Programmatic Music in the Impressionist Era: A Continuation

Did programmatic music cease to exist during the Impressionist period?

A. True
B. False

Answer:

B. False

Programmatic music, which conveys a narrative or represents an idea through musical elements, did not come to an end during the Impressionist period. This period, characterized by its focus on atmosphere, texture, and color in sound, still incorporated programmatic elements in many compositions.

Composers like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel continued to include narrative or descriptive elements in their works, such as Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" and Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloé." These pieces, among others from the era, showcase the continued existence and evolution of programmatic music throughout the Impressionist era.