| Syllabus |
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Note that for each class session there is normally a Reading assignment, a Writing assignment, and occasionally a Listening assignment. Many of the readings are listed to the left under Readings. The remainder are in Richard Taruskin’s Oxford History of Western Music, which can be accessed online by a link on the Reference Page. Many of the listening assignments are for recordings accessed through the Naxos Music Library (link on the left column). Copy the CD number, go to Naxos Music Library, enter the number and click on search. When no CD number is given, go to Pieces (link on the left column) and find the piece there. The pieces found in the Pieces page have texts and translations and scores. For more on the writing assignments, see Course Description (link on the left column). Thu Jan 18 The High Renaissance Reading: Lowinsky, Music in the Culture of the Renaissance,” pp 19-25 (Section I) Listening: Josquin Desprez - Ave Maria virgo serena = Naxos 00028948141340,tr 2 Click here for text and translation of Josquin’s motet Ave Maria...virgo serena Tue Jan 23 The High Renaissance, cont’d. Reading: Lowinsky, Music in the Culture of the Renaissance,” (Sections II and III) Writing Assignment 1: Half a page on Lowinsky’s essay (Sections II and III) Thu Jan 25 The High Renaissance, cont’d. Reading: Lowinsky, Music in the Culture of the Renaissance,” (Sections IV and V) An Approach to Style, by E. B. White Up to this point, the little book has been concerned with what is correct, or acceptable, in the use of English. In this final chapter, we approach style in its broader meaning: style in the sense of what is distinguished and distinguishing. Here we leave solid ground. Who can confidently say what ignites a certain combination of words, causing them to explode in the mind? Who knows why certain notes in music are capable of stirring the listener deeply, though the same notes slightly rearranged are impotent? These are high mysteries, and this chapter is a mystery story, thinly disguised. There is no satisfactory explanation of style, no infallible guide to good writing, no assurance that a person who thinks clearly will be able to write clearly, no key that unlocks the door, no inflexible rule by which writers may shape their course. Writers will often find themselves steering by stars that are disturbingly in motion. The preceding chapters contain instructions drawn from established English usage; this one contains advice drawn from a writer’s experience of writing. Since the book is a rule book, these cautionary remarks, these subtly dangerous hints, are presented in the form of rules, but they are, in essence, mere gentle reminders: they state what most us know and at times forget. Style is an increment in writing. When we speak of Fitzgerald’s style, we don’t mean his command of the relative pronoun, we mean the sound his words make on paper. All writers, by the way they use the language, reveal something of their spirits, their habits, their capacities, and their biases. This is inevitable as well as enjoyable. All writing is communication: creative writing is communication through revelation—it is the Self escaping into the open. No writer long remains incognito. If you doubt that style is something of a mystery, try rewriting a familiar sentence and see what happens. Any much-quoted sentence will do. Suppose we take “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Here we have eight short, easy words, forming a simple declarative sentence. The sentence contains no flashy ingredient such as “Damn the torpedoes!” and the words, as you see, are ordinary. Yet in that arrangement, they have shown great durability; the sentence is into its third century. Now compare a few variations: Times like these try men’s souls. How trying it is to live in these times! These are trying times for men’s souls. Soulwise, these are trying times. It seems unlikely that Thomas Paine could have made his sentiment stick if he had couched it in any of these forms. But why not? No fault of grammar can be detected in them, and in every case the meaning is clear. Each version is correct, and each, for some reason that we can’t readily put our finger on, is marked for oblivion. We could, of course, talk about “rhythm” and “cadence,” but the talk would be vague and unconvincing. We could declare soulwise to be a silly word, inappropriate to the occasion; but even that won’t do—it does not answer the main question. Are we even sure soulwise is silly? If otherwise is a serviceable word, what’s the matter with soulwise? Tue Jan 