1
MuHL 351: Western Art Music History II
(Section 44038D, 4 units)
Spring Semester 2018
Instructor: Prof. Bruce Alan BrownLecture: Tu/Th 10:00-11:50, TMC G156
Office hours (by appointment): Tu 1:00-2:00, W 3:30-4:30, MUS 318
Tel.: 213/740-3212 (departmental assistant: 740-7416)E-mail:
Teaching assistant: Malachai Komanoff Bandy (E-mail:)
This course is a continuation of MuHL 350, but the nature of the material studied will change greatly by the end of the semester. The art music of the Western tradition, originally centered on Western and Central Europe and the British Isles, became progressively more diversified both geographically and in terms of approach, eventually incorporating influences from around the globe as well as from popular music. The original (largely Germanic) “mainstream” tradition eventually split into “many streams” (as composer John Cage famously put it).
Recommended text, available from the USC Bookstore, and directly from the publisher as noted below:
Richard Taruskin and Christopher Gibbs, The Oxford History of Western Music, College Edition (New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), ISBN9780195097627; available also from with a 20% discount if you use the publisher representative’s promotional code THOMPS2017.
(Readings from this text are recommended, as background, but not strictly required.)
Required text, available from the USC Bookstore, and directly from the publisher as noted below:
Klára Móricz and David E. Schneider, eds., Oxford Anthology of Western Music, Volume Three: The Twentieth Century (New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), ISBN 9780199768271; available also from a 20% discount if you use the publisher representative’s promotional code THOMPS2017.
In addition, we will be using a
Piero Weiss and Richard Taruskin, eds.,Music in the Western World: A History in Documents, revised edition (New York: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008) ML160.M865 2008 ref.
(You can purchase this, if you like, but I’ll be posting readings from it on Blackboard.)
Supplementary Score Anthology of pieces not included in the Oxford Anthology, in PDF files in a folder (in the “Contents” section) on the class’s Blackboard page.
I had originally planned to order custom versions of both the textbook (in PDF form) and of volumes 2 and 3 of the Oxford Anthology, with only those portions we’ll actually be using, but the publisher cancelled that arrangement on account of impending new editions of both book and anthology. Therefore, I’m making the textbook optional; reading it will provide you with helpful background, but information from my lectures should suffice; that is what you will be held responsible for. Scores for the first portion of the course (through mid-February), which mostly cover pieces included in volume 2of the Oxford Anthology, will be available as PDF files on Blackboard (see below); after that point, we will be using volume 3, in hard copy.
Periodically throughout the semester I will also be posting short articles, blog posts, reviews, etc. on Blackboard, as appropriate to the subject matter of the moment; some of them may be used for short in-class exercises and/or outside-of-class writing assignments.
Scores of works not included in the Oxford Anthology will be in a Supplementary Score Anthology,available on Blackboard. Please look ahead in the schedule of lectures in the syllabus and either download or print out the score(s) you’ll need, and then bring the printout(s) or your computer or tablet to lecture so you’ll have the score(s) there.
Some scores and other library materials meant for use in connection with writing projects may be on reserve in the Music Library, or on Ares electronic reserves, or on Blackboard. Most reserve and reference scores may be used in the Music Library only.
This class will use Blackboard for announcements, posting of assignments, online discussions (some of them mandatory and/or for grade credit), and submission of papers.
Suggested Further Readings
Source readings:
Oliver Strunk, ed., Source Readings in Music History, rev. edn. by Leo Treitler (New York: Norton, 1998)
ML60 S89 1998 ref.
The full version of our (recommended) textbook:
Richard Taruskin, The Oxford History of Western Music. 6 vols. (Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press,2005) ML160.T18 2005 v. 4-5 ref.
(also availableonline via USC Libraries; must be logged in to USC netID)
Grove dictionaries (in the Music Library's reference section):
Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, eds., The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, revised edn. (London: Macmillan, 2001; online version at Grove Music Online, via USC Libraries databases Oxford Music Online ML100.N48 200 ref.
