Critical Speaking Seminar From Monteverdi to Mozart: 200 Years of Musical Virtuosity MUSC Fall 2013

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1 1 Instructor Suzanne Bratt Critical Speaking Seminar From Monteverdi to Mozart: 200 Years of Musical Virtuosity MUSC Fall 2013 Class Time TR 3:00-4:30 Class Location Music Building 102 Office Hours TBD I. Course Description From Monteverdi to Mozart explores two centuries of music history by listening to musical virtuosity. Specific topics to be studied through discussions, debates, speeches, screenings, and lectures include: the emergence of opera; organology; Baroque music s use of rhetoric; music and emotion; composing practices for voice and instrument; and the creation of specific musical legends. II. Course Objectives This is a Communication Within the Curriculum seminar and thus in it, we will focus on improving communication skills while learning about two centuries of Western musical achievement. Effective public speaking requires a variety of technical skills (effective use of voice, of gesture, and of presentation aids), a mastery of the topic, demonstrated confidence in presenting on that topic, and the ability to respond to questions in a lucid and engaging way. With weekly public speaking exercises, your speech improvement will be tracked over the course of the semester always with clear guidelines, and always in the context of speech and music s commonality in sound. Course objectives are wide-ranging. During this semester, we will focus on the following: 1. Developing skills for communicating coherently and persuasively before an audience of your peers. 2. Getting accustomed to speaking publicly on a regular basis. 3. Learning about forms and practices of the 17 th and 18 th -century Western music tradition; learning about how virtuosi alternately created, worked within, and defied those same practices; and deploying that knowledge in debate and speech assignments. 4. Developing skills in critical listening and asking succinct questions. 5. Developing an appreciation of the Baroque and early Classical Western music tradition. III. Course Requirements & Grading A. Aspects of a Music Course

2 2 Music has been called the art of sound in time (Kerman & Tomlinson.) Appreciation of it can often involve new or unfamiliar ways of learning. In order to engage with sound, you will write brief responses to the assigned listening in a journal that I will read over Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, and at the course s end. It is vitally important to stay upto-date on assigned material; therefore, I strongly discourage writing everything the week or day! before you turn in your journal. In addition, excerpts from your journal may serve as primary sources of your own, for class discussion and thus I may ask you to read aloud from them. Guidelines for your listening journal will be distributed separately. It will count for 10% of your final grade. B. Group & Individual Presentations As this is a Critical Speaking Seminar, half of your course grade is based on two prepared oral presentations. Your group presentation will be a concert review, and your final presentation will be a proposal for a panel, or for a museum exhibit, tying in to Penn s Year of Sound. These presentations will be given to your peers in class, and videotaped for later critique. Each will require considerable preparation; thus, I will distribute detailed guidelines for each of these presentations, and I will be available for consultation through the process. Each project will require: a separate, hard copy bibliography and write-up; presentation media (Powerpoint or Prezi, and musical examples); a consultation with a CWiC advisor; and post-presentation discussion with me. C. CWiC Advisor During this semester, you will meet with an undergraduate speaking advisor outside of class at least twice one rehearsal for each of the two required presentations, and more meetings as you arrange them. The advisor is an undergraduate trained and paid to assist UPenn students with speech presentations. However, the advisor is not a TA, and will not grade your work. The 5% of your grade stemming from CWiC advising is for attendance and for the courtesy of having prepared your materials ahead of time. The advisor will communicate with me often, and will report if a student does not attend or is not prepared for an advising session. You must meet with the course s assigned advisor at least 48 hours prior to presentation. You may not work with other CWiC advisors for these projects (although you are free to use them for work from other courses during the CWiC Speaking Center walk-in hours). To schedule a session with your advisor use CWiC s online scheduler: A final note: the advisor has considerable training in public speaking, but is not

