Office Phone # 925-3977 knupp@mc.edu
Texts:
Form in Tonal Music, 2nd ed. Douglass M. Green. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1979.
Anthology for Musical Analysis by Charles Burkhart, 6th.Thomson/Schirmer
Prerequisites : Completion of Music 202 and 206; transfer students must pass a
Diagnostic/Advanced Standing theory test or pass Music 202 with a “C” average.
Description : A detailed study of the forms used by composers, primarily from the
Baroque to the present day.
Rationale : The ability to analyze music is one of the most important skills a musician can develop. Interpretation of musical symbols, structure and language is required every time a performer or teacher works with a musical composition. Skills learned in this class enable the student to begin to view the role and importance of the different musical elements in the shaping of an interpretation. The basic idea behind teaching such a course is that the more the student understands the way in which a musical work is put together, the more insight he will bring to his interpretation of that work.
Objectives : 1. To become familiar with the various standard musical forms and the elements that shape each.
2. To develop the ability to break down a musical composition into its various sections and see the inter-relationships in those sections.
3. To develop the skill of identifying both visually and aurally the tonal areas in a musical work.
4. To apply the insights gained through analysis to the problem of developing an interpretation of a musical work.
5. To become increasingly aware of the importance of repetition and variation as fundamental elements in the language of music and the role these elements play in shaping a musical work.
6. To become increasingly aware of the role of tension - release in a work, how it shapes a work, and the means by which those feelings are generated.
7. The principal outcome of this course should be an increased awareness of the elements of musical form and how they are important in developing an interpretation of that musical work.
Academic Integrity : While students can study together, plagiarism and turning in work not one’s own will not be tolerated and will be given no (zero) credit. The student should read the school policy on honesty in the catalog and the policy stated in the latest issue of the Tomahawk. An example of plagiarism/cheating in this class would be copying verbatim material from other sources and including it in a term paper without giving proper credit to the original author.
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Methods of Instruction : class lecture, reading material from textbook, analysis assignments, listening assignments, outside reading assignments. The student may be asked to participate in a group report given to the class. One analysis paper will be required.
Required Practices.
Reading assignments in textbook and other sources, listening assignments, writing assignments. Group oral presentations may also be required.
Other information : Missed tests cannot be made up, except under family death or hospital stay. Sinus infections are not serious, unless it requires a hospital stay. If you’re healthy enough to be in Singers rehearsal, you are healthy enough to be here.
Each absence over three counts one point against the final average. Any student accumulating 12 absences receives the grade of “F.”
1. Each assignment, test, quiz, other projects are graded
2. Each assignment counts; no grade will be dropped.
3. Incomplete and late homework assignments will receive zero points.
93-100% = A
84-92% = B
75-83% = C
66-74% = D
Below 66% = F
You are solely responsible for tracking your own grade
Days we do not meet:
September 6-Labor Day
October 4-Fall Break
October 27-Fall Singers Tour
November 12-NATS
November 19-Music Department Discovery Day-you may be required to volunteer.
November 24 and 26-Thanksgiving Break
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1st week 8/26 Music as language; limitations and possibilities; musical gestures
8/28 Aspects of tensions and release; forms vs. “Form;” relationship of analysis a class to performance. Read chapters 1-4 in FTM Last day to add
2nd week 8/31 Continue class discussion on tension /release amd motivic development
9/2 Discuss motive development: read in text about motives, phrases, phrase
Groups. Brahms Symphony #2, mvt. 4 – motivic usage
9/4 AMA: pp. 92, 94, 311-316, 332-338 Locate phrase endings and identify cadence types.
3rd week 9/7 Labor Day Holiday
9/9 Beethoven, op. 14, #1 – motive development, phrasing, cadences
9/11 Read chapter 5 in FTM; discussion of periodic structure; AMA, pp.
