Cornerstone Learning Community
The Soundtrack of History: German Music and Literature
Music 115-125/Survey of Music Literature/Three Credits
Fall 2008/MW 2:00-3:15/CS 140
Instructor: Dr. B. Salwen
Office: Cultural Arts (CA) 1058
Contact: Office phone: 962-3890; E-Mail: salwenb@uncw.edu
Office Hours: By appointment. See me after any class, or call. Office hours to be posted.
Course Goals
To gain an acquaintance with concert music from 1700-2000, and to differentiate between eras
To interrelate German concert music with German literature of the parallel periods
To learn and apply basic music terminology
To be familiar with the works and historical context of some great German creative figures
Course Overview: Welcome to Survey of Music! This is a brief course on European art music, a large field that forms an important part of the Western heritage. It is also one part of a learning community that will integrate leading works and creative figures in the German-speaking world from the 16th century to the present – but mostly from the past 200 years. Figures like Mozart, Beethoven, and Wagner will form the core of the musical content. The course is intended for those with little or no previous background in music. It is a basic studies course, but note that it is not a quick "A"! Be ready to apply yourself to a new, not always easy, but stimulating subject. It is my hope that all will leave the course with an appreciation of the varied and often exciting creative output that we will explore.
This course takes place simultaneously with Ger 209, in which you will study German literary masterpieces in conjunction with the music of German composers being heard here. This will introduce you to manifold interrelations between the two artistic areas.
Course plan: Introduction to the course, followed by musical terms and concepts
The baroque period – Bach
The classical period – Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven
The romantic period – Beethoven (cont’d), Schubert, Wagner
The 20th century – Schoenberg, Berg, Brecht/Weill, Zimmermann (pending arrival in library)
Required Text: There is no text that comes close to the content of this particular course. You can instead expect to be doing reading and listening online and in the library. Materials will be put on library reserve or specified by online location. This will constitute the formal reading and listening expectations.
Course Expectations
A. Repeated listening. Hear each piece as many times as you can. This is the most effective way to develop knowledge and appreciation of any music, especially music in a style new to you. Listening will be assigned regularly. Get to know each work well, beginning before we hear and discuss it in class. Everything we will study is a well-known masterpiece; such works merit many hearings outside of any class requirements.
B. Reading. Readings will be assigned regularly. It is important that you keep up with them, as they form the framework for the classes.
C. Tests/Due Dates. Four tests, all announced. The format will be mainly multiple choice, matching, and the like. I may ask you to think, not merely remember. There will be listening questions on each test, typically form and identification. Except for the final, all tests will have a listening essay. The cumulative final exam embraces the most material. It typically lasts from 60 – 75 minutes.
Here are the test dates. Enter them in your calendar. A test make-up will be given only in case of documented emergency. Otherwise, you will get a 0 for that test.
First test Wed., 17 Sep. 15%
Mid-term exam (after classical, cumulative) Wed., 15 Oct. 15%
Second test Mon., 10 Nov. 15%
Final exam (cumulative) Wednesday, 10 Dec. 3:00 P.M. 15%
Missing a test or an exam 0
Paper Due date: Wednesday, 19 November 20%
Paper topic and projected bibliography due: Mon., 3 Nov. Otherwise, 3 point deduction
Concert Attendance 20%
D. Paper. One paper for the semester, due Wednesday, 19 November. You may choose any topic with a reasonable connection to German music. The idea is to give you an opportunity to explore a subject of interest to you. Your topic could be a composer, a performer, or even a polemic. You can study an area from any period, 17th century to the present. For best results, your topic should be fairly narrow, as this is a short paper. Whatever the topic, the essential characteristics are 1) a research component; 2) you need to write at meaningful length (at least half a page) about a specific piece of music using musical terms.
Specifications. Length: 3 – 4 pages. Font: Times New Roman 11 (the font in which this syllabus is written). Format: One-inch margins on all sides, double spaced text, left justified. Use a cover page with your name and the title of the paper; text begins at the top of the following page. Citations for quoted or paraphrased text are expected; failure to cite will reduce your grade. Bibliography: in any standard format on a separate last page. Research sources: At least three, besides our textbook and any sound source(s). No more than one source may be the internet. Please adhere to all the guidelines accurately. I reserve the right to deduct from your grade if you do not. The only exception is length. If your paper is longer, I’ll happily read every word!
Your projected topic and a tentative bibliography are due on 3 November, two+ weeks before the submission date for the paper. This may be submitted in class or via email by the class time on that date. A paper of this kind should be planned and thought through, and the interim deadline is intended to keep you properly on schedule. Submitting this material late (or not at all) will result in a 3-point grade deduction.
