MUSI 4301: Music History I Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 9:00-9:50 a.m.
JGMB 136Fall 2016
Dr. Virginia Lile Boaz, ProfessorOffice: Jenna Guest 104, ext. 2165; Cell: (903) 407-8998
Email: [email protected]
Catalog Description: Music History is a review of general history with a more in-depth study of the history of music from Antiquity through the Baroque period. Styles, composers, and their compositions will be featured. Prerequisite: Instructor’s consent or declared music major or minor, and MUSI 3213.
I. Student Learning Outcomes
At the end of the semester, students will be able:to recognize the development of music from antiquity to the Baroque period, as it intersects with politics, government, science, art, literature and other important areas.to distinguish the lives and motivations of various composers, as well as discover how this information applies to our modern performances.to classify various genres which developed during these periods and illustrate how they developed out of or influenced one another.to acquire listening skills in order to be able to recognize by sight and sound the music of particular eras.to demonstrate research and writing skills and creativity through assigned research projects and exams.
II. Course ExpectationsYou are responsible for the assigned readings in Ideas and Styles in the Western Musical Tradition. The topics and assignments for each class day are listed in the course schedule. You are expected to complete the assigned reading and listening prior to the lecture or section devoted to each topic. Lectures will not simply repeat what is said in the texts, but will supplement and reinforce the material. Examinations will cover material from both the text and the lectures.
You should plan to spend a significant amount of time each week reading the texts, listening to the music, and reviewing. Keep up with the assignments, and do not wait to cram for the exams. You are advised to listen to each assigned piece several times, both when we first consider it and again when preparing for the exams. The better you know these pieces,
the easier it will be to identify and discuss them on exams, to identify and discuss similar works we have not studied, and to write essays in which the pieces serve as examples for broader issues.
All of these skills will be practiced in classroom discussion and tested on the examinations, which will include listening, identification of important terms, names, and concepts, and essays. Guidelines and review guides for the examinations are available on Blackboard. Please look at them early and often. In addition, over the course of the semester, you will undertake research projects on different types of topics in the history of music in Europe or the European colonies before 1750. Completion of the research projects will show that you can use the skills acquired in this class and in your previous training as a musician and scholar to research subject areas and confront a specific issue in different ways. The projects are designed to help you to gradually improve your research and writing skills in this discipline so that it is not such a frightening prospect.
My Office Hours are posted outside my office (JGMB 104); they are MWF 8-8:50; 11-11:50; M 1-2:50; T 9-9:50; and TR 12-12:50. I am glad to work around your schedules, as well. I encourage you to keep the lines of communication open with me; I am here to help you in this course, not just to evaluate you. If you have questions or are struggling with any aspect, please talk to me and we will schedule a time to visit.
III. Assessments
A. Active Participation and Preparedness in Class- (5%)Ability to express clearly and accurately in oral conversation ideas about music and how they are manifested in musical works is essential to the active and successful musician. You are expected to demonstrate your ability to discuss music intelligently and with appropriate technical vocabulary at each class session based on your reading and listening assignments.
Note to Students: In this class, we will return frequently to the question of how various musical works make you feel—what affective responses they evoke in you (and me). I make no effort to hide the fact that I want you to like this music as much as I do. (Note, though, that you don’t ultimately have to like any of the music to do well in this class! And conversely, loving it immensely is no guarantee of a good grade.) As we listen to each of the pieces on this syllabus, we will strive to answer these four questions, though not necessarily immediately or all at once:
1. What, if any, feelings or emotions does this work evoke in you? Although there is almost always a group consensus, there is genuinely no right or wrong answer to this question. Sometimes your responses to this question will be the subject of in-class discussion; at other times, I will ask you to write out a response to turn in to me alone. Assignments in which you respond to this question will not be graded based on whether you’ve experienced the “right” emotional state, but rather on the clarity with which you articulate that emotion.
2. What information helps you to better place this work in a broader context? What would
you need to know about the composer, the era, etc., in order to make you the best possible audience for this work? (We will call this “what awaits” because it typically is not present in the music itself but must be sought out in other sources.)
3. What is happening in the music? That is, how would one describe this work using the technical vocabulary of musicology and music theory? Put another way, what is the “backstage machinery”? (We will call this “what hides” because it typically becomes apparent only through close analysis after listening closely several times and studying the score.)
