9-CONTEMPORARY STYLES & TECHNIQUES Spring 2002

unique days time room

20205 MWF 200 - 300P MRH 4.116

Instructor: Dr. David Neumeyer

Office: MRH 3.748

Office hours: MWF 10:00-10:45 or by appointment

Phone: 741-7346 (you can leave voicemail)

Email: neumeyer@mail.utexas.edu

Course website: http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~neumeyer/styleshome.html

Object:

Ideally, "contemporary styles and techniques" should dwell somewhere between a music history course (styles, genres, repertoires), a music theory class (analysis methods and practices), and composition forum (presentation, vocabulary, discussion).

To satisfy the first requirement, we will study compositions from throughout the century (even though we will favor the second half). I will discuss certain works, but in addition, you will give a presentation based on one of your four projects. To satisfy the second requirement, I will discuss fifteen compositions in detail through the semester. These are not necessarily famous works, but all represent some important facet of 20th/21st century compositional practice or have been the focus of discussion in the scholarly literature. To satisfy the third requirement, we will focus on drawing out of the scholarly and general literature vocabularies for analysis, interpretation, and presentation. To draw all three requirements together, you will complete four projects, as described below.

The fifteen "discussion" pieces are:

Your responsibilities:

1. Class attendance. I expect regular class attendance but I never grade attendance for graduate students.

2. Reading. Journal, book chapter, or periodical readings will be assigned for some of the fifteen "discussion" pieces. I will try to put as many of these items as possible on electronic reserves. Information about that will be forthcoming. Additional reading will be necessary to complete your projects.

3. Projects. You will complete four papers. Each will have the same format:

(1) choose a composition to study;

(2) assemble as exhaustive a bibliography as possible (the bibliography may range across all types of literature -- CD liner notes and reviews may be included for example; and you should include urls for useful sites -- but the bibliography must include the scholarly literature;

(3) provide a 2-3 paragraph summary and assessment of the arguments in at least two of the items in your bibliography;

(4) provide your analysis of the piece (the options are broad: this may be descriptive, evaluative, anchored in a particular analytic method, hermeneutic, etc.);

(5) compare/contrast the piece (or its interpretation) with one of the fifteen discussion pieces.

The composition you choose for each project must be approved. Restrictions on your choices: all compositions must have been written between 1900 and 2001; they may come from any of the century's repertoires; at least one of the four must come from the period 1900-1950, and at least one must come from the period 1950-2001; at least one must be on the list either of Pulitzer winners or Academy Award winners. You should try your best to folllow this last requirement, but because of possible availability problems for scores of Pulitzer winners, I will entertain suggestions for substitutes. You need to demonstrate a connection to some Pulitzer or Oscar piece [a composition written around the time of a Pulitzer winner by the same composer, for example]. Scores for film scores are generally not available, but you can usually carry out a study using a small number of transcriptions; some film-music analysis methods do not require musical notation at all.

Each project is worth 22.5% of the final grade (total: 90%).

4. Presentation: one at 20 minutes, based on any of the four project papers. The presentation may be given during any class period; schedule the time with me. With the exception of project four, the presentation may not be scheduled until you have handed in the project paper and I have returned it with grade and comments. We will meet during the final exam time to hear any remaining presentations (Saturday, May 11, 9:00 - 12:00). I expect everyone to attend that session.

I will devote one class to instruction in laying out format and strategies for a successful presentation.

The presentation is worth 10% of the final grade.

Other information related to grading and my policies:

1. I will accept late work without docking points only during the week in which the work was due. After that the grade is "F" -- only exception is for documented medical emergency.

2. I do not offer extra credit options to raise the final grade or to avert failing the course.

3. I do not give incompletes except for documented medical emergency that prevents you from completing the second presentation and final project.

Schedule:

M 14 January - F 18: Volans, Kevin, White Man Sleeping

M 21 January: no class

W 23 January - F 25: Preisner, Zbiegniew, Red

M 28 January - F 1 February: Schoenberg, Arnold, Kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19, nos. 2 & 6

M February 4 - F 8: Crumb, George, Ancient Voices of Children

M February 11 - W 13: Webern, Anton, Concerto, Op. 24

F February 15: no class

M February 18 - F 22: Stravinsky, Igor, Symphony of Psalms

M February 25 - F March 1: Prokofiev, Serge, Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 26

M March 4 - F 8: Hindemith, Paul, Symphony in Bb for Band

M March 11 - F 15: spring break.

