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Abstract/Syllabus:
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Robison, Brian, 21M.263 Music Since 1960, Spring 2006. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare), http://ocw.mit.edu (Accessed 09 Jul, 2010). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA
21M.263 Music Since 1960
Spring 2006
Course Highlights
This course features an extensive listening list with links to brief samples.
Course Description
This course begins with the premise that the 1960s mark a great dividing point in the history of 20th century Western musical culture, and explores the ways in which various social and artistic concerns of composers, performers, and listeners have evolved since that decade. It focuses on works by classical composers from around the world. Topics include the impact of rock, as it developed during the 1960s - 70s; the concurrent emergence of post serial, neotonal, minimalist, and new age styles; the globalization of Western musical traditions; the impact of new technologies; and the significance of music video, video games, and other versions of multimedia. The course interweaves discussion of these topics with close study of seminal musical works, evenly distributed across the four decades since 1960; works by MIT composers are included.
Syllabus
Course Description
We'll explore the ways in which various social and artistic concerns of composers, performers, and listeners have evolved since the 1960s, with a focus on works by classical composers from around the world. Topics to be surveyed include: the legacy of serial composition, and the panoply of reactions against it; the cross-fertilization of classical and other styles, including jazz, rock, and music of other cultures; the emergence of post-serial, neo-tonal, minimalist, and post-minimalist styles; and the impact of new technologies throughout the period. Discussion of these topics will be grounded in close study of landmark musical works, evenly distributed across the four-and-a-half decades since 1960. Works by MIT composers will be included.
Textbooks
Two books are required for this course:
Griffiths, Paul. Modern Music and After: Directions Since 1945. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN: 0198165110.
Duckworth, William. Talking Music: Conversations with John Cage, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson and 5 Generations of American Experimental Composers. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 1999. ISBN: 0306808935.
Additional readings are assigned from several other sources.
Classroom Preparation and Participation
Please be sure to read the specified texts and listen to the specified works before the class meeting for which they're assigned. There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there is a clear distinction between questions (or comments) that demonstrate proper preparation, and those that indicate the lack of same. Depending on the size of the class, you ought to plan on contributing three to five questions or comments in each class meeting. (Anything less will be conspicuous as a deficit of participation; anything more suggests that you might give your peers more opportunities to contribute.)
Listening Quizzes
Four times during the semester, I'll administer a quiz in which I play excerpts from musical works and ask you to identify them as thoroughly as you can. For full credit, you'll need to identify the composer (first and last names), title (in the case of a single movement, naming both the movement itself and the larger work from which it's drawn), the year(s) of composition, and the techniques or trends that the music manifests (i.e., why did I assign this piece of music?).
Analytic Reviews of Live Performances
You're required to submit four reviews, each evaluating a live performance of a suitable musical work. Each review ought to be 1-3 pp. in length (ca. 500 words), and ought to distinguish between the strengths and weaknesses of the work and of the performance (e.g., a piece might be brilliantly composed, but sloppily performed...; or vice versa). Toward the latter end, you ought to learn as much as possible about each piece before attending the performance, especially if a recorded performance is available by which you can familiarize yourself with the work.
Term Paper and Presentation
During the semester, you'll choose and pursue a topic of research grounded in the techniques and trends that we survey. You may investigate a particular work, or a composer, or a musical style, and your choice need not be drawn directly from the music covered during the lectures. You may choose to consider your chosen topic strictly within the context of contemporary music history, or you may incorporate perspectives from another discipline, such as cognitive psychology, ethnomusicology, feminist theory, gender studies, literary criticism, mathematics, philosophy, theology, or the visual arts. That is, a purely analytic paper is possible, but your investigation of the music can be energized and enriched by engaging one of your extra-musical intellectual interests.
Additionally, you'll present selected findings to the class, during one of the May class meetings. I recommend that you prepare a text, from which you may read directly, of ca. 5-7 pp. in length, or perhaps slightly less (depending on the duration of the audio excerpts you play by way of illustration).
Summary of Grade Weights
Grading criteria.
ACTIVITIES |
PERCENTAGES |
Classroom Preparation and Participation |
20% |
Four Listening Quizzes |
20% |
Analytical Reviews of Live Performances |
10% |
Term Paper Prospectus and Draft |
10% |
Term Paper (Final Version) |
10% |
Classroom Presentation |
10% |
Final Examination |
20% |
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Further Reading:
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Readings
Readings assigned for each class session are given in the following table.
Duckworth = Duckworth, William. Talking Music: Conversations with John Cage, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson and 5 Generations of American Experimental Composers. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 1999. ISBN: 0306808935.
Ford = Ford, Andrew. Composer to Composer: Conversations About Contemporary Music. Australia, Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 1994. ISBN: 1863734430.
Griffiths = Griffiths, Paul. Modern Music and After: Directions Since 1945. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN: 0198165110.
New sounds = Griffiths, Paul. New Sounds, New Personalities: British Composers of the Nineteen Eighties. London, UK: Faber & Faber, 1985. ISBN: 0571100619.
