Musicology Courses
501 Seminar in Academic Writing
Wendy Heller, Barbara White
A seminar designed to examine and cultivate scholarly writing.
503, 504 Medieval Musical Style & Notation (Every other year)
Staff
Style-critical problems, reading from the theorists and practical exercises in transcription from the musical notations of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries are studied.
505, 506 Studies in Comparative Musicology
Staff
An introduction to the study of music through a close examination of the theory and practice of one or more Asian regions of the world.
507 Transcription and Analysis
Staff
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with various sound structures through intense listening, transcribing, and analysis of selected pieces from Western and non-Western music cultures. Visual representation of musical sounds are dealt with as it appears in Western and non-Western musical tradition as well as in current scholarly works. The assignments involve transcription of various musical styles and the classes focus on discussing the validity and the problems of transcription in each case. Through transcription, analysis, and discussions, the course also aims to develop skill in listening and the appreciation of unusual melodic and rhythmic structures, providing an introduction to the folk music of several ethnic groups.
511 Problems in Early Christian Music (alternates with 512)
Staff
Historical, paleographic, and stylistic studies in the liturgical chants of the Christian East and West are studied.
512 Topics in Medieval Music (alternates with 511)
Staff
Source-critical, historical, and stylistic studies of one of the late medieval polyphonic repertories are studied.
Kofi Agawu, Simon A. Morrison
Text-critical and analytic studies in the works of one or several of the major figures are studied.
Wendy Heller, Simon A. Morrison
Critical, historical, and analytic studies of music, language, and drama in the European operatic tradition are studied.
517 Topics in the History of Musical Theory to 1725
Staff
Explores advanced problems in the development of earlier musical theory in the West.
518 Musical Theory from the 18th Century to the Present
Kofi Agawu, Scott G. Burnham
Studies in the history of tonal-harmonic and rhythmic-formal theory and of changing concepts of music theory in the West are explored.
519, 520 Topics in Music from 1600 to 1800
Wendy Heller
This seminar explores one or more topics in the history, analysis, and interpretation of music of the seventeenth and/or eighteenth century. Recent seminars have included: Handel in Italy; Gender and Sexuality in the Music of Early Modern Italy; Francesco Cavalli: Sources and Interpretation; J.S. Bach.
525, 526 Topics in Music from 1400 to 1600
Rob Wegman
One or more of the major vocal or instrumental repertories of the 15th and 16th centuries are explored.
527, 528 Seminar in Musicology
Staff
Original work in areas of current musicological significance will be presented to and reviewed by the seminar as the occasion arises. Emphasis is given to student projects, but work in progress by any member of the seminar may be discussed or a topic of particular controversy examined.
