Basic Concepts of Serialism

Serialism is a method of composition used in music, which influenced the 20th-century music greatly.
This method involves using a series of notes, rhythms, dynamics, timbres, or other musical elements in a fixed order.
This musical concept is often associated with the Second Viennese School composers, such as Arnold Schoenberg and his students Anton Webern and Alban Berg.

Roots of Serialism

Arnold Schoenberg developed the technique known as twelve-tone technique or dodecaphony, which involves using all twelve pitches of the chromatic scale equally.
Later, this technique became total serialism, which means not only pitches, but also other music parameters are serialised.

In a twelve-tone composition, all twelve pitch classes are used but none is repeated until the others have been used.
The composer arranges these pitches into a specific order, known as a tone row or series, which becomes the major generating principle for the composition.
The tone row can be manipulated in several ways - it can be used in its original form (prime), it can be reverse (retrograde), upside-down (inversion), or both upside-down and backwards (retrograde inversion).

Serialism challenged the traditional concepts of melody, harmony, and rhythm.
It offered a new approach to thematic development and unity, which had been a major concern of composers since Beethoven.
Even though serialism may seem rigid, it allowed a great deal of freedom and flexibility.
The significant compositional rigour allowed for a great degree of consistency and coherence in a piece of music.

The serialist method has been used in various forms of music including electronic music, algorithmic composition, and jazz.
Serialism has also permeated other art forms such as visual arts and literature.
Even though the method is different from the traditional harmony, it has made a significant impact on modern classical music.