Stanley Sadie, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (London: Macmillan, 1992; online version at Grove Music Online, via USC Libraries databases Oxford Music Online ML102.O6N5 1992 ref.
H. Wiley Hitchcock, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of American Music (London: Macmillan, 1986)
ML101.U6N48 1986 ref.
Online sources of scores:
Classical Scores Library: go to then hover over “Research” and click on “Research Guides” > “Music” > “Scores” tab, and then scroll down to “Scores Databases.”
International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP/Petrucci):
Listening
Most, if not quite all, of our assigned pieces will be on a YouTube playlist(MuHL 351-Brown) that I have prepared, though not necessarily in the same performances as the ones I will use in class.It’s an unlisted playlist, so you’ll need to use this link to access it: (please bookmark it on your computer).
You can also listen to many of the assigned pieces on one of the Music Library’s streaming audio and video services, such as Classical Music Library, Naxos Music Library, Opera in Video, or Met Opera on Demand. Follow the same instructions as for the Classical Scores Library (above), but click the “Sound Recordings” or “Videos” tab, and then choose a resource (under “Streaming Audio Services” or “Video Databases,” respectively). For Classical Music Library, choose “Music & Performing Arts” and then click the “Classical Music” tab.Performances of many of our pieces can also be found on iTunes and/or Spotify. The Music Library also has CDs of many of the works we will study.
Wherever and however you listen, you should plan a regular schedule of at least two listening sessions per week, in order to keep up with lectures. Don’t leave all your listening to just before quizzes and exams!
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory, and will be checked most days. You are responsible for all material, whether you were there when it was presented or not. If for some legitimate reason you must miss class, arrive late, or leave early, please inform me in advance (in person, by phone or by e-mail). Unexcused absences or tardiness will cause your grade in the class to be lowered. Legitimate excuses include illness, personal emergencies, or occasional conflicts with master classes or rehearsals of large ensembles, but not lessons, or outside gigs.
General expectations
Regardless of educational, linguistic, or national background, all students in this course are expected to have a good command of spoken and written English. You should come to class prepared to take full and accurate notes on lectures, and to participate in discussions. If you are having trouble following the lectures, try 1) sitting closer to the front of the room, 2) recording lectures, and 3) getting help outside of class. Please feel free to talk to me or the TA about any problems you are having.
Written work, apart from tests, will normally be submitted electronically on Blackboard. On a title page include your name (USC identification number is not necessary), the course number, the date the work was submitted, and the title of the assignment; your main text should be double spaced. All work must be entirely your own, unless you are specifically instructed to collaborate. See the guidelines on academic integrity (the URL is given below), including as regards what constitutes plagiarism, or proper and improper use of sources.
Since this class covers a large amount of material, it is to your advantage to make use of my office hours – not only if you are having problems with the material, but also simply in order to find out on a topic more than can be covered in class, or so that we can become better acquainted. The pieces and information covered in class are only a starting point; don't limit yourself to just that!
The TA will also be holding office hours (though not always in an actual office). Times and places will be announced in class.
You may use laptop computers or tablets (not cell phones) for note-taking during lecture, and for accessing electronic resources as directed by me, but please refrain from e-mailing, phoning, texting, checking Facebook, and other activities unrelated to class. Non-class-related electronic activity during lecture may result in confiscation of phones, expulsion for the rest of the lecture, and/or a grade penalty.
USC-mandated notices
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Website for DSP and contact information: (213) 740-0776 (Phone), (213) 740-6948 (TDD only), (213) 740-8216 (FAX) .
USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. SCampus, the Student Guidebook, contains the University Student Conduct Code (see University Governance, Section 11.00), while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A. See also the pertinent sections of the Student Judicial Affairs websiteand the online publication “Trojan Integrity: A Guide for Avoiding Plagiarism” there.
