"Serialism, as practiced by the big three, represented in part a rejection of harmonic variation and a renewed focus on counterpoint instead of harmony" This i

"Serialism, as practiced by the big three, represented in part a rejection of harmonic variation and a renewed focus on counterpoint instead of harmony" This is true, specially in Webern's compositions. The canonical (pun intended) example is Webern's Symphony op. 21, which is a four voice cannon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKD_tZr-ZpY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKD_tZr-ZpY Webern was greatly influenced by Renaissance composers such as Heinrich Isaac: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqpXLTJDsWg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqpXLTJDsWg On the other hand, Schoenberg and specifically Berg have a more harmonic approach to their compositions as we can see in Berg's violin concerto: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSSHwFEn_8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSSHwFEn_8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_(Berg) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_(Berg)