75966 - Introduction to the Study of Music

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Cultural Heritage (cod. 8849)

Learning outcomes

This course focuses on the fundamental concepts of musical theory in the Western world, and the written and artistic music tradition from 17th to 20 th century in particular. Students are taught the principle elements of the musical language and learn to identify them by guided listenings.

Course contents

This course focuses on the fundamental concepts of musical theory in the Western world, and the written and artistic music tradition from 17th to 20 th century in particular. Students are taught the principle elements of the musical language and learn to identify them by guided listenings.

Course contents

The course is open to students from all the courses. Any students wishing to be introduced to musical language is very welcome, regardless of their previous musical experience.

The course will emphasize the cultural, social and ethic functions of music in any society.

The course will outline the musical theory of the Western world with particular reference to terminology and cultural and historical contexts. During the lessons students will be guided to listen, to recognize and to describe in an appropriate language a musical composition from artistic repertory. Students will be introduced to the main points of musical language - melody, rhythm, scales, polyphony, harmony, genres and forms. Through guided listening will be introduced to European artistic repertory from 17th to 20 th century.

Foreign students are required to ask for the program at least three months before the exams, writing to [mailto:donatella.restani@unibo.it]

Introduction

Introduction to the study of music as culture.

Music cultural heritage: knowledge, transmission, conservation and appreciation.

Musical knowledge: its history and contemporary meaning.

How to listen to music: an introduction.

How to recognize and to describe the main structures: intervals, scales, monody and polyphony, melody, tonality, rhythm, genres and forms.

How to listen to an orchestra: examples from 18th and 19th century' music.

How to listen and to recognize some main forms: Baroque suite, binary forms, ternary forms, aria col da capo, first time of sonata, concerto, symphony, ecc.

Second section

How to follow a music score: an introduction.

How to listen to Beethoven's Symphony 8, in the context of the Symphonies 1-7.

Times: II semester - First lesson: Monday, 4th February 2018, 1 pm.

Timetable: Monday, 13-15; Tuesday, 12-14; Wednesday, 11-13.

Lessons will be held at Facoltà di Conservazione dei Beni culturali, palazzo Corradini, via Mariani, 5 - Room 2 - Ravenna, – tel.: 0544 936911 http://www.cbc.unibo.it/Beni+Culturali/default.htm

Readings/Bibliography

Franco Alberto Gallo, Musica e storia da tre letture, "Musica e Storia", I, 1993, pp. 23-38.

Franco Alberto Gallo, Introduzione a Musica e storia tra Medio evo e Età Moderna, Bologna, 1986, pp. 9-29.

Francesco Alessandro Grillo, Compendio di teoria musicale, Meligrana, 2012.

Giorgio Pestelli, Il genio di Beethoven. Viaggio attraverso le nove Sinfonie, Donzelli, Roma 2016.

To the attending students other written and online bibliography will be suggested during the lessons.

For foreign students including those who don't attend the lessons:

C. Wright, Listening to Western Music, Boston, 2014, pp. 1-225.

Listening to Western Music (Yale University):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_yOVARO2Oc&list=PLh9mgdi4rNezhx8YiGIV8I22ICSuzslja

https://www.coursera.org/learn/introclassicalmusic/home/welcome

L. Lockwood, Beethoven: the Music and the Life, New York, Norton, 2003.

Further readings for Italian students who don't attend the lessons

S. Burnham, Il fattore Beethoven, in Enciclopedia della musica, IV: Storia della musica europea, cit., pp. 765-781;

G. Pestelli, L'età di Mozart e di Beethoven, Storia della musica, vol. 6, Torino, EdT, 1991: il capitolo su Beethoven.

Teaching methods

Audiovisuals, pc, films and listening will be used during the lessons. 

Audiovisuals: Leonard Bernstein, Concerts for Young People; and some movies regarding the musical genres and the function of music in education.

Individual tutoring may be provided.

Assessment methods

The examination will be oral. Both the first and the second part will be considered during the exam. The students which attended the lessons are welcome to introduce their individual research. First, the examination will consider the knowledge of the principal musical structures: monody and polyphony, intervals and chords, melody, rhythm, harmony, instruments and musical genres. Secondly, the student will demonstrate his degree in the description of a musical scores. At last, it will be considered the knowledge coming from the active and critical listening to music.

Teaching tools

PC with video projector,  sound reproduction instruments, video tools.

Office hours

See the website of Donatella Restani