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NOTE: This course is open to all CCS students in all disciplines (see below) The history of art music has produced - along with the glorious fruits of genius - a number of bizarrely shapen seed pods we are not quite certain what to do with. The thesis of Jeremy Haladyna in this course is that such music, if only for having survived, merits inquiry - and that quite often, yesterday's non-conformist piece proves to be tomorrow's harbinger of change. UPDATE: This year's course version will include a larger dose of eccentric *prose writing* by composers in the form of essays, plays, etc. Iconoclastic pieces known to and beloved of the instructor will make an initial appearance, including: chromatic madrigals of Gesualdo, William Byrd's "The Bells," C.P.E. Bach's Sonaten fur Kenner und Liebhaber and mature Sinfonias, C.-M. Valentin Alkan and his etudes; Erik Satie: his Vexations, his Dessicated Embryos and his Bureaucratic Sonata ; Charles Ives' Universe Symphony ; Havergal Brian's Gothic Symphony; Sorabji's Opus Clavicembalisticum, Busoni's Fantasia Contrappuntistica; John Cage's 4'33"...all this and more. The role of the course-participant will be to fiercely debate the merits of each "fallen fruit." Our challenge will be to escape our own historical frame of reference in judging these pieces. Then each participant will have a choice of: 1) presenting his/her own eccentric example from the repertory, or 2) investigating further one of the case studies which the instructor presents. A final short paper will force each participant to take a philosophical position vis-a-vis an actual case study in musical extremism. This course is open to all CCS and L&S students willing to deal with a slight degree of musical nuts-and-bolts. One should be prepared for analytical discussion on the order of a music history text such as the Grout, "A History of Western Music," but not at the level of work in the major. In lieu of a textbook, the instructor will supply handouts and/or library reading on reserve. Instructor(s): Jeremy Haladyna Time(s): Tuesday and Thursday., 2:00-3:30 pm Place(s): Old Little Theatre, Rm. 154 << Back |
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