Looking first at the goals of the course; delving into the history of musical notation as it gives rise to composed music; taking account of the upheavals, political and social catastrophes, and paradigm shifts that affect 20th-century music.

Historical and social factors that influence 20th-century composers' abandonment of tradition and obsession with originality; the influence of 19th-century German art on the French; a new French nationalism in music; a look at Claude Debussy.

Investigating the qualities of Debussy's music; how "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" begins musical modernism; the compositional innovations in "Prelude No. 10"; how his impact on 20th-century music mirrors Beethoven's in the 19th century.

Tracing the early life of Stravinsky; the environment in which he grew to maturity; his musical education and influences; Stravinsky's relationship with Sergei Diaghilev; their partnership in two ballets; the musical originality of those works.

The premiere of "The Rite of Spring"; examining the qualities that make it an influential musical work of the 20th century; Stravinsky evokes ancient pagan rituals through daring compositional techniques; the Rite changes the way composers think.

Schoenberg is misunderstood as a composer; he is one of the greatest influences on 20th-century music; the enormous enmity and dissent that greet his compositions; tracing his early life and music, his vision as a composer and his achievements.