An excellent starting point for any topic: the multi-volume New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. This will give you an article and bibliography for about any topic in the field. It is in the reference section of the library; its catalogue number is ML100. N48 2001. The reference librarians can also be very helpful in leading you to books and articles. I may be able to give you research source ideas individually if you need further guidance.
E. Concert Attendance: 4 concerts required. Pick 3 in addition to the:
Event to be attended by everybody: TBA (coming soon)
There is a great difference between hearing music in front of speakers and experiencing it live.
Hearing music in concert is a vital, often exciting part of this course. There is a wide variety to choose from. The criterion is that the primary material on each program be “concert” music, i.e. the category of music heard in class. Thus no pop, rock, jazz concerts, or hymn festivals will receive concert credit. When in doubt as to "creditworthiness," consult me before attending. Submit the program for any concert you attend at the class following the performance.
Your primary source of concerts will be the recital hall of the cultural arts building, where the department of music offers a plethora of events each semester. Consult the music department events calendar regularly for listings and updates: http://appserv02.uncw.edu/caic/events-MUS.asp
Concerts are also held in Kenan Auditorium. Consult the Kenan performance calendar for events information: http://www.uncw.edu/kenan/september2008.html At the bottom of the calendar you can click on the month you need.
Just about every concert in the cultural arts building recital hall is free to UNCW students. Carry your ID card. Concerts in Kenan Auditorium sometimes have a small student admission charge. Ask the box office (962-3500) if the information isn’t listed on the website.
Plan ahead. The process will be simpler and you may save money if you do not leave several concerts for the end of the term. In general I would prefer that you attend on-campus concerts. However, if you find something good elsewhere, I will take it, assuming it includes the intended type of material. (Students have gone to concerts as far from here as Washington and London.)
To get credit for attending a concert:
1) Arrive on time and get a program. Ushers will stop handing out programs shortly after the concert begins;
2) Stay for the whole concert;
3) Have your program stamped by an usher at the end. He or she will be standing in an obvious place near the exit or in the lobby;
4) Give me the stamped program at the next class, or not later than one week after the event. That will be your record of attendance for credit.
No program = no credit, unless the venue staff informs us that they ran out of programs. If that happens, there should be a list for you to sign indicating your attendance.
No stamp = half credit, unless staff informs that nobody was there to stamp programs.
If you attend a program off campus, then a program without stamp will suffice, plus a short (half-page) description of the event.
F. Grading: plus/minus. I will tend to round up final scores for the course when the overall trend has been up, or when one low score seems non-representative of the individual’s work overall. By rounding up, I mean raising, for instance, a B average, if it is within a point or so of a B+, to that higher grade, in other words, a three-point grade level up. Once in a while I have raised a grade two levels. Another factor that can get your grade rounded up: class participation. I want to reward people who demonstrate interest in the course and the material. By that I mean that you do one or more of the following: a) have 2 absences or fewer, arrive on time and stay attentive; b) speak up to voice reactions to the material or ask questions about it (with the exception of “is that going to be on the test?”); c) have opinions or ideas that show you have been thinking about what we are studying.
G. Attendance: Not graded. You are adults, and it is up to you to decide to be in class. However, attendance is highly recommended. One reason is that classes will include material not in your assigned reading. Another is the relationship of attendance to your grade as mentioned above. The only exception to voluntary attendance is tests. Missing a test without a documented emergency = 0 for that test. Do not buy a plane ticket for a date that conflicts with any test, unless you plan on getting a 0.
Consistent attendance - and attentiveness - mean you are serious about learning and are likely to do your best. I am not indifferent about whether you come, I just believe that you are old enough to decide for yourselves. I hope you will come to every class. If you are absent, you will need to get notes from a classmate, rather than from me.
End notes
1) UNCW email account: Check this every day. In addition to the class itself, this is the official means of campus communication. It is the address I will have from your student record. Make sure you check your student email box each day. It is not an excuse to say that you don’t read it, or that it was full. Make sure that your student email account is a working method of communication, and that you use it.
2) If you have studied the class material and feel you need additional help, please make an appointment to see me. This can make a great difference. Also: feel free to raise your hand in class and ask as soon as a question arises.
Statement Regarding Academic Honesty: “The University of North Carolina at Wilmington is committed to the proposition that the pursuit of truth requires...honesty among all involved...no form of dishonesty among faculty or students will be tolerated. Although all members of the university community are encouraged to report occurrences of dishonesty, each individual is principally responsible for his or her own honesty.” (From the "Academic Honor Code" in the UNCW Code of Student Life. All students are encouraged to read this section, pp. 5-7, which contains definitions of plagiarism, bribery, and cheating, and the procedures for reporting and adjudication of any such claims and offenses.)
ENJOY THE COURSE!