30 Luther’s Complaint Against the Catholic Church Reading: Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses of October 31, 1517 Listening: Josquin Desprez - Inviolata, integra et casta es, Maria Writing Assignment 2: Half a page on Luther’s 95 Theses Thu Feb 1 The Lutheran Chorale Reading: Walter E. Buszin, “Luther on Music” Listening: 1) Komm, heiliger Geist = Naxos 0091192BC, Disc 1, tr 1 (melody in soprano) Click here for notation of this Chorale 2) Aus tiefer Not = Naxos 8.558145, tr 14 3) Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland = Naxos: DOR-93168, tr 9 Writing Assignment 3: Half a page on Luther’s attitude toward music Hopefully. This once-useful adverb meaning “with hope” has been distorted and is now widely used to mean “I hope” or “it is to be hoped.” Such use is not merely wrong, it is silly. To say, “Hopefully I’ll leave on the noon plane” is to talk nonsense. Do you mean you’ll leave on the noon plane in a hopeful frame of mind? Or do you mean you hope you’ll leave on the noon plane? Whichever you mean, you haven’t said it clearly. Although the word in its new, free-floating capacity may be pleasurable and even useful to many, it offends the ear of many others, who do not like to see words dulled or eroded, particularly when the erosion leads to ambiguity, softness, or nonsense. Tue Feb 6 Calvin’s Philosophy of Worship Reading: Charles Garside, Jr., “Calvin’s Preface to the Psalter: A Re-Appraisal” Listening: metrical psalms from the Genevan Psalter: 1) Tune, Psalm 42, Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf bruire = Naxos HMC902033, tr 8, first 46 seconds 2) Goudimel, Psalm 42, Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf bruire = Naxos CD-138, tr 3 3) Sweelinck, Psalm 42, Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf bruire = Naxos HMC902033, tr 8, from 47th second to end 4) Johann Sebastian Bach, Gloria and Gratias from B-Minor Mass = Naxos GCD921112, tr 4 & tr 7 5) Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata BWV 10 = Naxos SDG165, tr 7, 13 5) Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata BWV 80 = Naxos SDG110, Disc 2, tr 10, 17 Writing Assignment 4: Half a page on Calvin’s attitude toward music Thu Feb 8 Music of the English Reformation Reading: 1) Matthew Westerholm, “Thomas Cranmer 1489-1556” 2) Excerpt from Cranmer’s letter to Henry VIII explaining his views on music Listening: Tallis, Why fum’th in fight = Naxos HMU807463DI, tr 1 Writing Assignment 5: Half a page on Cranmer’s attitute toward music Tue Feb 13 Music of the 16th-century Catholic Church Reading: Taruskin, Oxford History, Chapter 15, A Perfected Art: “All is known” Listening: Palestrina, Missa Papae Marcellae, Kyrie = Naxos 8.550573, tr 1 Writing Assignment 6: Half a page on Taruskin’s idea of an ars perfecta Thu Feb 15 Music of the 16th-century Catholic Church, cont’d. Reading: 1) Bishop Bernardino Cirillo, Letter to Messer Ugolino Gualteruzzi 2) From the diary of Angelo Massarelli (1555) re. Pope Marcellus II 3) Agostino Agazzari, excerpt from Del sonare sopra il basso con tutti gli strumenti (1607) 4) Giuseppe Baini, excerpt from Memorie storico-critiche della vita e delle opere Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Writing Assignment 7: One page on the Catholic bishops’ complaint about music Tue Feb 20 Listening while there is no class: Example of monody:  Amarilli, mia bella from Caccini’s Le nuove musiche, 1602 Video of performance of monody by Giulio Caccini: Amarilli, mia bella (1602) No class Thu Feb 22 Video of Monteverdi’s opera Orfeo of 1607 No class 2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. Thus write, red, white, and blue gold, silver, or copper He opened the letter, read it, and made a note of its contents. This comma is often referred to as the “serial” comma. In the names of business firms the last comma is usually omitted. Follow the usage of the individual firm. Little, Brown and Company Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Tue Feb 27 Music of the 16th-century Catholic Church, cont’d. Reading: Taruskin, Oxford History, Chapter 16, The End of Perfection, “Utopia” Listening: Lassus, Tristis est anima mea Writing Assignment 8: One page on why Taruskin believes Utopias can never last Thu Mar 1 Music of the 16th-century Church in England Reading: Kerman, “William Byrd: Catholic and Careerist” Listening: 1) Byrd, Christe, qui lux es et dies 2) Byrd, Puer natus est Writing Assignment 9: Two pages on the career of William Byrd Tue Mar 6 Music of the 16th-century Church in England, cont’d. Reading: Taruskin, Oxford History, Chapter 16, The End of Perfection 