3 3 responsible for the course material. So, if you are having trouble with the material, please contact me so we can work through any problems together! D. Grading Rubric Attendance: 5% In class: Debates, extemporaneous speeches, impromptu exercises (10 total) 30% Listening Journal 10% CWiC advisor meetings 5% Group Presentation 20% Final Project 30% D. Academic Integrity All students are required to abide by the University of Pennsylvania s Code of Academic Integrity: A complete guide to the Code may be found at: The class will cover methods of citation appropriate for oral presentations. If you have any questions about citation practice, please make time to speak to me as early in the semester as possible. Any violation of the Code of Academic Integrity will be reported to the University, and result in drastic lowering of your grade, if not an F for the course. E. Attendance It is essential that you have regular attendance, not only because this course is based around learning to communicate with your fellow students, but also because many assignments will be oral and conducted in class. Please inform me of absences for religious holidays, serious illnesses, or emergencies, and document them according to the University s Course Absence Report policy: Unexcused absences will lower your final grade for every two, by half a letter grade. Additionally, if you miss any speaking exercise due to an unexcused absence, it cannot be made up. F. Technology & Comestibles Laptops are appropriate for having the readings ready to hand and for note-taking. E- mailing and Internet surfing in class are both prohibited, as is texting or talking on mobile devices. All devices must be turned off during your colleagues presentations. Penalties for the misuse of technology we will determine as a group, early in the semester. These penalties are of course subject to instructor approval.

4 4 Beverages are permitted in class, but food only during breaks as per any choir rehearsal! Schedule Th, 8/29 Introduction Myths of Music in the Renaissance In class: Readings of sound & music myth: Alexander & Timotheus, Echo, David & Saul, Orpheus, etc. [Not graded; diagnostic] T 9/3 Th 9/5 Orfeo : Part I Listening: Orfeo Reading: Monteverdi s Orfeo, Kelly, First Nights at the Opera Orfeo : Part II Reading: Pietro Bardi, on the Florentine Camerata, Strunk Source Readings in Music History, Vol. 4: The Baroque Era In class: Extemporaneous persuasive speech Though this is not quite bringing someone back from the grave, you want something else strongly enough to attempt to persuade your listeners. T 9/10 The Sounds of San Marco Listening: Excerpts, Monteverdi, Vespers Gabrieli, Canzoni (various) Schütz, Saul, was verfolgst du mich; Musikalische Exequien Reading: Excerpts, The Birth of the Orchestra, Spitzer/Zaslaw Schütz, Preface, Musikalische Exequien Schütz, Preface, Symphoniae Sacrae (II) In class: Exercises for voice projection & control. Th 9/12 Music in Love & War Listening: Monteverdi, Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda; Lasciatemi morire Reading: On the Music of Our Age, Della Valle, Strunk Source Readings in Music History, Vol. 4: The Baroque Era

5 5 T 9/17 Th 9/19 The 24 Violins of the King Listening: Excerpts, Lully, Atys Reading: Lully s Orchestra, from The Birth of the Orchestra, Spitzer/Zaslaw In class: Prepared debate Music flourishes best when sponsored by authorities vs. Music flourishes best in complete freedom Stradivari, Vivaldi, Corelli Listening: Vivaldi, La Stravaganza; Corelli, Concerto grosso, Op. 6 Reading: Excerpts, The Birth of the Orchestra, Spitzer/Zaslaw The Earliest Conservatories, in Weiss/Taruskin, Music in the Western World: A History in Documents -- T 9/24 Th 9/26 Introduction to Handel Listening: Handel, Concerto grosso, Op. 6; Suite No. 5, The Harmonious Blacksmith Reading: The Class of 1685 (I & II) Taruskin, Oxford History of Western Music Handel at Work Listening: Excerpts from Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks Reading: Stahura, Handel and the Orchestra, Cambridge Companion to Handel In class: Impromptu speech [a recap of the most exciting concert you have ever attended] T 10/1 Th 10/3 Handel s performers: Castrati Listening: Boschi, Qual guerriero ; additional arias Reading: Harris, Twentieth-Century Farinelli Handel opera: Giulio Cesare, Part I Listening: Excerpts, Giulio Cesare. [Possible screening over the weekend!] Reading: Excerpts, Burney, The State of Musick in France and Italy Plot summary of Giulio Cesare T 10/8 Giulio Cesare, Part II

