305B Comprehensive Musicianship
Spring 2014
Prof. Brent DUTT0N
Office 236 Tele. 594-4760
<dutton@mail.sdsu.edu>
Office hours Mon. 1pm, Wed. 1pm, Fri. 1 pm
WEEK
1. Jan. 22 no class this week (read Kostka Chap. 1 & 7)
2. Jan. 27 Twilight of the Tonal System; form in the 20th century Kostka Chap. 1 & 7
3. Feb. 3 The vertical dimension
Kostka Chap. 3
4. Feb. 10 The horizontal dimension
Kostka Chap. 2,4 &8
5. Feb. 17 Harmonic progression and tonal centricity
Kostka Chap. 5
6. Feb. 24 The emancipation of rhythm
Kostka Chap. 6
7. Mar. 3 Nonserial atonality, pitch class sets , vector analysis et al
Kostka Chap. 9
8 Mar.10 Monday/Wednesday Project 1 in class, Friday Midterm exam
9. Mar. 17 Continuing
10. Mar. 24. Continuing
11 Mar. 31
SPRING BREAK
12. Apr. 7 Introduction to 12 tone music Kostka Chap.10
1
13. Apr. 14 Masterworks of Serialism
Kostka Chap. 13
14. Apr. 21 Continuing- Minimalism and neo-tonality Kostka Chap. 15
15. Apr. 28 Timbre/texture/aleatory Kostka Chap.11,12 &14
16. May 5 Project #2 Due for performance in class on Monday and
Wednesday
Final Exam TBA
Grading policy
Class participation , attendance, homework
Project #1
Midterm exam
Project #2
Final exam
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
Project Descriptions
Project #1: Analysis of a 20th century work.
Please get the Professor’s approval for the work to be analyzed. Score should be photocopied and annotated with your analysis. In addition, a prose description should
summarize your analysis and include a brief background sketch of the composer and
where the work chosen fits into his/her catalogue. The paper will be typed. Each student
will make an oral presentation of their analysis in class during week 8.
Project # 2 Composition of a 12 tone /pitch class set derived piece.
This will be scored for two or more instruments from the class or open ended if using the
playback option only. The score and parts will be done in ink or laser printed using
acceptable professional software. The composition will be an original work that is
formally open ended but that seeks to use the dodecaphonic/pitch derivative skills learned
in class. The work will be performed in class if possible but a disc of the work must be
supplied for play back in class.
The composition should be between three and five minutes in length.
2
A Summary of the Course Description
This course will provide an in depth theoretical study of the music of the 20th century up
to the present time. This will be achieved through the aural, analytical and compositional
study of the literature.
Students will acquire fluency in the harmonic, rhythmic, sonic, melodic and structural
aspects of the literature. This fluency will be demonstrated by exemplars of student
compositions (for class performance when possible) in the styles being studied as well as
written analysis of appropriate compositions (also presented to the class as a whole).
Required texts
Charles Burkhart & William Rothstein Anthology for Musical Analysis : Schirmer 2007
Stefan Kostka Materials and Techniques of Twentieth Century Music 4th edition 2012:
Prentice Hall 2012
The Harvard Dictionary of Music : Belknap Press
Heussenstamm Norton Manual of Music Notation : Norton Press
3