1) “Byrd” 2) “The First English Cosmopolite” Listening: 1) Byrd, Ave verum corpus = Naxos HMU807572DI, tr 1 2) Gibbons, O clap your hands = Naxos HMU807650DI, tr 10 2) Richard Wagner, The Ride of the Valkyries = Naxos 00028948083329, tr 2 2) Gioachino Rossini, The William Tell Overture = Naxos SCD1155, tr 5, beginning at 7:45 Writing Assignment 10: 3-page paper on “Sixteenth-Century Sacred Music: The Ars perfecta versus Music for the Congregation to Sing” Thu Mar 8 MID-TERM take-home exam due via e-mail. We will also listen to music in class. Various performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, with emphasis on the great harpsichord cadenza at the end of the first movement: Performance 1 Performance 2 Performance 3 Performance 4 Performance 5 A great performance of Bach’s First Keyboard Concerto in D minor: Performance 1 Two performances of Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata in C, Op. 53: Lucas Jussen Valentina Lisitsa A performances of Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata in B-flat, Op. 106: Alfred Brendel SPRING BREAK, Mar 10-18 Tue Mar 20 Reformation and Counter-Reformation Reading: Taruskin, Oxford History, Chapter 18, Reformation and Counter-Reformation: Music of the Lutheran Church; Venetian Cathedral Music: 1) “The Challenge” 2) “The Lutheran Chorale” 2) Walter E. Buszin, “Luther on Music” Listening: Wert, Vox in Rama Writing Assignment 11: re-write Writing Assignment 9 Thu Mar 22 Reformation and Counter-Reformation, cont’d. Reading: Taruskin, Oxford History, Chapter 18, Reformation and Counter-Reformation: Music of the Lutheran Church; Venetian Cathedral Music: “The Response” Listening: Giovanni Gabrieli, Surrexit Christus à 11, C. 66 = Naxos 00028945342726, tr 6 Writing Assignment 12: One page on what Taruskin calls “The Challenge” Tue Mar 27 Reformation and Counter-Reformation, cont’d. Reading: Bainton, excerpt from The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century Listening: 1) Giovanni Gabrieli, Hic est filius à 18, C. 132 = Naxos 00028945342726, tr 16 2) Claudio Monteverdi, Gloria in excelsis Deo à 7, SV 258 = Naxos RKAP14110, tr 6 Writing Assignment 13: One page on Venetian cathedral music Thu Mar 29 Reformation and Counter-Reformation, cont’d. Reading: Taruskin, Oxford History, Chapter 18, Reformation and Counter-Reformation: Music of the Lutheran Church; Venetian Cathedral Music: “ ’Concerted’ Music” Listening: Jacobus Gallus - Mirabile mysterium performed by Stile Antico 1) Heinrich Schütz, Warum toben die Heiden, SWV 23 (Ps. 2) = Naxos 00028946304624, tr 3 2) Heinrich Schütz, Jauchzet Gott dem Herren, alle Welt, SWV 36, (Ps. 100) = Naxos RKAP1414110, tr 10 Writing Assignment 14: one page on Bainton’s account of the Reformation Tue Apr 3 Instrumental Music, Dances Reading: Taruskin, Oxford History, Chapter 15, A Perfected Art: “Dances Old and New ” Listening: Etienne du Tertre, Première suytte de Branles Writing Assignment 15: Complete final edit of Writing Assignment 9 and complete bibliography for 6-page research paper Thu Apr 5 Instrumental Music, cont’d., Divisions & Ornamentation Reading: Robin A. Leaver, “The Reformation and Music,” Excerpt 1 Listening: Giovanni Bassano, Ung gay bergère Writing Assignment 16: Start re-writing Writing Assignment 10 Tue Apr 10 Instrumental Music, cont’d., The In nomine Reading: Robin A. Leaver, “The Reformation and Music,” Excerpt 2 Listening: William Byrd, In nomine No. 5 Writing Assignment 16: Finish re-writing Writing Assignment 10 Thu Apr 12 Instrumental Music, cont’d., The In nomine, cont’d. Reading: Robin A. Leaver, “The Reformation and Music,” Excerpt 3 Listening: John Bull, In nomine No. 10 Writing Assignment 17: Re-write Writing Assignment 8 Tue Apr 17 Mannerism Reading: Excerpt from John Shearman, Mannerism Listening: Marenzio, Solo e pensoso Writing Assignment 18: Re-write Writing Assignment 7 Thu Apr 19 Mannerism, cont’d. Reading: Excerpt 1 from Marcia Hall, After Raphael Listening: Gesualdo, Judas mercator pessimus Writing: Complete re-writes of Assignment 10 and 8 Tue Apr 24 Mannerism, cont’d. Reading: Excerpt 2 from Marcia Hall, After Raphael Listening: Gesualdo, Ecce vidimus eum Writing Assignment 18: Complete re-write of Assignment 7 Thu Apr 26 Mannerism, cont’d. Reading: Excerpt 3 from Marcia Hall, After Raphael Review Tue May 1 Review Thu May 3 Review Writing Assignment 19: Six-page research Paper on “Music During the Renaissance: An Age of Religious and Secular Transformations” due by 5:00 p.m. Submit as Word document attachment to blachly.3@nd.edu Tue May 8, 10:30 - 12:30 FINAL EXAM (Take-Home Exam Due via e-mail by 12:30 May 8) |