M March 18 - F 22: Schwantner, Joseph, And the Mountains Rising Nowhere

M March 25 - F 29: Steiner, Max, Casablanca

M April 1 - F 5: Herrmann, Bernard, Psycho

M April 8 - F 12: Bartók, Béla, Fifth String Quartet

M April 15 - F 19: Lutoslawski, Witold, String Quartet

M April 22 - F 26: Corigliano, John, Symphony no. 1 for orchestra

M April 29 - F May 3: Gorecki, Henryk, Symphony No. 3

Saturday, May 11 9:00 - 12:00. There is no final exam in this course, but we will meet to hear presentations.

 

 

Reserves:

CALL NO. AUTHOR TITLE

COMPACT DISC MU 13,539 Preisner, Zbigniew Trois coleurs. Red bande originale du film. / Beverly Hills, CA / 1994

COMPACT DISC MU 13,680 [North Texas Wind Symphony] Wildflowers. / San Juan Capistrano, Ca. / 1996

COMPACT DISC MU 17,957 Crumb, George Ancient voices of children. / / New York, NY / 1998(1997)

COMPACT DISC MU 20,981 Stravinsky, Igor, Symphony of Psalms. / Minneapolis, Minn. / 1987

COMPACT DISC MU 220 Bartok, Bela, The string quartets complete. 1984

COMPACT DISC MU 24,217 Corigliano, John, Of rage and remembrance (chaconne based upon Symphony no. 1, movt. 3) ; Symphony #1. /(New York) / 1996(1995)

COMPACT DISC MU 24,637 Webern, Anton, Complete Webern. / Hamburg, Germany / 2000(1995)

COMPACT DISC MU 25,263 1 Prokofiev, Sergey, piano concertos /(England) / 1997(1975)

COMPACT DISC MU 3545 Lutoslawski, Witold, Witold Lutoslawski. Volume six. / (Poland) / 1989(1965)

COMPACT DISC MU 5329 Hindemith, Paul, Hindemith conducts Hindemith. / Hayes, Middlesex, England / 1987(1958)

COMPACT DISC MU 5974 Gorecki, Henryk Symphony no. 3, opus 36 (1976). / New York, N.Y. / 1992(1991)

M 1001 C796 NO.1 1990 Corigliano, John, Symphony no. 1 for orchestra. / 1938- / New York / 1990

M 1010 P765 OP.26 Prokofiev, Sergey, Piano concerto no. 3 in C major, op. 26. /New York /

M 1011 P95 OP.26 19-- Prokofiev, Sergey, Kontsert nomer tri = Concerto no. 3, for pianoforte and orchestra, op. 26. /New York / 19??

M 1203 H66 S9 1951 Hindemith, Paul, Symphony in B flat : for concert band, (1951). / Mainz / 1951

M 1245 S398 A5 Schwantner, Joseph C. And the mountains rising nowhere. / 1977

M 1613 G66 OP.36 1992 Gorecki, Henryk Symphony no. 3 : Symfonia piesni zalosnych = (Symphony of sorrowful songs) : opus 36, for soprano solo and orchestra./ London / 1992,c1977

M 2023 S883 S97 Stravinsky, Igor, Symphony of Psalms./ New York / 196?

M 452 B323 NO.5 1936 Bartok, Bela QUARTETS, STRINGS, NO.5

M 452 L964 1970 Lutoslawski, Witold, String quartet. / 1913- / (2d ed.) / London / 1970,c1967

M 454 V64 W5 1995 Volans, Kevin, String quartet no. 1 : White man sleeps. / London / 1995

M 922 W4 OP.24 Webern, Anton, Konzert, op. 24. /Wien / 1948

The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.

Recipients of the Pulitzer Prize in Music, 1943-2001

This list has been removed to another file. Go to Pulitzers list

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Academy Award winners for best score, 1935-2001

Note: you can find all the winners and nominees at this site: http://wwwdb.oscars.org/awards_db/index.html.

This list has been removed to another file. Go to Oscars list

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