sergei Prokofiev. Piano Concerto No.2 by Philip Glass "In my view the composer, just as the poet, the sculptor or the painter, is in duty bound to serve man, the people. He must beautify human life and defend it. He must be a citizen first and foremost, so that his art may consciously extol human life and lead man to a radiant future. Such, as I see it, is the immutable goal of art." Sergei Prokofiev, a 20th century composer, believed in art. He believed that it was his job as a musician to be entertainment, to be the future of music, of life, of art. Prokofiev, in his 62 year long lifetime, created music that reflected the beauty and politics of his homeland, the Soviet Union. When Prokofiev returned to Russia during Stalin's rule, his music was disapproved by the government because it was influenced too much by Western civilization and it didn’t support the government's need for social control. Although Prokofiev was mainly interested in playing and composing for piano, he also wrote some orchestral works such as Peter and the Wolf. Operas, ballets, and choral music were also in his extensive repertoire. Another famous artist during the 20th century, though completely unlike Prokofiev, was Duke Ellington. Unlike Prokofiev's music, the statement that Ellington was trying to make wasn’t political; it was merely a form of art and entertainment. During Ellington's 50 year career, he created a style all his own that would represent him centuries in the future. The architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and Paolo Soleri typify Prokofiev's idea that it is the artist's job to praise humanity and lead them to a better potential. Frank Lloyd Wright, like Ellington in music, was one of the main leading figures in architecture of his time. With his designs for over 1,100 buildings, 532 of which were completed before his death, Frank Lloyd Wright had a tremendous impact on modern architecture and culture. Wright's career lasted over 70 years beginning with his apprenticeship under Joseph L. Silsbee and Louis Sullivan and ended with his death at age 92. Although Soleri and Wright were quite different, they were similar in the fact the one of Paolo Soleri's main role models was Wright himself. Soleri created the current housing for over 5,000 people in what he named Arcosanti. Arcosanti is his largest creation in northern Arizona with amazing artifacts and an amazing architectural design. Marked by modernism and naturalism, literature during the twentieth century strove to repres...