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At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Define and explain the basic elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, musical form,
texture, etc.
2. Define and explain the sound properties of various musical instruments and ensembles.
3. Compare and contrast the differences in artistic style and culture of the Medieval,
Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras in relation to politics,
religion, and economics.
4. Identify the prominent composers of each stylistic period and explain their historical
importance.
5. Identify musical compositions from the various historical eras by listening.
6. Explain how musical styles and techniques relate to both the biographical details of the
composers and their compositions.
7. Explain how the dynamic interactions of Western and non-Western musical traditions have
transformed the development of Western music.
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I. The Elements of Music
A. Melody: phrase, cadence, and range
B. Rhythm: meter, measures, metrical patterns, and syncopation
C. Harmony: chords, cadences, consonance vs. dissonance
D. Texture: monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic, and homorhythmic
E. Expression: tempo and dynamics
II. Musical Instruments and Ensembles
A. Musical timbre and the voice
B. The sound properties of string, woodwind, brass, percussion,
keyboard, and electronic instruments
C. Musical ensembles: choral groups, chamber, orchestral, and
others
D. Style and the function of music in society
(For each historical era, discussion will focus on the social and
economic conditions of that era, political and religious movements, the
interactions of Western and non-Western cultures and musical traditions,
and how all of these factors shaped the works of the prominent composers
of that era.)
III. The Medieval and Renaissance Eras (c. 1000 - 1600)
A. Sacred and secular music of the Middle Ages
B. Sacred and secular music of the Renaissance
C. Major composers (von Bingen, Machaut, Josquin, Palestrina, et al.)
IV. The Baroque Era (1600 - 1750)
A. The development of the major/minor system
B. Vocal music in the Baroque era - the development of Opera
C. Instrumental music in the Baroque era
D. Major composers (Handel, J. S. Bach, et al.)
V. The Classical Era (1750 - 1825)
A. The "Age of Enlightenment"
B. Artists and the patronage system
C. Chamber music
D. The classical symphony, concerto, and sonata
E. Choral music and opera
F. Major composers (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, et al.)
VI. The Romantic Era (1825 - 1900)
A. Art song (Schubert, R. Schumann, et al.)
B. The 19th Century piano piece (Chopin, Liszt, C. Schumann, et al.)
C. Romantic program music, symphony, and concerto (Berlioz, Brahms,
et al.)
D. The rise of nationalism in the arts (Smetana, Dvorak, et al.)
E. Choral and dramatic music in the 19th Century (Verdi, Wagner,
et al.)
VII. The Modern Era (1900 - present)
A. The Post-Romantic Era (Mahler, et al.)
B. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism (Debussy, Ravel, et al.)
C. Expressionism and Neoclassicism
D. New elements of musical style:
1. Atonality and serialism (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, et al.)
2. Expanded tonality (Stravinsky, Bartok, et al.)
3. Aleatory (John Cage, et al.)
4. Electronic Music (Stockhausen, Varese, et al.)
E. Ragtime, blues, and jazz (Joplin, Still, Ellington, et al.)
F. The influence of rock and "world music"
G. The New Romanticism (Barber, del Tredici, Tower, et al.)
H. Minimalism and Post-Minimalism (Glass, Riley, Part, Adams,
et al.)