Contemporary Composition SeminarFall 2012

Instructor: Prof. SIGMANThursday 14:00-16:00

Lecture I

0. Administrata

Required Textbooks

1) Paul Griffiths, Modern Music and After

1) Michael Nyman, Experimental Music

[available @ Amazon, Kyobo, etc.]

Additional articles/excerpts/book chapters supplied and assigned by instructor.

Assessment

• Weekly assignments• Midterm Exam • Final Exam• Final Paper (ca. 5 pages) • Attendance/Participation/Attitude

Office Hours

• Wednesday ( 수요일 ) 14:00-15:00, or by appointment

• Room 376

• Feel free to email me at any time!

Course Language

• [English and limited Korean]

• If *anything* is unclear, please let me know!!

Lecture slides…

• …will be emailed to you after each class

I. Course Content

A. Topics

• Music since ca. 1950

• “Style” and “Structure” : aesthetics, techniques, how they influence each other and change over time

• Experimental Music Movements and Tendencies

B. Activities

• Readings• Music analysis • Critical listening • Writing

D. Course Structure

• 1) by chronology

• 2) by geography

E. Composer Survey

• See COMPOSER LIST document

• Some pieces/composers analysed in depth

• Others discussed superficially

• * = pieces to be discussed in class

F. Caveats

• 1) Syllabus subject to change!

• 2) Not ALL subtopics and pieces will be covered!!

• Don’t worry! You will survive!

Composer Collage

II. Review of Repertoire, 1900-1950

A. Game: “Name That Tune”

• This is not a test!!

• Listen to the following pieces

• If you know of the name of the composer (and piece?), write it down. If not, guess!!

B. Important (early) 20th Century Composers

• Schönberg• Stravinsky• Debussy• Ravel• Berg• Webern• Cage• Satie• Bartok• Ives • Varèse• Messiaen • Cowell • Carl Ruggles • Percy Grainger • Harry Partch • ??

C. Important Movements/Aesthetics/Approaches,

1900-1950• Impressionism• Expressionism• Serialism and Post-Serialism (European and

North American) • Neo-Classicism• American Experimentalism • Nationalism

Assignment for 13 September

• 1) Choose 3 of your favourite pieces composed between 1900-1950

• 2) Tell me why they are your favourite pieces (1-2 sentences each)