Course Title Course Code : Why Classical Music Matters : GEC358 / CLB9007 No. of Credits/Term : 3 Mode of Tuition : Lecture, Tutorial, Workshop Class Contact Hours : 3 hours per week Category in Core Curriculum : Cluster Course: Category Humanities and the Arts Study Year: 1 & 2 (proposed to be a foundation course) General Education: Category C Prerequisite(s) Co-requisite(s) Exclusion(s); Brief Course Description Aims : Western classical music is an integral part of daily life across many cultural and national boundaries. Understanding the art of classical music and its use in diversified and synergic social life will greatly enrich and enhance students life-long, whole person development. The aim of this course is to initiate students with little or no experience of classical music into the world of this cultural treasure. Students will be led through well-known examples of classical music to appreciate the great value of this art in its own terms. In addition, students will also be introduced to the practical use of music in the careers marketplace. The syllabus covers major musical styles, forms, composers, virtuoso players, the technology of music, and the representation of classical music in films, TV and advertisements. Students will discover how classical music has been an important creative source to these media that they are familiar with. No knowledge of music theory and history is required. : 1. To introduce students to classical music as a significant part of world cultural heritage and an important creative expression. 2. To develop students artistic sensibility of appreciating classical music in the popular forms of film and TV. 3. To train students elementary skills in writing about classical music and music in general. 1
Learning Outcomes Indicative Content Teaching Method : 1. Students will apprehend the creative nature and artistic characteristics of classical music as a part of world culture from the 17 th century to date. 2. Students will be able to identify a variety of musical artistic modes and to distinguish them from popular music with reference to artistic creativity, performance, form and style. 3. Students will be able to analyze and discuss the aesthetic, cultural, and practical issues about music in modern society. : 1. Introduction: The Nodame Cantabile heat and the education of classical music in Hong Kong 2. Classical Music in Film: E.g., Mozart (Amadeus), Beethoven s Symphony No. 9 (A Clockwork Orange), Piano concertos (The Competition), Bel canto (Farinelli), Jacqueline du Pré and Elgar s Cello Concerto (Hilary and Jackie), Beethoven (Immortal Beloved), Wagner s Tannhäuser and opera (Meeting Venus), Chopin s piano music (The Pianist), the violin virtuoso (The Red Violin) 3. Musical Styles and Composers: (i) Baroque e.g., Bach and counterpoint; (ii) Classical e.g., Mozart, Beethoven, the sonata form and the symphony; (iii) Romantic e.g., Berlioz and programme music; Wagner and Musikdrama; (iii) 20 th century and beyond e.g., Schoenberg and the 12-tone system; John Cage, Arvo Pärt and silence 4. Virtuoso Players and the Most Popular Classical Instruments: E.g., Martha Argerich PIANO plays Tchaikovsky s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Major ; Joshua Bell VIOLIN plays Vivaldi s Four Seasons; Jean-Pierre Rampal FLUTE plays Mozart s Flute Concerto No. 1 in G Major 5. Classical Musicians in Pop and Jazz: E.g., David Garret violin; Sarah Brightman soprano; Katherine Jenkins mezzo-soprano; Sir James Galway flute; Winton Marsalis trumpet; Renée Fleming soprano 6. Classical Music, Creativity and Technological Innovation: physics, engineering, acoustics and the invention of the modern woodwinds 7. Music Business: the use and value of music in post-university careers marketplace : Lecture, tutorial presentation and discussion, workshop, 2
meet-the-artist discussion session. Measurement of Learning Outcomes Assessment : 1. Quizzes to measure students general knowledge of classical music ranging from composers, works, styles, period, forms to performers. (L01, L02) 2. Aural tests to assess students ability to identify and differentiate musical styles and structures, musical instruments, levels of performance virtuosity. (L02) 3. Term project to test students general ability of materials and information gathering and to organize them in a coherent presentation in a variety forms of their choice, i.e. a research report, a sonic/video work, a photo essay, a series of music reviews for a magazine or newspaper. (L02, L03) 4. Written assignments to test students ability to analyze and discuss related musical issues in a continuous written form of some length. (L03) 5. Multimedia presentation to test students craft to put together a short lecture-demo on classical music and skills of communication with a group of audience. (L01, L02) : 100% Continuous Assessment 2 quizzes 20% 2 aural tests 20% 1 term project 20% 2 written assignments 20% 1 multimedia presentation and/or demo-lecture 20% Required Readings Harper-Scott, J P E, and Jim Samson, eds. An Introduction to Music Studies. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge U Press, 2009. Sethna Dhun H. Classical Music for Everybody: A Companion to Good Listening. Foreword by Zubin Mehta. Sierra Madre, CA: Fitzwilliam Press, 1997. Required Listening (selections from the following) (I) Orchestral Introduction Britten, Young Person s Guide to the Orchestra Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf (II) Baroque 3
Bach, Ouvertüre No. 2 BWV 1067 ---, Die Brandenburgischen Konzerte No. 5 ---, Little Fugue in G minor ---, Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G Major ---, Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 for organ Handel, Messiah Marcello, Oboe Concerto in D minor (and Bach s arrangement for harpsichord) Vivaldi, The Four Seasons (III) Classical Haydn, Symphony No. 94 ( The Surprise ) ---, Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major Mozart, Oboe Concerto in C Major ---, Flute Concerto No. 1 in G Major ---, Symphony No. 40 in G Minor Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 (IV) Romantic Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique Brahms, Symphony No. 1 Mahler, Symphony No. 5 Paganini, Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2 Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Major (V) Modern Cage, First Construction in Metal Debussy, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune Elgar, Cello Concerto in E minor Pärt, Tabula Rasa for two violins, string orchestra and prepared piano Piazzolla, Histoire du tango for flute and guitar Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 Stravinsky, Le Sacre du printemps Varèse, Ionization (VI) Opera Bartók, A kékszakállú herceg vára (Duke Bluebeard s Castle) Mozart, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) Wagner, Tannhäuser Recommended Readings Andrew, Jay Austin and Jeanne Foster Wardian. Introduction to Musical Fundamentals: A Programmed Textbook. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1993. Bernade, Arthur. The Physics of Woodwinds. Scientific America (Oct 1960). Böhm, Theobald. The Flute and Flute-Playing in Acoustical, Technical and Artistic Aspects. New York: Dover, 1964. Cook, Nicholas. Music: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. 4
Davis, Stephen. Musical Works and Performances: A Philosophical Exploration. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. DeNora, Tia. Music in Everyday Life. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Fineberg Joshua. Classical Music, Why Bother?: Hearing the World of Contemporary Culture Through a Composer's Ears. New York: Routledge, 2006. Goulding Phil G. Classical Music: The 50 Greatest Composers and Their 1,000 Greatest Works. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1995. Griffiths, Paul. Modern Music and After. Oxford: OUP, 1995. Johnson, Julian. Who Needs Classical Music?: Cultural Choice and Musical Value. New York: OUP, 2002. Kramer, Lawrence. Classical Music and Postmodern Knowledge. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995. ---. Why Classical Music Still Matters. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007. Veal, Margaret. Music for You: An Introduction to Musical Language, History and Form. Cambridge: National Extension College. 1995. Recommended Viewing (All titles refer to films unless otherwise stated) 2001 Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) Amadeus (Miloš Forman, 1984) A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971) The Competition (Joel Oliansky, 1980) Death in Venice (Luchino Visconti, 1971) Farinelli (Gérard Corbiau, 1994) Hilary and Jackie (Anand Tucker, 1998) Immortal Beloved (Bernard Rose, 1994) Meeting Venus (István Szabó, 1991) Music of the Heart (Wes Craven / 1999) Nodame Cantabile のだめカンタービレ (manga, TV drama, TV anime, 2001-2009) The Pianist (Roman Polanski, 2002) The Promise of Music (documentary / Enrique Sanchez Lansch / 2008) The Red Violin (Francois Girard, 1998) Remarks: Students shall be aware of the University regulations about dishonest practice in course work and the possible consequences as stipulated in the Regulations Governing University Examinations. 5