4. How, if at all, does your knowledge of “what awaits” and “what hides” change your emotional response to the music?
B. Quizzes- (15%) Online quizzes will be given covering both reading/listening assignments. The quizzes will be completed prior to class (check daily to see if you have one) and may be taken up to three times for an improved grade.
C. Tests- (40%) regular exams will be given during the semester over course materials. Exams will be a balance of both objective and subjective evaluation.
D. Final Exam- (15%) a comprehensive final exam will assess the student’s ability to synthesize the major genres, trends, composers/personalities and ideologies of each age. In addition, the listening portion will test the student’s ability to identify unfamiliar works by period, texture, genre and possible composer.
E. Research Projects- (25%) Well-educated musicians must be able to express ideas and observations about music in clear and accurate prose and to construct well-organized and convincing critical synthesis of their ideas. Research essays or a term paper offer you the opportunity to engage in independent reading and music study and to develop original perspectives and ideas in prose. Each student will prepare research projects on approved topics.
The projects should conform to the writing style of The Manual of Style by Turabian. (See optional textbooks for further helps.) The projects should demonstrate the student’s ability to do scholarly research, citation and writing in the student’s major subject. Student papers lacking proper citation of sources (i.e., plagiarism) will be given an automatic failing grade (69 or below). All final projects will be submitted via Turnitin via Blackboard and in hard-copy formats.
The projects you will cover this semester include:1. Writing Assignment on Entertainment and High Art (due August 29)-(2.5%)
Please think about and sketch answers to the following questions. Implied with each question is why/why not? A simple yes or no will not cut it.
a. Can something that is accessible or that “goes down easy” be considered “high art?”b. Can something that is produced for money, marketed, and sold for
profit be considered “high art?”c. Can something that is entertaining be “high art?”d. Can something that is merely entertaining be “high art?”e. What do we mean by “high art” anyway?
Once you have formulated your thoughts, use these questions and your answers to them as the launch-pad for a short essay on the situation of “high art” (however you define it) in our contemporary culture. This is a personal reflection essay, not a research paper. As such, your essay should contain your own thoughts, opinions, and definitions. I’m not particularly interested in what Webster, Grove or Wikipedia might have to say on these matters.
Length: As long as it takes, but aim for 3 double-spaced pages.
2. Annotated Bibliography (due September 16)-(5%)a. Students will prepare an annotated bibliography on his/her approved
topic. The bibliography should have at least fifteen items, located through Jarrett Library’s Boole search tools (i.e., RILM, OCLC, JSTOR, EBSCO). Format the bibliography according the sample bibliography provided on Blackboard (do not used the author-date system), and order items alphabetically by author surname in each category. Sources should be organized according to type, such as (but not limited to):
i. Booksii. Journalsiii. Referenceiv. Discographyv. Videosvi. Program Notesvii. Interviews
b. The professor will be evaluating primarily clarity, accuracy, and organization of the students' annotations and accuracy of formatting.
3. Critical Review (due October 14)-(5%)a. Students will write a critical review of:
i. A live or recorded performance of an opera, an orchestral/chamber concert, a professional musical theatre production, or a classical soloist (vocal, instrumental or piano) recital. If a live performance, students must present printed program with their review.ii. A musicological journal article from his/her annotated bibliography.
Your review should cover the following:
1. What is the author’s main argument or thesis?2. What evidence does the author use to support this argument?3. Do you find the argument convincing?
Your essay should be between 1400-1500 words long. Please use a serif 12-point font (Times New Roman, Garamond, Arial, etc.) and use either 1.5 or double spacing. Please proofread carefully for style, organization and grammar. If you refer to the work of another author you must reference it properly, using footnotes in the body of your essay and a Bibliography at the end of your essay. Please follow Turabian style, not “author-date” style. Please include a cover page.
4. Research Project (due November 28)-(12.5%)*PROPER DOCUMENTATION AND CITATION ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL PROJECTS. Turabian-format (you may choose footnote or endnote, depending on what works best for your project) is a non-negotiable.
