MUS 255 Music History  Spring 2007

M W F 11:00-11:50 a.m. Music Bldg. Room 103
Dr. Christopher Nigrelli
Phone ext 7150.  Email: nigrellic@lrc.edu
Office Hours: By appt.

Texts:

Required- Burkholder, J. Peter.  A History of Western Music, 7th edition. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton and Co., 2006.

Required- Norton Anthology of Western Music, Volume 2.  ed. J. Peter Burkholder, 5th edition. New York , N.Y: W.W. Norton and Co., 2006.

Suggested-Burkholder, J. Peter.  Study and Listening Guide to Grout/Palisca and NAWM. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton and Co., 2006.

Suggested-Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music.  Volume 2. New York , N.Y: W.W. Norton and Co., 2006. 

Course Description:  Music 255.  A historical survey of music history and literature from the beginning of civilization to the present time.

Course Objectives:  
This course fulfills the following 2002 NC State Competencies for music education majors:  

STANDARD 2. Music teachers possess comprehensive knowledge of music history and music literature.  

            Indicator 1: Music teachers have knowledge of literature, performance styles, and genres representative of Western history.  

Many other NC State Competencies will be addressed in part.

In addition, you will:

1) develop a thorough understanding, both aurally and visually, of the stylistic periods of Western music.

2) be able to describe stylistic features of all musical genres in each of the stylistic periods of Western music, as well as the evolution of the genres between stylistic periods.

5) place music in its proper historical context, through study of musical, social, political, and technological influences.

6) study important composers and survey landmark musical examples that are representative of stylistic periods.

Teaching Methodology

Lecture and discussion, with emphasis on the aural and visual analysis of music.

Course Requirements:

1)      Attendance and participation.

2)      Keep up with reading and listening assignments.

3)      Submit assignments on time.  Late assignments will not be accepted.

Assignments

Written assignments will ask you to synthesize material gathered from A History of Western Music.  Other written assignments will include analysis of aural music selections, biographical and source readings from the period of study.  There will be two listening tests, asking you to recognize stylistic traits of aural selections.  There will be three tests and a comprehensive written final exam.  There will also be one written term paper.  A term paper must be completed for a passing grade in the course.  

Method of Evaluation:

1)  Chapter assignments   10%
2)  Listening Tests (2)      10%
3)  Tests (3)                      45%
4)  Final Exam                  15%
5)  Term Paper                  20%

Attendance

Please see the Lenoir-Rhyne General College catalog for information about attendance.  

·        Chapter assignments will focus your study so you can decide what is the most important information in the texts, as well as help organize the information for you.

·        Listening tests are "drop the needle" style.  All items are drawn from the Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music, and/or occasional selections on listening reserve.  You will receive a list for the midterm listening test and the final listening test.  You will be asked instrumentation, genre, date within fifty years, composer and title for each example.

·        Tests will include any combination of short answer, fill in the blank, multiple choice, matching, musical score examples, and essays. 

·        Term paper will be 8 to 10 double spaced, typed pages involving one of the following:

1--A discussion of a 20^th Century “school of composition.”  For example:  Impressionism, Expressionism, Minimalism, Neoclassicism, Dadaism, Electronic music, etc.  You will thoroughly define the musical style of your chosen compositional “school of thought” and use specific musical examples to illustrate your point. Or,

2—A stylistic summary of a particular composer.  If you are particularly interested in the works of a specific 20^th century composer, plan on listening to many of their works, and develop a description of what makes their music unique.  I will approve all topics, please discuss your ideas with me at an early date. 
*Please observe deadlines for the term paper “definitions” assignment, bibliography, thesis statement, and the rough draft.  These assignments are required, and the term paper will not be accepted if you do not submit these two assignments on time. 

Tentative Schedule:  
January 11                               Georg Frederic Handel, term paper musings
January 13 and 16                    No Class (Group Assignments will be made)                         
January 18-23                          Sonata, Symphony, and Opera in the Early Classic Period
January 25-230                       The Late Eighteenth Century: Haydn and Mozart  
January 27                              “Term Paper Definitions” Due  
February 1-6                            Ludwig van Beethoven  
February 6                             Test 1  
February 8-13                          Romanticism and Nineteenth-Century Orchestral Music  
February 15-20                         Solo, Chamber, and Vocal Music in the Nineteenth Century  
February 17                            Term Paper Bibliography Due  
February 22-March 1               Opera and Music Drama in the Nineteenth Century  
March 1                                  Listening Test 1  
March 3                                   No Class (Choir Tour)  
March 4-11                              Spring Break (Choir Tour)  
March 13-20                            European Music from the 1870s to World War I  
March 20                                Test 2  
March 24 (Friday)                Term Paper Rough Draft Due  
March 27-April 7                     Atonality, Serialism, and Recent Developments Europe  
April 10-19                              The European Mainstream in the Twentieth Century  
Monday, April 10, 5:00 p.m. Term Papers Due  
April 19-26                              The American Twentieth Century  
April 14-17                              No Classes (Easter Holiday )  
April 28-May1                         The 21^st Century  
May 3                                     Final Listening Test/Review  
May 5                                      Review  
May 8-10                                Final Exam Period (Mu255 final exam time TBA)