Philosophically, impressionism aimed to convey the emotional impact of an event, place, or thing, rather than an accurate portrayal of the thing itself.
Technically, the impressionists invented or began using a great number of new compositional techniques: Multi-modality, planing, extended tertian harmonies, and intentionally ambiguous [musical forms]?. Also, a sharp focus on [tone color]? led to many new orchestrational advances.
Major impressionist composers include: