Cal Poly SLO - Department of Music - Course Information

Music 432 (Music History IV: Music of the Modern Era) - Winter 2012

 

Professor: Dr. Alyson McLamore                                                                                                                Office Phone: 756-2612

Office:  132 Davidson Music Center                                                                                                                                                                  

Email: amclamor@calpoly.edu                                                                         Web Site: http://cla.calpoly.edu/~amclamor

 

Office Hours: Tues 11-12; Wed 1-3; Thurs 12-1; other times by appointment—just ask!

 

Course Description:  The catalogue tells you that this course spans the 20th century; in actuality, we will start in the late 19th century.  We'll look at western art music from several perspectives: as individual masterworks, as representatives of various composers, as examples of particular styles and forms, as analytic 'problems,' and as artworks derived from changing social milieus.  We'll emphasize the development of skills in talking and writing 'about' music.  The course will include lectures and class discussions, assigned readings, oral presentations, written papers, and periodic examinations.

 

Required Course Materials: 

 

         Books and Scores:  

                  Bonds, Mark Evan. A History of Music in Western Culture. Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010.

                  Bonds, Mark Evan. An Anthology of Scores for A History of Music in Western Culture – Volume Two. Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010.

                  Simms, Bryan R., ed. Music of the Twentieth Century: An Anthology. New York: Schirmer, 1986. 

                  Schoenberg, Arnold. Verklrte Nacht and Pierrot Lunaire. New York: Dover Publications, 1994.

                  Course Reader - available from Dr. McLamore' (cost: $1.50)

                  Supplemental Anthology - available for purchase from www.universityreaders.com/students

                  (from MU 320): Hacker, Diana. A Writer's Reference.  6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007.

        

         Listening Materials:

                  Compact Disks to accompany A History of Music in Western Culture. Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010.

                  Supplemental Listening - recordings will be available for listening via loaner cds from the Music Department         

 

Please bring your scores & reader with you every day, and please do your reading before each class.

 

Prerequisites: Music Research & Writing (MU 320), and Theory II, which was a prerequisite for MU 320.  Music Appreciation is recommended; Music History I, II, and III are strongly advised, as is Music Theory III and IV.  

 

Course Requirements: 

 

I. A Midterm Exam, on February 7 (30%). 

 

II. A Final Exam, on March 13 (30%). 

 

III. A Paper (25%). You will be assigned a piece from one of the anthologies, which will serve as the basis of your paper and your second presentation.  Guidelines are in the Reader. 

 

IV. Two Class Presentations.  One of the presentations will be an 8-minute discussion of a song from Pierrot Lunaire (5%), while the other presentation (based on your term paper) will be a 20-minute introduction to a composer and one of his/her works (10%).  A good handout is expected each time, and your presentations will be graded on content, organization, and delivery.  Please give me a copy of your outline before you begin.  Guidelines are in the Reader. 

 

V. All components of the course must be completed in order to receive a passing grade. Failure to meet presentation due dates will result in failing the course, unless you have met with me beforehand and we have agreed on a valid reason for a deadline extension.

 

VI. Prompt and Regular Attendance is Required.  One absence or tardy will be allowed without penalty.  Each successive absence or tardy (even if "just a minute or two late") will pull your course grade down a third of a letter (e.g., B to B- or C+ to C) unless you can provide clear documentation as to why the absence or tardy was beyond your control. 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                       Course Outline                                                                             Reading

 

 

Week 1      Jan. 3           Tues.              EMI's of the Modern Era; Impressionism                                   Part VI: Prelude, 19

                                                           1881               (Bonds) Liszt – Nuages Gris (3:07)

                                                           1910               (Bonds) Debussy – Prludes, Book I: Voiles (3:54)

 

                         Jan. 5           Thurs.            Impressionism and Onward                                                                                           Chapter 20

                                                           1894               (Bonds) Debussy – Prlude l'aprs-midi d'un faune (10:38)

                                                           1901               (Simms) Ravel – Jeux d'eau  (4:52)

                                                           1908               (Bonds) Debussy – Childrens Corner: Golliwogs Cakewalk (3:09)

                                                           1908               (Simms) Bartk – 14 Bagatelles – No. 1, No. 4 (1:20, 1:05)                                 

 

Week 2      Jan. 10        Tues.              New Compositional Strategies - Library Progress Report Due

                                                           1908               (Simms) Bartk – 14 Bagatelles – No. 8, No. 14 (2:00; 1:55)                              

                                                           1932–39      (Bonds) Bartk – Mikrokosmos, Book 4, No. 101 (1:04)

                                                           1932–39      (Bonds) Bartk – Mikrokosmos, Book 6, No. 148 (1:52)

                                                           1921               (Suppl) Beach – A Hermit Thrush at Morn (3:35)

 

                         Jan. 12        Thurs.            The Austrian (Schoenberg)                                                                                             Chapter 21

                                                           1920-23       (Simms) Schoenberg – 5 Piano Pieces, No. 4 (2:20)

                                                           1923               (Bonds) Schoenberg – Piano Suite, Op. 25: Praeludium (:55)

                                                           1923               (Bonds) Schoenberg – Piano Suite, Op. 25: Menuett (3:53)

                                                           1936               (Simms) Schoenberg – 4th String Quartet (8:50)

 

Week 3      Jan. 17        Tues.              Monday Schedule – no class meeting

 

                         Jan. 19        Thurs.            Serial Synthesis and the Second Viennese School

                                                           1947               (Suppl) Schoenberg – A Survivor from Warsaw (6:05)

