Symphonic Literature
Course Syllabus
Instructor: Dennis Davis
Office: Campbell - Studio U
Music Office Phone: (859) 622-5007
Home Phone: (859) 313-5203
Email: dennis.davis@eku.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Class Location: Foster 212 (9:30-11:00
a.m. M-R)
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Course Objective: Develop a survey knowledge of the personalities, styles,
terminology, culture, and traditions commonly associated with the symphonic
tradition from inception through the twentieth century.
Required Text: The Symphony by Preston Stedman, 2nd ed., Printice-Hall
Publications; Upper Saddle River, NJ. (1992).
Supplemental Texts: 1) The New Grove Dictionary entry: Symphony; 2) The Classical Style by Charles Rosen; 3) Classic and Romantic Music by Fredrick Blüme 4) Nineteenth-Century Romanticism in Music by Rey Longyear 5) Studying Music History (sic) Learning, Reading, and Writing about Music History and Literature by David Poultney.
Required Listening: 1) Study examples and other related works will be on reserve in the library. I am also trying to place these works in the lab for your convenience (this may take a while). This course assumes students have already had an undergraduate introduction to symphonic literature, and have heard most of these works in that, or other courses. The compression of this course foregoes the ability to play these works in their entirity - and that is truly unfortunate.
Attendance: Required. Scheduling issues regarding Foster camp will make demands on my attendance from 6/16-6/19. I will work something out that is acceptable to everyone. It should be understood that a course of this calibre requires regular attendance. Only verifiable university or medical excuses will be accepted.
Requirements: Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the subject matter - readings and listening - before it is presented. Class participation in discussions and other activities is crucial and required. Assignments and readings will mainly be drawn from your text, readings on reserve, and selected journal articles. Other projects may also bear consideration. An earlier version of the text is on reserve in the library.
Evaluation: The final grade determination:
100 points
Mid-term exam (R, 6/19)
100 points
Final exam (R, 7/3)
25 points
Quiz #1 (R, 6/12)
25 points
Quiz #2 (R, 6/26)
50 points
Participation and Unannounced quizzes
300 points
Total
The material for the two exams will come from class listening, lecture, discussion,
readings, supplemental readings and listening as assigned. The exams may include
listening, multiple choice, true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and short
essay-style questions. An extended essay will appear on the final exam.
Caveat: The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus as necessary to meet the needs of the class.
6/12 - Quiz #1
6/19 - Mid-term exam
6/26 - Quiz #2
7/3 - Final Exam
Topics and Tentative Schedule:
|
Week 1
|
|
| 6/9 |
Introduction |
| 6/10 | Chapter 3 - The Classical Symphony (pp. 41 - 62) |
| 6/11 | Chapter 4 - Beethoven (pp. 63-96) |
| 6/12 | Chapter 4 - Beethoven (Quiz #1 - covering all prior material) |
|
Week 2 |
|
| 6/16 | Chapter 5 - Schubert, Mendelssohn,
and Schumann (pp. 96 - 122) Program Music: Berlioz and Liszt (pp. 123-139) |
| 6/17 | Chapter 5 - Absolute Music: Brahms Tchaikovsky, Bruckner, and Dvorak, . (pp. 140 - 193) |
| 6/18 | Chapter 5 - French Orchestral Music,
Franck, Strauss, and Mahler. (pp. 194 - 237) |
| 6/19 | Mid-term covering Chapters 1-5 |
|
Week 3
|
|
| 6/23 | Chapter 6 - The Symphony in the 20th Century: Sibelius and Vaughn Williams (pp. 238 - 269) |
| 6/24 | Chapter 6 - The Symphony in the 20th Century: Tippett, Russia, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich (pp. 270-316). |
| 6/25 | Chapter 6 - The Symphony in the 20th Century: Stravinsky, Hindemith, and Lutoslawski (pp. 317 - 348) |
| 6/26 | Chapter 6 - continuation and Quiz #2 |
|
Week 4
|
|
| 6/30 |
Chapter 7 - 20th Century Symphony in America |
| 7/1 | Chapter 7 - 20th Century Symphony
in America Copland and Riegger, (pp. 390 - 416) |
| 7/2 | Chapter 7 - 20th Century Symphony
in America Sessions, Zwillich, and Tower (pp. 417 - 428) |
| 7/3 | Final Examination (The nature of the material requires a cumulative format) |