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Twelve-Tone Composition

Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
Twelve-Tone Composition

In the early 1960s, composer Vaclav Nelhybel recorded a series of music education albums for Scholastic Records. William Geib narrates a lecture prepared by Nelhybel demonstrating twelve-tone composition, sometimes called dodecaphony (from the Greek dodeka: twelve and phon: sound or voice), which emerged in the early 20th century as new or progressive music. This recording breaks down the complexity of the music into sixteen segments complete with music examples performed by a woodwind quartet. Detailed liner notes including musical notation illustrating different concepts accompany the recording.

*Content Advisory: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings holds a large volume of sound recordings, some of which were recorded almost a century ago. Preferred terminology has changed throughout the history of our catalog’s existence. Track 205 reflects wording that was preferred at the time, though it may be used pejoratively today.
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Track Listing

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101
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
06:47
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102
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
04:24
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103
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
01:32
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104
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
03:30
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105
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
05:49
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106
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
01:04
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107
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
02:05
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108
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
02:41
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201
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
05:33
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202
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
03:06
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203
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
05:10
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204
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
01:37
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205
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
04:54
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206
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
00:59
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207
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
04:58
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208
Vaclav Nelhybel, William Geib
01:27