Music 11.4 History of 20th Century Music
MW 3:25-4:40
Room 247 G
Instructor: Andrea La Rose
email: larose1@earthlink.net
class website: http://home.earthlink.net/~larose1/class.html
phone: 718-745-0729
Office Hours: 4:40-6:00 Mondays, and by appointment
Required readings are in the library, as listed in the syllabus. Readings may be added during the course of the semester; I will keep you posted.
This class will be a general survey of Western music of the 20th Century. We will look at the major aesthetic viewpoints (the infamous “-isms”) to compare and contrast them. We will also be listening to 20 works, two from each decade, and discussing them in terms of the aforementioned viewpoints.
There will be twenty quizzes, ten questions each, covering the readings assigned for class. I will post questions on the website; this is what you will need to find out from the readings. Take notes! You may use your notebooks for the quizzes. I am not interested in forcing you to memorize facts. I want you to be able to pick out salient points from your readings. When you find out stuff for yourself (instead having me drone at you), you’ll probably remember it better.
I have made CD’s for you. Please listen to them on a regular basis, because there will be a listening exam at the end of the semester. I am not asking you to love and cherish these works for the rest of your life (okay, so I am, but anyway...); however, in order to come to some appreciation and understanding, you have to spend time getting familiar with them and to be able to recognize them. Most of the scores are available in the library. It would behoove you to do at least one listening while reading along with the score.
For your final project, you will write a 10-20 page paper (not less and, please, not more!) and give a short (15-20 minutes) in-class presentation. You may choose from the ideas below or come up with your own idea. Your proposals (1-2 paragraphs stating your intentions. We’ll discuss this more as the time draws nearer) are due April 1. Presentations will take place between April 24 and May 13. Papers are due May 15. The presentations can either be a general overview of the whole project or an in-depth discussion of one aspect of your project.
Project ideas:
1) Choose a short (under 5 minutes) piece or movement of a piece for your instrument composed after 1950. Perform it in class and discuss the piece: analyze it or relate it to the composer’s compositional views. You may collaborate with classmates on the presentation, in which case the entire presentation would be longer than 15-20 minutes, but each must write an individual paper.
2) Choose a composer not discussed in class (there will be many of them!), discuss his life and works, and discuss one work in particular with regards to his or her aesthetics.
3) Choose a genre, e.g. string quartet, symphony, opera, etc. and discuss its development through the 20th century.
Class participation is not technically part of your grade. Truth is, when it comes to borderline grades (“Do I give him a B or an A-?”), the teacher will remember who participated and raise the grade. As a student, I hate it when the teacher asks a question or tries to get a class discussion going and everyone just sits there with gaping mouths and blank stares. It drives me bananas. So you can imagine that if I don’t like that when I’m being taught, I really dislike it when I’m the one teaching. Leave your shyness at home! Do not be afraid to interrupt me if you do not understand something. Chances are, you’re not the only person who’s lost. If you really can’t bear the possibility of looking like the only stupid person on the planet (which you won’t, but...), then come talk to me after class or send me an email.
*****
20 quizzes = 30%
listening exam = 30%
paper & in-class presentation = 40%
Quizzes are given at the beginning of class. Do not be late!! You are allowed to make up two quizzes if you are absent, no questions asked. If some major emergency comes up, please discuss the situation with me.
A=95-100
A-=90-94
B=85-89
B-=80-84
C=75-79
C-=70-74
D=65-69
D-=60-64
F=0-59
*****
W 30 Jan Introduction. Review of syllabus. “Getting to know you” quiz.
1900
M 4 Feb
Readings: Groves—Debussy, Impressionism; Music in the Western World (MWW)—417-420
Listening: Prélude á l’apres-midi d’un faune (1894)— Claude Debussy (1892-1918)
Score: MM785.1 D289Pm
W 6 Feb
Readings: Groves—Ives; MWW—423-426
Listening: The Unanswered Question (1906) — Charles Ives (1874-1954)
Score: M 785.793 I95U
1910
M 11 Feb
Readings: Groves—Schoenberg, Tonality, Atonality
Listening: “Valse de Chopin,” “Die Nacht,” “Der Mondfleck” from Pierrot Lunaire (1912) — Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)
Score: M784.33 S371P
W 13 Feb
Readings: Groves—Stravinsky, Modernism, Neoclassicism; MWW—438-443, 465-7
Listening: Le Sacre du printemps (1913) — Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971)
Score: M785.1 S91Z SaKa
M 18 Feb NO CLASSES
1920
W 20 Feb
Readings: Groves—Antheil, Futurism; MWW—443-445
Listening: Ballet Mécanique (1926) — George Antheil (1900-1959)
Score: M 785.795 A627B
M 25 Feb
Readings: Groves—Schoenberg, Twelve-note composition; MWW—435-438
Listening: Streichquartett Nr. 3, op. 30 (1927) — Arnold Schönberg
Score: MM 785.741 S371 no.3P
1930
W 27 Feb
Readings: Groves—Bartok, Nationalism; MWW 445-450, 479-480
Listening: Music for Strings, Percussion, & Celesta (1937) — Bela Bartok (1881-1945)
Score: MM 785.1 B292M
M 4 Mar
Readings: Groves—Webern, Serialism; MWW 433-435
Listening: Streichquartett, op. 28 (1938) — Anton von Webern (1883-1945)
Score: MM 785.741 W376 op.28P
1940
W 6 Mar
Readings: Groves—Messiaen
Listening: “Liturgie de cristal,” & “Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes” from Quatuor pour la fin du temps (1941) — Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Score: MM 785.741 M585Q
M 11 Mar
Readings: Groves—Britten
Listening: “Prologue,” “Elegy,” & “Dirge” from Serenade for tenor, horn, and strings, Op. 31 (1942) — Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Score: MM 785.7 B862S
1950
W 13 Mar
Readings: Groves—Cage, Aleatory; MWW 522-525
Listening: Music of Changes (1951) — John Cage (1912-1992)
Score: M 786.4 C131M
M 18 Mar
Readings: Groves—Babbitt, serialism; MWW—507-518, 529-534
Listening: All Set (1957) — Milton Babbitt (b. 1916)
Score: M 785.795 B112A
1960
W 20 Mar
Readings: Groves—Reich, Minimalism
Listening: It’s Gonna Rain (1965) — Steve Reich (b. 1936)
M 1 Apr
Readings: Groves—Davidovsky
Listening: Synchronisms No. 5 (1969) — Mario Davidowsky
Score:
Final Project Proposals are due!!!
1970
3 Apr
Readings: Groves—Crumb, Notation
Listening: The Ancient Voices of Children (1970) — George Crumb (b. 1929)
Score: X M784.33 C956A
8 Apr
Readings: Groves—Rzewski, Postmodernism, Neo-romantic
Listening: The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (1975) — Frederic Rzewski (b. 1938)
Score:
1980
W 10 Apr
Readings: Groves—Rouse
Listening: Iscariot (1984) — Christopher Rouse (b. 1949)
Score:
M 15 Apr
Readings: Groves—Adams, Minimalism
Listening: Nixon in China (1986) — John Adams (b. 1947)
Score:
1990
W 17 Apr
Readings: Groves—Schnittke
Listening: Concerto Grosso Nr. 6 (1993) — Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)
Score:
M 22 Apr
Readings: Groves—Lansky
Listening: Idle Chatter Junior (1999) — Paul Lansky (b. 1944)
W 24 Apr presentation
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M 29 Apr presentation
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W 1 May presentation
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M 6 May presentation
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W 8 May presentation
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M 13 May presentation
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W 15 May presentation
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