6 6 In class: Impromptu Debate [[Today, castrati roles should be performed by male countertenors vs. Today, castrati roles should be performed by female mezzos/altos]] Th 10/10 Fall break: No class T 10/15 Th 10/17 Handel & oratorio Listening: Excerpts from Israel in Egypt Reading: Excerpts, Smith, Handel s Oratorios and 18 th Century Thought In class: Group presentation(s) The Handel myth Listening: Hallelujah Chorus, Messiah Reading: Burney, Account of the musical performances in Westminster-Abbey, and the Pantheon, May 26th, 27th, 29th, and June the 3rd, and 5th, 1784, in commemoration of Handel In class: Group presentation(s) T 10/22 Th 10/24 Introduction to Bach Bach s Cantatas: Working Under Pressure Listening BWV 82, Ich habe genug Reading: Excerpts, A. Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach, tr. R. Jones J. S. Bach, Entwurff einer wohlbestallten Kirchen Music Excerpts, Marshall, The Compositional Process of J. S. Bach Reception of Bach Cantatas Listening: Excerpts, BWV 21 Ich habe viel Bekümmernis Excerpts BWV 140, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme Reading: Critique of BWV 21. Matheson, 1725 Attack on Bach. J. A. Schiebe, 1737 Defense of Bach. J. A. Birnbaum, 1738 In class: Impromptu exercise: Preparation of a cantata on a certain given topic, using text excerpts and different musical styles T 10/29 Bach as keyboard virtuoso: the Well-Tempered Clavier Listening: Excerpts, WTC vols 1 & 2

7 7 Reading: Excerpts, Boyd, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Cambridge Companion to Bach Th 10/31 Bach the keyboard virtuoso: the organ Listening: Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582 Reading: Primary sources on Bach the performer, The Bach Reader In class: Exercise, in asking relevant & interesting questions of a professional musician Field trip: Organ performance in Irvine T 11/5 B-minor Mass, Part I Listening: B-minor Mass, complete Reading: Excerpts, J.S. Bach: The Learned Musician, Wolff Stauffer, Mass in B Minor Butt, Bach: Mass in B Minor Th 11/7 B-minor Mass, Part II T 11/12 Th 11/14 The Bach Myth Reading: C.P.E. Bach s Necrology ; various C.P.E. Bach letters Excerpts, Evening in the Palace of Reason, Gaines In class: Prepared debate: is Bach the greatest composer in world history? The Court of Frederick the Great Reading: Excerpts, C.P.E. Bach, Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments Quantz, On Playing the Flute Listening: C.P.E. Bach, Fantasia & Fugue in C minor T 11/19 Th 11/21 Introduction to Mozart: Prodigy of Prodigies Listening: Mozart, Concerto for 2 Pianos, No. 10 Reading: Letters from Mozart s early life Excerpts, L. Mozart, A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing Mozart & his singers: Idomeneo Listening: Idomeneo, exerpts Reading: Letters on Idomeneo, between Mozart & his father In class: Extemporaneous persuasive speech Musical nature vs. nurture: on the Ethics of Leopold Mozart s Parenting

8 8 T 11/26 Th 11/28 T 12/3 Th 12/5 Mozart & his audiences Listening: Mozart, Abendempfindung String Quartet in C major, No. 19, 1 st movement Symphony No. 1 in D major, Paris, 1 st movement Reading: Assorted Mozart letters Excerpts, Mozart: A Life, Solomon No class: Thanksgiving Listen to the Requiem; analyze your assigned document for presentation! Mozart: Requiem Listening: Requiem, complete Reading: Assigned individually [for exercise] In class: Document presentation; detective exercise The Mozart Myth. Reading: Excerpts, Mozart at the Gateway to his Fortune, Wolff In class: Final presentations T 12/10 Th 12/12 Conclusion In class: Final presentations Reading period In class: Final presentations Note: if need be, we will have final presentations in the scheduled final exam period as well Thursday, 12/19, from 12:00 to 2:00 pm.