249-250, 175-177(mm. 1-58), 312-313, pp. 311-315
4 th week 9/14 Read Chapter 6, FTM:
Table of small forms, FTM, p. 93
Chopin Mazurka, selected example
Chopin, Prelude, #4, #20
9/16 Test on periodic structure, binary movements :- music to be assigned
9/18 Ternary movements: 367-369
5th week 9/21 chapter 8, compound ternary forms AMA, pp. 143, 261-262,
Assign music for test
9/23 TEST , Chapters 1-6, 8: Reading essays due
9/25 chapter 9, rondo; AMA, pp. 140-142, 240-242
6th week 9/28 AMA, pp. 184-189 - sonata rondo; see chapter 12 for discussion.
9/30 Chapter 10; binary dance movements; characteristics of suite movements
10/2 chapter 11; sonata movements; early expansion of binary form
Scarlatti, Sonata, D major, K. 96 (AMA, pp. 130-134)
7th week 10/5 Fall Break
10/7 Haydn, Sonata, piano, Hob XVI/36, c# minor, mvt.1, pp. 136-139
In this work, look for characteristics of SMSF(stable vs. unstable key areas, development of motives, re-appearance of material from earlier sections, evidence of expansion of binary forms, long-term tension and release related to tonality.)
10/9 Mozart, pp. 175-181
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8th week 10/12 Brahms, Sonata, op. 120, #1, 1 st mvt. AMA, pp. 373-382
10/14 Analysis Test
– Beethoven, Quartet, e minor, op. 59, #2, 1 st movement
9 th week
10/16 Review Test Materials
10/19 chapter 13, Concerto; ritornello principle
Baroque examples of use in solo keyboard works, vocal works
10/21 Mozart, Concerto , K.622, 1st movement; AMA, pp. 201-218 double exposition , tonal differences in exp I and exp II, differences in tutti and solo themes, application of SMSF to concerto, difference in exp and recapitulation. Try to chart the tonal direction of the development section.
10/23 20th cent. approaches to concerto form: Barber, Violin Concerto ,
1st mvt.
10th week 10/26 Test, chapters 9-13 – Reading Essays due
10/28 Choir Tour
– no class
10/30 Chapter 7 – Continuous Variations; characteristics
11 th week 11/2 chapter 7; theme and variations Bach, Chaconne, AMA, pp. 95-
100
In the following, be prepared to discuss how the composer changes the musical elements to shape the work. Are there “rhythmic crescendos” present? If so, what is their purpose? How does increasing or decreasing complexity work to shape a piece? Show examples. Show elements which keep the work from becoming too sectionalized and elements which are retained or altered in each variation.
11/4 Contemporary approaches to ground bass technique:
Lutoslawski, Concerto for Orchestra , finale, Britten, Serenade , op. 31, “Dirge”
11/6 Sectional variations, Mozart, K. 284, 3 rd mvt. AMA, pp. 165-174
12 th week 11/9 Discussion of selected theme. Each class member will be assigned a variation from a work and will turn in an essay dealing with the elements which are changed and the elements which are retained. Essay will be no more than two typed pages and is due _____. A sheet of musical examples can also be added if desired. This is a test grade and late essays are not accepted.
11/11 Chapter 14; basics of fugue terminology and style
11/13 fugue – AMA, pp. 106-119
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13 th week 11/16 fugue - AMA, pp. 106-119
11/18 complete discussion of fugue
11/20 Test, fugue analysis
14 th week 11/23 New approaches to form - discontinuity
11/25 – 11/29 Thanksgiving Holidayss
15 th week 11/30 Tippett, Piano Sonata #2
Variations essay due
12/2 Stravinsky, Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Score/CD on reserve in LRC
12/4 Messiaen, Quatuor pour la fin du temps , AMA, pp. 502-508
Discuss isorhythmic elements, free elements; how is tensionrelease achieved ?
Final reading list essays due
16 th week 12/7 Two approaches to mirror writing: Webern,Variations for Piano, op.
27, mvt. 2, AMA, pp. 485-486 and Tippett, piano Sonata #3, last movement
12/9 Newer strategies for form/structure: Available Forms (Earle Brown); process music - In C (Terry Riley)
Final Exam ______________ Comprehensive test, but emphasis will be over material covered since last test. Will include listening not covered in previous tests.
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