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Glite Dictionary
serialism

serialism

1 9.9
A way of writing music that uses a fixed order of notes
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪəriəlɪzəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : serialismo
  • The use of serialism in their compositions allowed the artists to create unique soundscapes that differed from traditional melodies.
  • serialism in music

Examples

  • First-generation minimalist composers, such as Terry Riley and LaMonte Young, used musical materials found in other cultures and styles as part of their revolt against the academic complexity of serialism.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Serialism.

    Academic text (2005)

  • The state machine monitors the dispatch control unit (since this is the last place serialism is preserved) in order to track the order of execution.

    Academic text (1994)

  • On Cage's idea that serialism does not represent a new structure, see "Forerunners," S, pp. 63-64, and n. 7.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Cage did not view atonal serialism as presenting a viable alternative with which to structure contemporary music: as he stated, for the project of constructing a wholly new music, "The twelve-tone row offers bricks but no plan."

    Academic text (1997)

  • In the 20th century, composers often experimented with serialism as a way to structure their music using a fixed sequence of notes.

  • Many musicians consider serialism a significant movement that changed the way music was composed in modern times.

Synonyms

serial music
vsserialism
  • Specialized
9.4

A 20th-century style of music that uses a fixed order of notes to build an entire piece

is the technical compositional method using a fixed sequence as basis

Surface Forms

serialism singular
serialisms plural

Morphology

serialism = serial (opaque) = serial + ism

The form is transparently 'serial' + '-ism' (a regular noun-forming suffix), but the specific technical meaning (a 20th-century musical composition method) is specialized and not predictable for average learners.

Etymology

The word serialism comes from the root series, an old Latin word meaning 'row' or 'sequence', and the ending -ism that means a system or practice. So, think of a 'series' like a row of numbered cards: in music serialism composers use one fixed order of notes as the plan for a whole piece.