Music Theory IV — Music 222 Robert Snarrenberg Spring 2013 Contact Information
[email protected] (314) 599-0895 (emergencies only, please) Music Classroom Building 107 Office hours, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00–3:30 PM Overview The core hypothesis of our theoretical study is that composers, listeners, and performers conceive/perceive tonal music in terms of a repertory of mental categories. Thus far you have learned the elementary categories: notes, diatonic systems, monotriadic lines, linear elaborations, species counterpoint, and harmonic progression. You have also developed skill in using this knowledge to understand or interpret musical artworks. This course builds upon that foundation, deepening your understanding of elaboration through the study of motive, variation, and invention; the syntactic functions of clause and sentence; a variety of rhetorical devices and designs found in sonatas, symphonies, and concertos; and the interaction of musical and poetic structures in song. Required Course Materials Readings and scores will be posted to the course website: www.artsci.wustl.edu/∼rsnarren/222/ Pieces to listen to are on CDs distributed in class. Please use 8 21 × 11 nonperforated staff paper; there is a link on the course website to a variety of types of paper that you can print as needed. Attendance Be arrive in class no later than 10:10. Fundamental concepts are usually introduced in the first 15 minutes of class. If you have to miss class, either for illness or other reason, please email me in advance as a matter of courtesy and to avoid the imputation of ill intentions. Office hours are for answering questions about assignment and providing additional help with the material, but not to find out what you missed in class. Preparing for Class For pieces marked Listening on the syllabus, you should listen to the entire piece several times, making notes on aspects that relate to the day’s topic. And always bring the score of the assigned passage to class (either in paper or on an e-reader). For texts marked Reading on the syllabus you should (a) read the text at least twice, (b) take notes on the content, and (c) be able to describe the author’s main ideas. Some readings will also involve studying a piece of music. Assignments Assignments will be distributed either in class or via email. These will mainly be in preparation for class discussion.
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Projects There will be five major projects. Due dates are listed on the syllabus. Late Papers Projects must be submitted on or before the due date, without exception. Non-Collaboration Group study is permitted for class preparation assignments. Collaboration on projects is strictly prohibited. The projects you turn in are to be your own work. Do not work together with someone else. While you are certainly encouraged to discuss questions of a general nature with other members of the class, the project you submit is to be yours alone and not the product of collaboration. Inappropriate collaboration is in the long run unhelpful, as it can lead to a false sense of security rather than the real thing that comes with mastering and exploring the subject yourself. If you have a question about what constitutes fair or unfair collaboration, please ask. Grading Homework assignments (and quizzes, if any) will make up 20% of your final grade; class participation will also be taken into account. Projects will constitute 70% of your final grade. The final exam will count as 10% of your final grade. A grade of C or above is required to receive the grade of CR. A+ A A–
100 95 92
C+ C C–
78 75 72
B+ B B–
88 85 82
D+ D D– F
68 65 62