Students will have the option of choosing from several research projects:
a. Research PaperA Research Paper (8-10 pages double-spaced) related to his/her topic. Your goal in your final paper is to argue or prove a point of fact that relates to your first two essays. The professor will also be evaluating the student’s ability to assimilate research materials and his/her own observations.
b. Historical Performance ProjectWhen performers, stage directors or conductors want to create historically informed performances, they are responsible for researching every detail, from staging, rehearsals, costumes, stage movement, conducting styles, and of course, the actual performance practice of the music. The general topic of historically informed performance is very broad and would have relevance for students, but a better option would be to focus the research on one particular musical work, and then to further focus on one aspect of historical performance, such as musical gesture, ornamentation, stage movement (great for theatre majors), conducting styles/rehearsal practices, personnel issues (size of groups, types of voices/instruments historically employed, etc.).
If you choose this option, you may present your findings in a traditional research paper, or you may choose to write extended program notes, focusing not on the traditional history of composition/background, but on the history of the particular aspect you researched. Audio and video components are welcome.
c. Website ProjectStudents who choose this option will create a multi-media website about his/her historical topic, in lieu of traditional final research papers. Although the website format tends to be more informational than critical or interpretive, the student is able to approach topics creatively. A good example would be the history of a little known instrument, performer, or an obscure stage work or oratorio. Choose a topic that has relevance for you as a musician. Again, though mostly informational, a website project allows for the writing to be supplemented by many additional illustrations, as well as audio and video files to bring the information to life. Separating the topic into
individual pages organizes the material and will make it easier to follow. Make historical connections and comparisons. For instance, if you choose an instrument, compare historical versus modern usage (if any), supplemented by video of the instrument used in traditional, experimental and popular pieces, if possible.
Again, though mostly informational, the website must be written in clear, correct and musically accurate prose-you are not presenting a PowerPoint project with bullets.
d. Lesson Plan ProjectThis project combines traditional research with a related 7-day lesson plan. Students who choose this option will design a lesson-plan to include:
i. Target audienceii. Course or classiii. Lesson Objectivesiv. Methodology/Assessmentsv. Activities (ideally at least one for each day)
Objectives must be measurable and activities must be outlined carefully with any handouts, visuals, audio, etc. included with your documents, preferably in appendices. An accompanying short research essay must be included that backs up your what you plan to “teach” your students.
e. Program Notes and Recital/Concert ProjectStudents who choose this option will create traditional sets of historical program notes accompanied by recordings (either student or professional) for their final projects. This project is two-fold: it requires the student to create a program of recital or concert music, and to then research each work to provide informative and historically-based program notes. A DVD/CD should accompany the project and should show intelligent, musical decisions in choosing the particular performer/s. You may choose more than one performance and discuss why you chose them and what you like about each.
Your research project will be evaluated on the following criteria: 1. Creativity:
Is the student addressing a new question, or an old question in a new way?
Does the student articulate a clear rationale for his/her project and situate it within what has already been done?
2. Content: Does the student cover in detail the aspects crucial to the topic? Does the student include only what is relevant? Are the student’s facts straight, well-argued, and accurate? Does the student use appropriate and effective methodologies? If there is a multi-media component, how does it relate to, inform, and/or
embody the ideas expressed in the written work? Does the student use and reference the best possible sources?
3. Style and Organization: Does the student write or perform with nuance, class, and flair? Is there a clear and logical structure to the writing, performance or
creation?4. Quality:
Is the final project pleasing to the ear/eye (this includes the layout and format of a paper, website, program or performance)?
Writing Mechanics: is the syntax correct? Are word choices, punctuation, grammar, etc., the best possible?
E. Course Grading is based on the following scale:
A 90% or aboveB 80-89%C 70-79%D 60-69%F 59% or below
IV. Course PoliciesA. AttendanceEast Texas Baptist University is committed to the policy that regular and punctual attendance is essential to successful scholastic achievement. Attendance at all meetings of the course for which a student is registered is expected. To be eligible to earn credit in a course, the student must attend at least 75 percent of all class meetings. For additional information, please refer to page 30 of the 2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog.
Students who exceed the absence limit in a course before the official withdrawal date will have the opportunity to withdraw from the class. Students in this situation who do not choose to withdraw on or before the official withdrawal date or who exceed the absence limit in a course after the official withdrawal date will receive a grade of XF.