Rockwell = Rockwell, John. All American Music: Composition in the Late 20th Century. New York, NY: Vintage/Knopf Publishing Group, 1984. ISBN: 0394722469.
Schwartz and Childs = Schwartz, Elliott, and Barney Childs. Contemporary Composers on Contemporary Music. 2nd ed (reprint). Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 1998. ISBN: 0306808196.
Schwartz and Godfrey = Schwartz, Elliott, and Daniel Godfrey. Music Since 1945: Issues, Materials and Literature. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 1993. ISBN: 0028730402.
Simms = Simms, Bryan. Composers on Modern Musical Culture. New York, NY: Schirmer Books, 1999. ISBN: 0028647513.
Course readings.
LEC # |
TOPICS |
Readings |
1 |
Welcome
Ritual Reading of the Syllabus
Overview |
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Prelude: 1900-1960 |
2 |
Expressionism and Serial Technique
Arnold Schoenberg: Pierrot lunaire (1912), Variations for Orchestra (1928)
Alban Berg: Five Orchestral Songs (Altenberg-Lieder) (1912), Wozzeck (1922), Lulu (1935)
Anton Webern: Slow Movement for String Quartet (1905), Six Bagatelles for String Quartet (1913), Piano Variations (1936) |
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3 |
Primitivism, Neoclassicism, Mavericks
Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (1913), The Rake's Progress (1951)
Maurice Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin (1917)
Béla Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta (1936)
Olivier Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps (1940)
Edgard Varèse: Hyperprism (1923) |
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4 |
Electronics and Other Developments after World War II
Pierre Boulez: Structures I (1952), Le marteau sans maître (1954)
Karlheinz Stockhausen: Gesang der Jünglinge (1956), Zyklus (1959)
Edgard Varèse: Poème électronique (1958)
Iannis Xenakis: Metastasis (1954) |
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Unit One: Order and Entropy |
5 |
Pierre Boulez: Pli selon pli [Fold upon Fold] (1957-62)
Ralph Shapey: Incantations (1961)
Luigi Nono: Canti di vita e d'amore (1962)
Igor Stravinsky: Requiem Canticles (1965-66) |
Griffiths. pp. 70-99 and 104-115.
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 78-106.
Rockwell. pp. 60-70 (Shapey).
Simms. pp. 145-151 (Boulez). |
6 |
Donald Martino: Notturno (1973)
Elliott Carter: A Mirror on which to Dwell (1975)
Iannis Xenakis: Pleïades (1979)
Charles Wuorinen: Capriccio (1981) |
Ford. pp. 1-9 (Carter).
Griffiths. pp. 53-59 (Carter); 91, 198 (last paragraph), and 200 (Xenakis).
Rockwell. pp. 37-46 (Carter).
Schwartz and Childs. pp. 261-273 (Carter), and 367-375 (Wuorinen).
Simms. pp. 227-234 (Carter). |
7 |
Karlheinz Stockhausen: Samstag [Saturday] (1981-83) from Licht [Light]
Brian Ferneyhough: Intermedio alla ciccona (1986)
Pierre Boulez: Sur incises (1996-98) |
Ford. pp. 17-28 (Boulez), 137-146 (Stockhausen), and 147-155 (Ferneyhough).
Griffiths. pp. 244-248 (Stockhausen's Licht), and 294-303 (Ferneyhough).
New sounds. pp. 65-83 (Ferneyhough).
Schwartz, and Childs. pp. 379-383 (Stockhausen), and 469-480 (Ferneyhough).
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 466-67. |
Unit Two: Mavericks |
8 |
Krzysztof Penderecki: Threnody (1960)
György Ligeti: Atmosphères (1961)
Witold Lutoslawski: Trois poèmes d'Henri Michaux [Three poems by Henri Michaux] (1963)
Karel Husa: Music for Prague (1968)
Giacinto Scelsi: Khoom (1962)
Harry Partch: And on the Seventh Day Petals fell in Petaluma (1964) |
Griffiths. pp. 100-101, 134-136, and 254-256.
Schwartz and Childs. pp. 209-220 (Partch), and 388-402 (Ligeti).
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 181-191. |
9 |
George Crumb: Ancient Voices of Children (1970)
György Kurtág: Messages of the Late R.V. Trussova (1976-80)
Harrison Birtwistle: Secret Theatre (1984) |
Ford. pp. 51-59 (Birtwistle).
Griffiths. pp. 162 (Crumb), 281-288 (Kurtág), 218-221, and 320-324 (Birtwistle).
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 233-235 (Ancient Voices...), and 428-429 (just the paragraph on Kurtág). |
10 |
Conlon Nancarrow: Selected Studies for Player Piano
György Ligeti: Selected Études for Piano Solo (1985-)
Henri Dutilleux: Mystère de l'instant (1989)
Harrison Birtwistle: Selected movements from Harrison's Clocks (1997-98) |
Duckworth. pp. 29-51 (Nancarrow).
Griffiths. pp. 100-03, and 276-281.
