CompositionBachelor of Music

The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the styles that have emerged in the music of the 20th century. The course will largely concentrate on the main composers of the century and their works. Lecture material will also include some discussion of sociopolitical/economic factors and developments in other art forms to provide a background for the intellectual climate of the period. Weekly listening and reading assignments will be made throughout the course.

This course serves as an introduction to the folk traditions of various societies throughout the world. Some of the music and musical traditions to be discussed include those of Africa, India, Indonesia, China, Japan, South America, Native Americans, African Americans, the folk music of Eastern Europe, as well as jazz and the influence of ethnic music on 20th-century classical music. Lectures will concentrate on placing these various types of music in their proper social context with an emphasis on understanding the different ways that music can function. Musical examples also will be analyzed in purely musical terms. Regular listening and reading assignments will be made throughout the course. A term paper and in-class report are required.

This course commences with the pre-Classical age, and will traverse the 18th and 19th centuries, concluding with the contributions of the late Romantics. Emphasis will be placed on the Enlightenment and its effect on musical style; the new forms & genres of the Classical Period; Beethoven and his powerful influence; the piano music, lieder, and the new orchestral forms & genres of the Romantics; the effect of nationalism; and the changes in musical language that can be found in Wagner’s operas and the music of his followers.