In class students have opportunities that are not duplicated elsewhere to interact with music, with each other, and with the instructor. Therefore, I expect you to come to class regularly and on time. It is my experience that students who frequently miss class do poorly or fail.
Any day you are late or absent, please get class notes from one or more classmates. You are responsible for knowing the content of every class, including announcements and assignments. I cannot take responsibility for filling you in on what you missed. B. Course WithdrawalA student may withdraw from a course or courses or from the University beginning with the first day through 75 percent of the semester without academic penalty. The final day to withdraw from this course is Friday, November 11.
To withdraw from a course or courses or from the University the student must secure a withdrawal form from the Registrar’s Office, his/her advisor, or from the ETBU website, and follow the directions on the form, securing all required signatures.
Students must process their own withdrawals. For additional information, please refer to page 29 of the 2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog.
C. Make-Up Work1. There is no make-up for quizzes. Though you are allowed to retake the
online quizzes, if you do not take the initial quiz by its due date, the first attempt can have no higher grade than a 90 (A-). The lowest two quizzes will be dropped.
2. If you need to have a make-up exam, it is your responsibility to schedule it with the instructor at least a week in advance. Failure to do so will result in a “zero” for that exam. Only legitimate excuses, such as severe illness, death in the family, or school-sponsored trips, etc. will be considered for a make-up exam.D. Late AssignmentsAll assignments are due by 9 am on the due date.Turning an assignment in up to 24 hours late will result in a reduction of one letter grade on the relevant assignment, and turning it in between 24 and 48 hours late will result in a reduction of two letter grades. After 48 hours, the assignment will receive an automatic F.
Note: Last-minute computer failure or printing delays are not acceptable excuses for late assignments. Make certain that you have two or more current back-up files and allow more than adequate time for the computer to print your assignment. This may mean printing the assignment the day before it is due; i.e., PLAN AHEAD. E. Academic IntegrityStudents enrolled at East Texas Baptist University are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity avoiding all forms of cheating, illicit possession of examinations or examination materials, unwarranted access to instructor’s solutions’ manuals, plagiarism, forgery, collusion and submissions of the same assignment to multiple courses.Penalties that may be applied by the faculty member to individual cases of academic dishonesty by a student include one or more of the following:
• Failure of the class in question• Failure of particular assignments• Requirement to redo the work in question• Requirement to submit additional work
All incidents related to violations of academic integrity are required to be reported to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and multiple violations of academic integrity will result in further disciplinary measures which could lead to dismissal from the University.F. Electronic DevicesIf the professor discovers that students are using electronic devices (phones, tablets or laptops) for activities other than classwork, he/she will lose the privilege of using said devices in class for the remainder of the semester.
G. Disability Statement
A student with a disability may request appropriate accommodations for this course by contacting the Office of Academic Success, Marshall Hall, Room 301, and providing the required documentation. If accommodations are approved by the Disability Accommodations Committee, the Office of Academic Success will notify the student and the student’s professor of the approved accommodations. The student must then discuss these accommodations with his or her professor. Students may not ask for accommodations the day of an exam or due date. Arrangements must be made prior to these important dates. For additional information, please refer to page 15 of the 2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog.
H. Weapons in ClassThe on-campus possession of firearms, explosives, or fireworks is prohibited with the exception of the transportation and storage of firearms and ammunition by concealed handgun license holders in private vehicles (as described in SB1907) Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law, may not enter this property (ETBU) with a concealed handgun. The ETBU President may grant authorization to a qualified and certified full-time faculty or staff member, who is a license holder with a concealed handgun to conceal carry on the University campus, at a University-sponsored event or within or on a University vehicle.
I. The instructor reserves the right to modify any portion of the syllabus as may become necessary due to events or circumstances that may occur during the semester.
V. Required Text/Materials
Rothenberg, David J. and Robert R. Holzer, eds. Oxford Anthology of WesternMusic, Volume One. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-19-976825-7.
Seaton, Douglass. Ideas and Styles in the Western Musical Tradition. Fourth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-0-
19-024677-8.
The accompanying website features the following resources: Chapter Overview. Here the main points of the chapter are summarized in a
few paragraphs.