                                                           1925               (Bonds) Berg – Wozzeck, Act I, Scene 1 (9:12)

                                                           1928-35       (Simms) Berg – Lulu - excerpt (2:30)

Week 4      Jan. 24        Tues.              Schoenberg Presentations [All materials due from everyone]

                                                           1912               (Dover Score) Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21

 

                         Jan 26         Thurs.            Schoenberg Presentations

                                                           1912               (Dover Score) Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21

 

Week 5     Jan 31         Tues.              The Second Viennese School, cont. - Interim Bibliography Due

                                                           1926               (Bonds) Berg – Lyric Suite (String Quartet), mvt. 3 (3:19)

                                                           1908               (Bonds) Webern – Five Pieces for String Quartet, Op. 5, No. 4 (1:58)

                                                           1941-43       (Simms) Webern – 2nd Cantata, mvt. 5 (3:20)

 

                         Feb. 2          Thurs.            Stravinsky and the Ballet                                                                                                                           

                                                           1910-11       (Simms) Stravinsky – Petrushka, scene 2 (4:00)

                                                           1913               (Bonds) Stravinsky – Rite of Spring, Part I "Adoration of the Earth" (4:38)

 

Week 6      Feb. 7          Tues.              Midterm

 

                         Feb. 9          Thurs.            Stravinsky and Other Neoclassicists - Outline Due                                    Chapter 22

                                                           1930               (Suppl) Stravinsky – Symphony of Psalms, mvt. 2 (6:15)

                                                           1916               (Suppl) Lili Boulanger – Psalm 24 (3:53)

                                                           1936               (Bonds) Bartk – Music for Strings, Percussion & Celeste, 3 (7:45)

                                                           1917               (Bonds) Prokofiev – Classical Symphony, mvt. 3 (1:34)

                                                                                              

Week 7      Feb. 14       Tues.              Prokofiev—and Ives!

                                                           1938               (Bonds) Prokofiev – Alexander Nevsky Arise, People of Russia (2:23)

                                                           1939               (Simms) Prokofiev – Piano Sonata No. 7 - mvt. 3 (3:15)

                                                           1906               (Bonds) Ives – The Cage (:53)

                                                           1908               (Suppl) Ives – Two Contemplations: "The Unanswered Question" (5:35)

 

                         Feb. 16       Thurs.            American Nationalism

                                                           1917               (Bonds) Ives –The Things Our Fathers Loved (1:46)

                                                           1920               (Suppl) Ives – 2nd Piano Sonata "Concord" - mvt. 3 "Alcotts" (4:35)

                                                           1920-21       (Simms) Ives –114 Songs - "Charlie Rutlage" (2:35)

                                                           1942              (Bonds) Copland – Rodeo Hoe-down (3:08)

 

Week 8      Feb. 21       Tues.              Pushing the Envelope - Paper Due                                                                       Chapter 23

                                                           1944               (Bonds) Cage – Our Spring Will Come (4:04)

                                                           1946-8          (Simms) Cage – Sonatas and Interludes, Sonata 5 (1:10)

                                                           1950               (Suppl) Carter – Eight Etudes and a Fantasy for Woodwind Quartet, Etude 7 (:56)

                                                           1955               (Bonds) Le Caine – Dripsody (1:29)

 

                         Feb. 23       Thurs.            Cultural Mixtures & Postmodernism

                                                           1921               (Simms) Milhaud – Saudades do Brasil "Botafogo" (1:45)

                                                           1921               (Bonds) Milhaud – Saudades do Brasil "Ipanema" (1:50)

                                                           1921               (Bonds) Milhaud – Saudades do Brasil "Gavea" (1:28)

                                                           1930/1969 (Suppl) Still – Afro-American Symphony, mvt. 3 (3:25)                                  

 

Week 9      Feb 28        Tues.              Presentations - Music for Piano

                                                           1887               (Simms) Satie – Saraband No. 1 (5:10)

                                                           1925               (Bonds) Cowell – The Banshee (1:40)

                                                           1947               (Bonds) Babbitt – Three Compositions for Piano, No. 1 (1:25)

                                                           1967               (Bonds) Reich – Piano Phase (5:23)

                                                                                     

                         Mar. 1         Thurs.            Presentations - Music for Strings

                                                           1931               (Bonds) Seeger – String Quartet 1931: IV. Finale (2:02)

                                                           1960               (Bonds) Shostakovich – String Quartet No. 8, mvt. 3 (4:26)

                                                           1970               (Simms) Crumb – Black Angels, sects. 6 & 7 (1:20 / 2:40)

                                                           1978               (Simms) Rochberg – Sixth String Quartet, mvt. 3 (8:10)

 

Week 10   Mar. 6         Tues.             Presentations - Music for Various Media

                                                           1951               (Simms) Stockhausen – Kreuzspiel: Intro & sect. 1 (3:05)

                                                           1960               (Bonds) Penderecki – Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (9:55)

                                                           1962               (Bonds) Britten – War Requiem Let us sleep now . . . (6:21)

                                                           1964               (Simms) Berio – Folk Songs - "Black is the color" (2:35)

 

                         Mar. 8         Thurs.            Presentations - Music for Voice

                                                           1988               (Bonds) Prt – Seven Magnificent Antiphons, No. 1 O Weisheit (1:51)

                                                           1969               (Simms) Davies – 8 Songs for a Mad King - excerpt (4:45)    

 

                        

Finals           Mar. 13      Tues.              Final Exam (1:00–4:00 pm)