51-2110 Twentieth-Century Music

Twentieth century classical music demands that we listen in new ways, that we test our assumptions regarding sound, and that we question our understanding of aesthetics. It may be described as the expansion, emancipation and re-merger of those features defining music prior to the 1900s: melody, harmony, form, timbre, texture and orchestration. We will examine this transformation, highlighting the events that catalyzed new directions in composition and performance. Wherever possible, the music examined is tied to general historical developments at the period of its conception. Ancillary figures, those generating functions or art achievements not strictly related to music, are studied whenever their activity seems to be germane to heightened understanding on the part of the student. All concert music heard is primarily of a classical. genre. Whenever any other music is referred to, such as jazz, folk or world, brief examples are used.

3 Credits
HU