Music Analysis, Interpretation, and Creativity
CHUM 299
Fall 2008
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
MUSC 299 |
Music analysis may be described as the activity of discovering the formal or structural aspects of a musical work or performance. In this sense it is like the analysis of a poem, story, play, novel, historical narrative, painting, sculpture, dance, or any other product of human creativity. And yet, music analysis seems different since it often "speaks" in a highly specialized language, acquired through years of study. This course seeks to open up music analysis as an interpretive activity that may draw on technical languages but is not inherently dependent on them. Along the way we will consider fundamental questions related to music analysis. What does it mean to understand a work or performance? Can such understanding be final or does it always remain contingent? How is understanding related to performance, improvisation, composition, and listening experience? How do we constitute ourselves as humans in the act of performing, listening to, recalling, or imagining a musical work? Students will "practice" analysis using whatever technical or nontechnical languages they bring to the course and focus on repertoires of their choice. Activities in the course will include close listening and study, presentation of analyses in class, written essays, selected readings, and exercises in performance, improvisation, or composition. Guided workshops will introduce modes of analysis focusing on rhythm, melody, harmony, form, and relations between music and text. |
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Essential Capabilities:
Interpretation
We will be interpreting musical scores and performances. We will also consider the relationships between music analysis and interpretation, and the role of subjectivity and objectivity in musical interpretation.
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA MUSC |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Nicholas, Cook, MUSIC: A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION
Deborah Stein, ed., ENGAGING MUSIC: ESSAYS IN MUSIC ANALYSIS
Mark J. Butler, UNLOCKING THE GROOVE: RHYTHM, METER, AND MUSICAL DESIGN IN ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
Further readings by Robert Schumann, E.M. Forster, John Ciardi, Kofi Agawu, Alex Ross, and others.
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Examinations and Assignments:
There will be regular short writing assignments, two or three class presentations, and a seminar paper due at the end of the term. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Both music majors and non-majors are welcome. Students do not need to have any prior experience in theory or analysis. |
| Instructor(s): Malin,Yonatan Times: .....F. 01:10PM-04:00PM; Location: RHH003; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 18 | | SR major: 3 | JR major: 3 | | |
| Seats Available: 0 | GRAD: 0 | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 3 | FR: 3 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 3 | 1st Ranked: 2 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 1 |
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