Impressionism: A Comparison of the Stylistic Characteristics of the Movement in Music and the Visual Arts

Abstract

Impressionism is a well-known term when it comes to the visual arts, and a very important movement in the music world. Compositional techniques used during the Impressionist movement had revolutionary, lasting impacts on music styles and purposes, just as the Impressionist painting styles had lasting impacts on the subjects and compositions of future visual masterpieces. The Impressionist movement has always really drawn me to the arts- both visual and musical. Additionally, the main Impressionist composer, Claude Debussy, is a paramount composer for flutists. This paper compares and contrasts the stylistic choices characteristic of Impressionist paintings and Impressionist compositions. There are many similarities between the two artistic mediums, which is likely a result of Paris being the epicenter of the Impressionist movement. This study is important for future music educators, as explores music history it presents a way to meet the cross-curricular standards provided by the Texas Education Agency.