Objectives. This section identifies the most important ideas for the student to understand. It includes issues concerning both the relation of music to history and the development of musical thinking.
Terms, Names, and Concepts. These lists show each chapter's new technical vocabulary, names of leading composers and musical thinkers, and some terms for principal ideas.
Chapter Review Quiz. Multiple choice and true/false questions are offered.
In addition, you will have two helpful resources: A Guide to Research and Writing in Music History Pronouncing Church Latin: A Quick Reference
VI. Optional Texts/Materials/Resources Móricz, Klára and David E. Schneider, eds. Oxford Recorded Anthology of
Western Music, Volume One: The Earliest Notations to the Early Eighteenth Century. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-19-976828-8.
Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, andDissertations. Latest ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Scores and Anthologies in Music Lab and Online through Jarrett Library.
The semester will be divided into the following units:UNIT I: Antiquity to Medieval Monophony (Chapters 1-4)UNIT II: Polyphony and The Renaissance to 1600 (Chapters 5-8)UNIT III: Instrumental Renaissance and The Reformation (Chapters 9-11)UNIT IV: The Baroque (Chapters 12-15)
Academic Labs (tentatively scheduled and not mandatory)
1. September 2 (Elizabeth Ponder)2. September 23 (Elizabeth Ponder)
VII. Tentative Course Schedule
M 8/22 Course Introduction
W 8/24 Chapter 1: Music in Greek life and ThoughtAssignment: 24-Hour Journal
F 8/26 Chapter 1: Greek Music Theory/Roman contributions
M 8/29 Chapter 2: Jewish and Early Christian Music; Regional traditionsWriting Assignment on Entertainment and High Art Due
W 8/31 Chapter 3: Liturgy and The Mass
F 9/2 Chapter 3: Chant Aesthetics and Style
M 9/5 Labor Day-No Class
W 9/7 Chapter 3: Chant Theory and Guido d’Arezzo
F 9/9 Chapter 4: Medieval secular song
M 9/12 Chapter 4: Medieval secular song, continued
W 9/14 Chapter 4: Instruments
F 9/16 TEST #1: Antiquity to Medieval MonophonyAnnotated Bibliography Due
M 9/19 Chapter 5: Organum to 1150
W 9/21 Chapter 5: Notre Dame Style; The Motet and Notation
F 9/23 Chapter 6: Mensuration and isorhythm; French music
M 9/26 Chapter 6: Italian and English musicW 9/28 Chapter 7: Humanism, Dunstable
F 9/30 Chapter 7: Burgundian music
M 10/3 Chapter 8: Franco-Netherlands School
W 10/5 Chapter 8: Josquin des Prez; Willaert and Zarlino
F 10/7 FALL BREAK
M 10/10 Chapter 8: Music for Social Use; French and German Vocal Genres
W 10/12 Chapter 8: Spanish Vocal Genres; The Madrigal
F 10/14 TEST #2: Polyphony and The Renaissance to 1600Critical Review Due
M 10/17 Chapter 9: Instruments and Tablature
W 10/19 Chapter 9: Instrumental Music
F 10/21 Chapter 10: Lutheran Music
M 10/24 Chapter 10: Calvinist and Anglican Music
W 10/26 Chapter 10: Counter-Reformation
F 10/28 Chapter 10: Counter-Reformation
M 10/31 Chapter 11: Italian and English Madrigals
W 11/2 Chapter 11: Venetian Polychoral Style
F 11/4
TEST #3: Instrumental Renaissance and Reformation
M 11/7 Chapter 12: Rationalism and Its Impact on Music
W11/9 Chapter 13: The Development of Opera
F 11/11 Chapter 13: Oratorio and Instrumental Music
M 11/14 Chapter 14: The Development of Instrumental Forms and Idioms: Fugue and Suite
W 11/16 Chapter 14: The Development of Instrumental Forms and Idioms: Sonata and Concerto
F 11/18 Chapter 15: Opera seria, Intermezzo, Oratorio
November 23-27: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
M 11/28 Chapter 15: Germany and Bach FINAL PROJECTS DUE
W 11/30 Chapter 15: Germany and Bach
F 12/2 TEST #4: Baroque
Wednesday, December 7, 8:00—9:50 AMCOMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM: TEST #5
