For those new to music history, a discussion of the meaning of the term "classical music", and an introduction to the Western art music of the second half of the eighteenth century.
This course provides an introductory survey of the Western classical tradition, exploring music as a phenomenon of both sound and culture. The focus of this course is the development of aural skills that lead to an understanding and appreciation of music; making use of live performances and streaming audio available on the Internet, the student will listen to and explore some of the most important and influential repertoires and genres of music that emerged in the last four centuries. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: Identify aesthetic qualities and compositional processes by studying and listening to significant works of music in both live performances and recorded media; Explain the historical and/or cultural contexts of musical works studied in this course; Demonstrate an aural ability by identifying specific forms, genres, musical techniques, and historical styles of Western classical music; Describe subjective reactions to musical examples and analyze specific expressive qualities that evoke responses; Write about music analytically and effectively, using vocabulary, language and a style appropriate to the discipline and expressing ideas clearly. (Music 101)
The primary influence of the Ottoman Empire on Western music, including a significant influence on the composers of the First Viennese School, came through the Ottoman military bands. The most lasting effect of this influence has been on the band traditions of Western Europe and the U.S.
This course fosters the development of aural skills that lead to an understanding of Western music. The musical novice is introduced to the ways in which music is put together and is taught how to listen to a wide variety of musical styles, from Bach and Mozart, to Gregorian chant, to the blues.
This site presents 130 music manuscripts, letters, and materials representative of a 3,500-item collection documenting the history of Western music from the medieval period through the modern era. Essays by musicologists discuss items from Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Handel, Liszt, Mozart, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and other composers.
This unit introduces ‘voice-leading’ or ‘Schenkerian’ analysis, perhaps the most widely-used and discussed method of analyzing tonal music. In this unit, this method is explained through the analysis of piano sonatas by Mozart.The unit is the first in the AA314 series of three units on this form of harmonic analysis, and concentrates on the ‘foreground level’ of voice leading.As you work through this unit, you will become familiar with five complete movements of Mozart’s piano sonatas, as well as shorter extracts from some of his other sonatas.
This unit continues our examination of ‘voice-leading’ or ‘Schenkerian’ analysis, perhaps the most widely-used and discussed method of analysing tonal music. In this unit, this method is explained through the analysis of piano sonatas by Mozart. The unit is the second in the AA314 series of three units on this form of harmonic analysis, and concentrates on the ‘middleground level’ of voice leading. As you work through this unit, you will become familiar with the deeper levels of harmony in Mozart’s piano sonatas.
" This course builds on the composition techniques practiced in 21M.303 Writing in Tonal Forms I. Students undertake further written and analytic exercises in tonal music, including a sonata-form movement for string quartet. Students will also have the opportunity to write short works that experiment with the expanded tonal techniques of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Musicianship laboratory is required."
