The following text is about music theory.
Serialism, developed by Arnold Schoenberg and his students, replaced traditional tonal hierarchy with systematic organization of all twelve chromatic notes. In twelve-tone technique, a "row" orders all twelve notes, and all musical material derives from transformations of this row. Schoenberg saw this as historically inevitable once tonal conventions were exhausted. Critics found the results unappealing and the method arbitrary—why systematize only pitch while rhythm and dynamics remained intuitive? Yet serialism profoundly influenced twentieth-century composition, and its logic sparked developments in electronic music and musical computing.
What criticism of serialism does the text present?
It relied too heavily on traditional tonal hierarchy
It systematized only certain musical elements while leaving others unsystematized
It failed to influence any subsequent developments in music
It used fewer than twelve notes in its technique
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. Critics questioned "why systematize only pitch while rhythm and dynamics remained intuitive?"—inconsistent application of systematic logic.
- Evidence: Pitch systematized; rhythm and dynamics intuitive.
- Reasoning: Incomplete systematization seems arbitrary.
- Conclusion: Selectivity in what was systematized was criticized.
Choice A is incorrect because serialism rejected traditional tonality. Choice C is incorrect because it "profoundly influenced" later music. Choice D is incorrect because "twelve-tone technique" uses all twelve notes.