B8722 - STORIA E STORIOGRAFIA DELLA MUSICA MODERNA E CONTEMPORANEA (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course students will:- know the theoretical and aesthetic conceptions underlying the compositional practices of Romanticism and the 20th century; - understand the historical, sociological and aesthetic reasons that, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, determined the crisis of the tonal system and the development of the musical avant-garde; deal with the issues inherent in the history of modern and contemporary music, in its intertwining with political-cultural ideologies and other coeval artistic manifestations.

Course contents

The course examines two pivotal moments in the history of music from the late nineteenth to the twentieth century: the first musical avant-garde, which developed between the late nineteenth century and the 1930s (with particular emphasis on Claude Debussy, Arnold Schoenberg, and Igor Stravinsky), and the post-war second avant-garde (focusing on Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luigi Nono, and Luciano Berio). Through the study of the principal compositional languages, historical and aesthetic categories, and selected works by some of the leading composers of the period, the course explores the transformations that led from the crisis of the tonal system to the most radical musical experiments of the second half of the twentieth century. Particular attention will be paid to the relationships between musical innovation, aesthetic thought, historical context, and the other arts.

By the end of the course, students will be able to identify the principal musical languages of the twentieth century through guided listening, situate works within their historical and cultural contexts, and understand the major compositional innovations introduced by the first and second avant-gardes. They will also be able to relate developments in musical language to contemporary aesthetic debates and to other artistic practices of the period.

Readings/Bibliography

Guido Salvetti, La nascita del Novecento (The Birth of the Twentieth Century), Turin: EDT, 2013: chapters on Debussy, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky.

Andrea Lanza, Il secondo Novecento (The Second Half of the Twentieth Century), Turin: EDT, 2014: the section "The Post-War Avant-Gardes."

Selected Essays

Claude Debussy, Monsieur Croche the Dilettante Hater, Milan: SE, 2000, pp. 3–20.

Arnold Schoenberg, in Style and Idea: Essays on Music, Milan: PGreco, 2013 (or any other edition), the essay "New Music, Outmoded Music, Style and Idea."

Pierre Boulez, in Stocktakings from an Apprenticeship, Turin: Einaudi, 1968, the essay "Schoenberg Is Dead."

Luciano Berio, in Remembering the Future: American Lectures, Milan: Il Saggiatore, 2025, the lecture "Translating Music."

Students will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of, and discuss the principal characteristics of, three musical compositions of their choice by composers and from periods covered during the course.

Teaching methods

Lecture

Assessment methods

The assessment consists of an oral examination based on questions covering the course syllabus. The examination requirements are the same for attending and non-attending students.

The assessment will primarily focus on the accuracy of the content, followed by the clarity of the presentation.

The use of AI tools during the examination is strictly prohibited in any form, including chatbots, text generators, advanced translation tools, content summarization tools, and AI features integrated into electronic devices. Any use of AI constitutes a violation of the principles of academic honesty and integrity set out in the University's Policy and may result in the examination being declared invalid by the instructor.

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), temporary or permanent disabilities, or other certified learning needs are encouraged to contact the University's dedicated support office as early as possible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ) as well as the course instructor, so that appropriate arrangements and effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for the examination can be discussed.

Office hours

See the website of Anna Scalfaro