SYLLABUS

MUSIC 202

(timings are tentative)

Spring 2008

January 14 - 31

Get acquainted, organizational.
Recapitulation: The tonal system, a historical perspective. Common language and grammar. Enharmonic ambiguities in late romantic music. Atonality.
Aesthetic trends at the turn of the century in Europe.
Modes in medieval/renaissance Western music, in East-European folklore. Stravinsky and Bartok.

First listening test 2/04
First assignment due 2/07

February 4 - 21

Rhythm as a constructive device.
Polychords, polytonality, polymodality; quartal harmony.
Neo-classicism and constructivism.
Non-tonal centricity. Stravinsky, Varese.
Messiaen and his musical technique.
Timbre as a constructive device.

First quiz 2/13
Second listening test 2/21
Creative assignment due 2/25

February 25 - March 13

The row as a constructive device.
Transformations of the row; matrix, combinatoriality, symmetries.
Structuralism
Integral serialism. Boulez and the "domains" technique.

Second quiz 3/06
Second assignment due 3/11
Changed date - Third listening test 3/12

March 24 - April 10

The three types of indeterminacy in music
John Cage and chance music; the influence of Zen and DADA
Aleatory music.
Existentialism.
Textkomposition, improvisations, concept music; classes of compositions and open works.
The "new" notation, "graphic" scores. Other trends and techniques; minimalism.

Changed date - Creative assignment due 4/07
Fourth listening test 4/10

April 14 - 30

Electronic music and music concrete; MIDI, synthesizers: new sounds, new attitudes.
Acoustics: How do we hear sounds ? How are CDs made and what's on them ? Pitch, loudness, modulation, and timbre
Computer Music: digital sound synthesis.
Music Formalization and various mathematical and scientific models for music.
Computer Music: computer-assisted composition.
Spectral music.

Third assignment due 4/16
Visit to the Experimental Music Studios 4/16
Third quiz 4/21
Fifth listening test 4/29