Music 471

Compositional Techniques: Romanticism and 20^th Century

Forrest Tobey Syllabus: Fall, 2011

Course Description: This is the third course in a sequence of three music theory courses at Earlham College. Every year I think of different ways to approach the vast topic of teaching composition and music theory in the 21^st Century.

Our focus this semester is going to be on the entire question of the diatonic (which includes the modal) and the chromatic. We will look at how compositions in the 19^th and 20^th centuries explore this creative tension, and we will look at what these concepts mean for a 21^st Century composer. By choosing this approach, I hope to break down artificial barriers that have been placed between “old music and new music” and between “classical music and jazz/rock/popular music.” By looking at tonality and modality, diatonicism and chromaticism, we can look across time periods and styles. We can investigate how modern modal thinking changes the “rules” of part writing, and we can also investigate what the concept of a “post-tonal theory” means in the light of today’s polyglot musical space.

Course Materials:

· Charles Burkhart, Anthology for Musical Analysis, 6^th edition. This will be our reference for numerous analytical exercises.

· The online course “A Feeling for Harmony,” Book III. This site was re-envisioned over the summer and will continue to develop as the semester progresses.

· A course packet of score excerpts.

· Practica Musica Ear Training Software

Plans and Procedures

The course is divided into 9 sessions, with the following main topics:

1. Foundations (Review sessions and composition assignment) (Aug 24—Sep 5)
1. Concepts to review:

i. Chapter 1 of Book III and everything from the two previous semesters!

2. Assignments and Evaluation

1. This will be a general review of functional harmony

2. Part writing using sequences, N6 and Aug6

3. Chorale writing using chromatic harmony

2. Head in the clouds, feet on the ground: Chopin, Grieg, Dvorak, Liszt, Brahms and folk music in the 19^th century classical tradition (Sep 7—Sep 21)
1. Works to study in detail

i. Chopin Mazurkas

ii. Grieg Lyric Pieces and Norwegian Folk Songs

iii. Excerpts from Dvorak and Brahms

2. Concepts to be covered

i. Using Modal scales in a tonal concept

ii. Harmonic setting of folk songs and folk-like materials

3. Assignments and Evaluation:

i. Mazurka in the style of Chopin

ii. Successful setting of a traditional folk song for voice and instruments

3. Into each life, some Wagner must fall (Sep 24—Sep 30)
1. Work to be studied in detail

i. Prelude and “Love-Death” from Tristan und Isolde

2. Concepts to be covered

i. Extended chromaticism and unresolved dissonance

ii. Continuous non-resolution of dominant seventh chords

iii. Loss of tonal center

iv. Philosophy set to music

3. Assignments and Evaluation:

i. Group assignment to understand the Prelude

ii. Exam on topics covered

4. MID TERM EXAM (Take home, early October)
1. All of the 18^th and 19^th Century harmony will be here!
2. We will review these materials.
5. Brilliant Colors and esoteric thought: Impressionism and Jazz (Oct 3—Oct 14)
1. Works to study in detail:

i. Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

ii. Debussy: Nocturnes and Preludes for Piano

iii. Ravel: Jeux D’Eau and Sonatine

iv. Gershwin: Excerpts from Porgy and Bess

v. Ellington: excerpts

2. Concepts to be covered:

i. The re-emergence of modal thinking

ii. Seventh chord consonance

iii. Parallel harmonies and whole tone scales

iv. Speculative music theory and Debussy

v. The French-American connection and 1920’s jazz

Assignments

vi. Various modal/whole tone/pentatonic assignments

vii. Analysis of Debussy and Gershwin

viii. Impressionism in film score

ix. Composition in impressionistic style

6. Stravinsky’s the man (Oct 17—Oct 28)
1. Work to be studied in detail

i. The Rite of Spring

2. Concepts to be covered:

i. Evocation of Russian folk music

ii. Rhythm, rhythm, rhythm

iii. Cubism and Stravinsky

3. Assignments:

i. Individual presentations on aspects of this piece

ii. Exam on topics covered.

7. Journey to the East (Oct 31—Nov 11)
1. Works to be studied in detail

i. Liszt: The grandfather of modernism

ii. Bartok: String quartet No. 2 and 4

iii. Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste

iv. Messaien: Quartet for the end of Time.

2. Concepts:

i. Golden Section/Fibonacci music

ii. Hungarian modality

iii. Influence of Hindustani and Gypsy music

iv. Non-retrograde rhythms

3. Assignments:

i. Analysis of Bartok and Messaien

ii. Compositional exercises based on Bartok’s techniques

iii. Compositional exercises based on Messaien’s techniques

iv. Golden section/Overtone scale composition

8. Eat your 12-tone music, it’s good for you (Nov 14—Nov 18)
1. Works to be studied in detail

i. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire and 5 Pieces for Orchestra

ii. Schoenberg: Suite for Piano and 4^th String Quartet

iii. Webern: Symphony

2. Concepts:

i. Atonality

ii. 12 tone-techinque

3. Assignments:

i. Analysis of a 12-tone composition

ii. Exercises and Composition: atonal sketch

iii. Composition of a 12-tone work

9. So what’s happening now?: Integration, Originality, Minimalism, Eclecticism, Internationalism. (Nov 28 — Dec 9)
1. Works to be studied will include:

i. Post-serialism

ii. Elliott Carter: Sonata, Variations for Orchestra

iii. Steve Reich: Tehelim

iv. Tan Dun: Ghost Opera

v. Wither composition, 2009?

Final Projects

During the final week of classes, there will be individual 30-minute presentations on a 20^th/21^st Century composer and composition of your choice.

A final composition or analysis project will be due on the day of the final.

Grading

Exercises/Analysis: 30% Compositions: 30%

Exams 20% Oral presentation 10% Final Project 10%