Serialism is the use of a 'series' of notes, unlike Cerealism which is a belief in the fruits of grasses such as barley, wheat and oats.
I think there is every evidence that, at least today, serialism as it was used during the early and mid-twentieth centuries is useless. However, I think it does show a particular way of looking at music and composition, and that some of its methods are still useful.
In order to understand how serialism arose, it is necessary to understand the atmosphere in which it arose. As the nineteenth century ended and the twentieth century began, while European musical culture may have appeared to be blossoming, some serious problems seemed only just under the surface. The previously apparently unassailable juggernaut of German culture still seemed in full flower. However, it soon became apparent that the assaults on symphonic structure and classical ideas of tonality were driving composers further and further away from the classical model.
Skryabin's Seventh Sonata (1911-12) is based upon a complex, or 'set'.
Hauer, Josef Matthias (b Wiener Neustadt, 19 March 1883; d Vienna, 22 Sept 1959). Austrian composer and theorist
Gravoe article on Hauer (APU Campus only).
Gravoe article on Hauer (APU Campus only).
Serialism is usually thought to be the brainchild of Arnold Schoenberg, who sought structure and stability when the flailings of free chromaticism and expressionism in pieces such as Pierrot Lunaire were getting a little too much. As the structuring inherent in tonality had been so strongly diluted by the late romantics, something certainly seemed necessary.
Although serialism is usually associated with the particular variety called 'twelve-tone' or 'dodecaphonic', it is does not necessarily imply such practices. Stravinsky came across the method via a completely different route - maybe because of the competitiveness he felt towards Schoenberg. Following the success of Le Sacre du Printemps, Stravinsky was increasingly drawn to less extravert means of expression. He found himself looking back into history, through Tchaikovsky and Verdi to Mozart and Bach. This was his neoclassical period.
(Although I'm personally rather dubious about the linking of neo-classicism and postmodernism.)
Some twelve-tone examples - spot the errors!
The same site concerning serialism. Not terribly comprehensive