Impressionism in Music
Think of Impressionism like Instagram filters for music - it's all about creating mood and atmosphere rather than telling a clear story. Just like how impressionist paintings use color to create feelings, impressionist music uses timbre (the unique "color" or quality of sound) to paint musical pictures.
This style brought cool new techniques like extended chords, whole tone scales, and pentatonic scales that gave music a dreamy, floating quality. Instead of depicting reality exactly, impressionist composers wanted to suggest feelings and images through sound.
Claude Debussy earned the title "Father of the Modern School of Composition" and basically started this whole movement. His famous pieces like "Clair de Lune" and "La Mer" perfectly capture that magical, atmospheric sound that makes you feel like you're drifting through a dream.
Maurice Ravel, another French master, created intricate melodies with complex harmonies. His "Bolero" builds from a whisper to a thunderous climax using the same melody - it's like watching a small flame grow into a bonfire!
Quick Tip: Listen to Debussy's "Clair de Lune" to instantly understand what impressionist music feels like - it's like musical moonlight!