What is 12 tone serialism?

Twelve-tone serialism is a method of composing music that emerged in the early 20th century. At its core, it involves using a twelve-tone row (or series) of pitches, which is then used to create a musical composition. This row must contain all of the twelve tones of the chromatic scale, and each pitch must be used before any is reused.

The row can be treated in various ways, such as transposed, inverted, or played backward, to create different melodies and harmonies. This system is known as serialism because it involves creating a series of pitches that is then used to generate all the musical materials in a composition.

The twelve-tone system was developed by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg around 1921, and it quickly gained popularity among composers of the time, including Anton Webern and Alban Berg, who were part of the Second Viennese School.

Twelve-tone serialism challenged traditional tonal harmony and opened up new possibilities for contemporary composers. It paved the way for other compositional techniques such as aleatoric music, minimalism, and electronic music. However, its strict rules and mathematical approach to composition have led some critics to argue that it can produce dry and emotionless music.