In the event of an emergency, please contact the USC Emergency Information office at 213/740-9233. Students are also encouraged to enroll in USC’s TrojansAlert system, which allows University officials to contact members of the campus community during an emergency by sending messages (text or voice) to e-mail accounts, cell phones, smart phones, and land-line phones.
In case of a declared emergency if travel to campus is not feasible, USC executive leadership will announce an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes using a combination of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies. See the university’s site on Campus Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
My own important notices
Every student in this class must have an active USC netID and e-mail account, since these are used for communications from Blackboard, the USC roster system, and USC libraries. See ITS Student Services.
Every student in this class must use a current, authentic (i.e., not clone) version of Microsoft Word for written work that is submitted electronically (whether via e-mail or Blackboard), not Adobe Acrobat or Apple (Mac) Pages. This is because PDF files are difficult to mark up and my computer can’t read Pages. With Microsoft Word I can use marginal comments and Track Changes to comment on your work; you need a current version of Word – that you view on a computer, not your phone – in order to see my markup. Windows (including Word) is available to students as a free download; see Microsoft Office for Students.
I strongly urge you to take notes on lectures by hand, with pen (or pencil) and paper, 1) since that will interfere less with your use of the (hard-copy) Oxford Anthologythan would use of a laptop or tablet, & 2) because it has been scientifically proven that you absorb information more effectively through handwritten note-taking than by typing on a laptop or tablet. Additionally, even with your best intentions, laptops and tablets offer an almost irresistable temptation to multitask, and constitute a distraction to others; see Ann Curzan, “Why I’m Asking You Not to Use Laptops.” If you have a medical reason for not being able to take notes by hand, please provide me with documentation of that from DPS or a doctor. If we’ll be needing to access online materials in class, I will let you know in advance. Otherwise, materials (including scores) that I show on screen should suffice.
Use of cell phones in class is prohibited at all times. Please silence your ringer and any other notifications before the start of class. Non-class-related electronic activity on your part may result in confiscation of phones, expulsion for the rest of the period, and/or a grade penalty.
Evaluation
2 midterm exams and a final exam (20% each); these involve definitions and term/person identifications, listening and objective questions, and short essays. Exams are based on lectures, and assigned readings and listenings, and are not cumulative.A failing grade on all three exams will mean a failing grade in the course.
3 short listening quizzes (as announced – see schedule below; 5% total– I will throw out the lowest of your scores). No make-ups are possible for listening quizzes; if you miss one of the quizzes due to a verifiable illness or emergency, you may average your scores for the other quiz(zes). Note: I reserve the right to cancel a quiz if we need the time for lecture instead.
written assignments and oral presentations (25% total), either analytical or historical in nature, on pieces or topics to be assigned; due as announced in class and/or on Blackboard. Available topics might involve Operawise and/or Visions and Voices events (see schedule below).The main final project is likely to be a collaborative one, involving different perspectives on a recently composed work (stay tuned).
Class participation (5%): active, productive participation in class discussions and exercises, and demonstration of good acquaintance with assigned readings and listening excerpts are required; lack of participation and/or preparation and/or disruption of class will lower your grade.
Blackboard participation (5%): active, productive, pertinent, and original posts and contributions to discussions (both assigned and optional).
THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UPS FOR EXAMS
except in cases of a verified illness or emergency,
of which I am informed in advance.
THERE WILL BE NO EARLY FINAL EXAMS
(these are banned by University regulations)
Late papers and other assignments (apart from ungraded or informally graded ones – e.g., – / √ / +) will normally be graded down by one increment (e.g., B to B-) for each day late, except in cases of a verified illness or emergency. If you think you may not be able to meet a deadline, please see or contact me before it arrives, to discuss your options.
