Catalog Description

Hours: 54 lecture
Description: Study of the history of Western art music from the end of the Baroque era to the present, including contributions of other cultures with selected readings and recordings. (CSU, UC)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Identify, analyze and critique musical forms used by composers during the Classical Era, c. 1740s-1820s.
  • CSLO #2: Compare and contrast the operas of Mozart with the Music Dramas of Wagner and the grand operas of Verdi.
  • CSLO #3: Compare and contrast the early 20th century music of Copland, Elgar, and Satie with their contemporary Modernist composers Stravinsky, Berg and Schoenberg.

Effective Term

Spring 2021

Course Type

Credit - Degree-applicable

Contact Hours

54

Outside of Class Hours

108

Total Student Learning Hours

162

Course Objectives

1. Identify influences of The Enlightenment in the musical life of European artists and audiences.
2. Compare and contrast Baroque to Classical opera and "opera buffa" to "comic opera."
3. Identify and describe the musical forms used by Mozart and Haydn.
4. Outline the form of a minuet.
5. Compare and contrast a symphony and concerto.
6. Describe the major contributions Beethoven made to the development of 19th century music.
7. Compare and contrast "programmatic music" to "pure music."
8. Compare and contrast the Romantic virtuoso performers with the Classic soloists.
9. Compare and contrast the operas of Mozart with the "Music Dramas" of Wagner and the grand operas of Verdi.
10. Describe the changes and influences of vernacular music to fine art music of the twentieth century.
11. analyze the "Impressionistic" traits and influences of the music of Debussy;
12. compare and contrast music of Copland, Elgar, and Satie of the first half of the 20th century with
their contemporary modernist composers Stravinsky, Schoenber and Berg;
13. Analyze the impact and influence of a global culture with technology on musicians and audiences.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • AA/AS - Fine Arts
  • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
    • CSUGE - C1 Arts
  • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
    • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)
      • IGETC - 3A Arts

    Articulation Information

    • CSU Transferable
    • UC Transferable

    Methods of Evaluation

    • Objective Examinations
      • Example: 1. Instructor will design a listening examination covering compositions from the 19th Century Romantic Era asking students to identify specific compositions’ name of the piece, composer, genre, style features. For example: Erlkoenig—Schubert—Lied/Art Song—piano accompaniment imitating horse’s galloping hooves as part of word painting. Instructor will assess the accuracy of answers. 2. An exam consisting of multiple choice, true or false, matching and short answer covering material for a specific era' music, history, composers and performance practice. For example: Multiple Choice: The first 18th century repertoire to be absorbed into a permanent canon of admired works in the 19th century was: a. Chamber music of Corelli b. Keyboard music of Couperin and Rameau c. Keyboard music of J.S. Bach d. Oratorios of Handel and Haydn e. Operas of Vivaldi and Scarlatti Short Answer: Beethoven’s resolve to persevere in 1802 as a composer despite his deafness was affirmed in a document now known as_______________. (The Heiligenstadt Testament)
    • Projects
      • Example: 1.Students will form groups of three and present as a group a project assigned by the instructor. The project will be a specific opera from either the 19th or 20th century (Puccini’s La Bohème or Adam’s Dr. Atomic for example). Plot, historical circumstances of the opera, contributions to the genre should be included. Instructor will create a grading rubric for evaluating accuracy of content, use of technology in presentation and thoroughness in presenting specific details of the opera and composer. 2. Class presentation on various composers' approach to the 19th Century art song. Instructor will create a rubric for evaluating accuracy of content, use of technology in presentation and thoroughness in presenting specific details, for example: evaluating the different approaches to piano accompaniment between Schubert and Schumann and the impact on the song text.

    Repeatable

    No

    Methods of Instruction

    • Lecture/Discussion
    • Distance Learning

    Lecture:

    1. Instructor will present a recording of a piano concerto by Brahms and guide the class through an examination of the characteristics of a 19th century concerto. Instructor will then ask questions about the difference between the 18th and 19th century concerto to reveal student understanding of stylistic and formal differences.
    2. After presenting a lecture on the 20th Century opera Wozzeck of Alban Berg, instructor will have the class form small groups, assign specific operas from the 19th and 20th century for each group to compare, contrast and prepare a presentation to the class on their findings.

    Distance Learning

    1. The same lesson will take place via video lecture, and students will discuss the differences in 18th and 19th centuries concerto in a quiz/short answer format.
    2. The same lesson will take place via video lecture, and students will be split into small groups to participate in a discussion forum to compare and contrast specific operas.

    Typical Out of Class Assignments

    Reading Assignments

    1. Read the Chapter on Romantic Era: Song and Piano Music and discuss the impact on musicians and composers of the decline of aristocratic patronage. 2. Research a selected topic studied (for example: minimalism in the music of Philip Glass and John Adams) and include findings for discussion in class.

    Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

    1. Write a comparison of the social influences in the Classical period and the Romantic Period with regards to the function and characteristics of each musical era. 2. Write an essay showing how the expansion of the size of the orchestra reflected or influenced the evolution of art music in the 19th century.

    Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

    1. Prepare a research paper of at least five pages (typed, double spaced) which compares a type of composition, such as a concerto or art song, written in different eras.

    Required Materials

    • A History of Western Music
      • Author: Burkholder, Grout and Palisca
      • Publisher: W. W. Norton
      • Publication Date: 2014
      • Text Edition: 9th
      • Classic Textbook?: No
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • A History of Music in Western Culture
      • Author: Bond, Mark Evans
      • Publisher: Pearson
      • Publication Date: 2013
      • Text Edition: 4th
      • Classic Textbook?: No
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • Absolute Music: The History of an Idea
      • Author: Bonds, Mark Evan
      • Publisher: Oxford University Press
      • Publication Date: 2014
      • Text Edition: 1st
      • Classic Textbook?: No
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • Norton Anthology of Western Music, Volumes 1, 2 and 3
      • Author: J. Peter Burkholder and Claude Palisca
      • Publisher: W. W. Norton
      • Publication Date: 2014
      • Text Edition: 7th
      • Classic Textbook?: No
      • OER Link:
      • OER:

    Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.