S C H E D U L E
M=recording available in Met on Demand (streaming video)
OW=Los Angeles Opera Operawise event (free visit to orchestra tech rehearsal; see me for sign-up)
OA=piece (listed by number) in vol. 3 ofOxford Anthology of Western Music
OH=reading (listed by chapter and [sometimes] page numbers) in Oxford History of Western Music
r=score on reserve in Music Library
S=piece in Supplementary Score Anthology (on Blackboard)
VV=Visions and Voices event with connection to material we’re covering (see website for sign-up)
WT=reading (listed by reading number, not page number) in Weiss/Taruskin, Music in the Western World, 2nd edition (2008); will be posted on Blackboard
Y=recordings on unlisted YouTube playlist (MuHL 351-Brown) for this class; see URL
weekdatetopics, readings, assignment
ITu 9 Jan.Introduction; Beethoven in Vienna: early and “heroic” periods
Listen:SLudwig van Beethoven, Sonata No. 8 in C Minor ("Pathétique"), op. 13, First movement; Y (Brautigam)
SBeethoven, first and second movements from Symphony No. 3 in E flat, “Eroica,” op. 55 (1805); Y (Gardiner – recreation of first rehearsal)
Read:OH, Ch. 16 (through p. 501)
WT#92, #94
Th 11 Jan.Beethoven, “heroic” period (continued); late works
Listen:SBeethoven, fourth movement (Alla danza tedesca) and fifth movement (Cavatina) from String Quartet in B flat, op. 130 (1826); Y (Artemis Quartet)
Read:OH, Ch. 16 (p. 501 to end)
WT#95
IITu 16 Jan.German and Austrian Romanticism; Schubert Lieder, Weber’s Der Freischütz
Library resources for music
Listen:SFranz Schubert, “Erlkönig” (The Elf King; 1815, Goethe); Y (Söderström)
SSchubert, “Heidenröslein” (Little rose on the heath; 1815, Goethe); Y (Prégardien, 5:39)
SCarl Maria von Weber, finale to Act II of Der Freischütz (“Wolf’s Glen Scene”; 1821, F. Kind); Y (Ludwig)
Read:OH, Chs. 15, 17 (p. 526 to end), 18
WT#99
Th 18 Jan.Leipzig: the Mendelssohns and the Schumanns
Listen:SFelix Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, op. 21 (1826); Y (Mackerras)
SFanny Mendelssohn, “Sehnsucht” (Longing; by 1830, J. G. Droysen); Y (Brown)
SRobert Schumann, and Dichterliebe, op. 48 (1840), no. 1, “Im wunderschönen Monat Mai” (In the lovely month of May), no. 2, “Aus meinen Tränen” (From my tears); Y (Prégardien)
SClara Schumann, “Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen“ (He has come in storm and rain), op. 12, no. 2; Y (von Otter)
Read:OH, Ch. 20 (from p. 601)
WT#105, #109
Sa 20 Jan.VVMetropolitan Opera HD broadcast of Thomas Adès, The Exterminating Angel; 12:00 p.m. pre-performance talk, 1:00 p.m. broadcast (Frank Sinatra Hall, Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre Complex)
IIITu 23 Jan.Paris: Chopin and Berlioz
Listen:SFrédéric Chopin, Mazurka, op. 17, no. 4 (1833); Y (van Hellemont)
SChopin, Ballade no. 1 in G Minor, op. 23 (1836); Y (Schoonderwoerd)
SHector Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, op. 14 (1830), fifth movement, “Songe d'une nuit du sabbat” (Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath); Y (Norrington)
Read:OH, Chs. 20 (through p. 601), 21 (through p. 629)
WT#103, #104, #108
OWOperaWise: orchestra technical rehearsal of Los Angeles Opera production of Bernstein, Candide, 7:30-10:30 p.m. (check-in 6:30 at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion)
Th 25 Jan.Italian opera of the early and middle Ottocento
First listening quiz
Listen:SGioachino Rossini, Tancredi (1813, Rossi), Act 1, scene 5, “Oh patria!... Tu che accendi questo core... Di tanti palpiti” (O homeland... You who set fire to this heart... So many heart throbs); Y (Garanča)
SGiuseppe Verdi, Il Trovatore (1853, S. Cammarano and L. E. Bardare), scene and aria “Quale d’armi fragor” (What clangor of arms); Y (von Karajan)