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 176 (Nancarrow). |
Unit Three: New Sounds, New Technologies |
11 |
John Cage: Aria (1958)
Milton Babbitt: Phonemena (1969-70)
Luciano Berio: Sequenza III (1966)
Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms no. 3 (1965)
Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms no. 6 (1970) |
Duckworth. pp. 3-28 (Cage), and pp.52-93 (Babbitt).
Ford. pp. 171-184 (Cage).
Griffiths. p. 69 (Babbitt), pp. 140-147 (Stockhausen), and pp. 191-194 (Berio).
Rockwell. pp. 25-36 (Babbitt), and pp. 47-59 (Cage).
Schwartz, and Childs. pp. 243-250* (Babbitt), and 335-348 (Cage).
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 120-134 (survey of electronic music, ca. 1960-1985), and pp. 411-412 (Cage).
Simms. pp. 160-167 (Cage), and 152-159* (Babbitt).
*These are the same essay by Babbitt ("Who cares if you listen?/The composer as specialist"). |
12 |
Paul Lansky: Six Fantasies on a Poem by Thomas Campion (1978-79)
Pierre Boulez: Répons (1981-84)
George Benjamin: Antara (1985-87)
Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms no. 9 (1988) |
Griffiths. pp. 310-312 (Benjamin), and 318-320 (Boulez).
New sounds. pp. 22-30 (Benjamin).
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 342-369 (survey of computer music), and pp. 445-446 (Benjamin). |
13 |
Kaija Saariaho: Noa noa (1992)
Jonathan Harvey: Song Offerings (1985)
Tristan Murail: Allégories (1989)
Joan La Barbara: Shamansong (1992)
John Oswald: Plunderphonic
Richard D. James (a.k.a. Aphex Twin): Selected pieces arranged for chamber orchestra |
Griffiths. pp. 248-249 (Murail).
New sounds. pp. 46-53 (Harvey).
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 425 (Saariaho), and 444 (Harvey). |
Unit Four: Quotation and Polystyle |
14 |
Stockhausen: Hymnen (1966-67)
Luciano Berio: Sinfonia (1968)
Peter Maxwell Davies: Eight Songs for a Mad King (1969) |
Griffiths. pp. 160-170 (Quotation, Berio, Stockhausen).
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 230-232 (Davies), 242-262 (collage and quotation), and 375-378 (Berio).
Simms. pp. 182-187 (Berio). |
15 |
The Beatles: Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Leonard Bernstein: Mass (1971)
HK Gruber: Frankenstein!! (1971-78)
William Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and Experience (1981-84) |
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 259 (Gruber), and 306-307 (Bernstein). |
16 |
Alfred Schnittke: String Quartet no. 3 (1983)
John Harbison: November 19, 1828 (1988)
John Zorn: Cat-o'-nine-tails (1988)
Osvaldo Golijov: Ayre (2004) |
Griffiths. pp. 252-254 (Schnittke).
Schwartz and Godfrey. p. 472 (Schnittke). |
Unit Five: The Minimalist Impulse |
17 |
Terry Riley: In C (1964)
Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians (1976)
Philip Glass: Einstein on the Beach (1976)
John Adams: Shaker Loops (1978)
King Crimson [Robert Fripp et al.]: Discipline (1981)
Laurie Anderson: United States, parts I-IV (1981) |
Ford. pp. 61-67 (Reich).
Griffiths. pp. 209-214 and 260-263 (Reich).
Rockwell. pp. 109-122 (Glass), and pp. 123-132 (Anderson).
Schwartz and Childs. pp. 421-424.
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 315-341. |
18 |
Henryk Górecki: Symphony no. 3 (1976)
Louis Andriessen: De staat (1972-74)
Arvo Pärt: Berlin Mass (1992)
John Adams: Nixon in China (1985-87) |
Ford. pp. 79-85 (Andriessen).
Griffiths. pp. 274-276, 267, 289 (Adams), and 309.
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 429-431 (Górecki, Pärt), and 436 (Andriessen). |
19 |
Meredith Monk: Atlas (1987-91)
Michael Torke: Adjustable Wrench (1987)
Elena Ruehr: Shimmer (1994)
Julia Wolfe: Lick (1994)
Evan Ziporyn: Partial Truths (1997)
John Adams: On the Transmigration of Souls (2002)
Brian Robison: The Congress of the Insomniacs (2003) |
Griffiths. pp. 274-275 (minimalism).
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 338-339 (Torke). |
Unit Six: The Persistence of Tonality |
20 |
Dimitri Shostakovich: String Quartet no. 8 in C Minor (1960)
Benjamin Britten: War Requiem (1961)
George Rochberg: String Quartet no. 3 (1972)
David Del Tredici: Final Alice (1976)
Joan Tower: Petroushskates (1980)
Joan Tower: Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman (1986) |
Rockwell. pp. 71-83 (Del Tredici).
Schwartz and Childs. pp. 403-407 (Rochberg).
Schwartz and Godfrey. pp. 263-288 ("The resurgence of tonality"), and 382-385 (Del Tredici).
Simms. pp. 190-197 (Rochberg). |
21 |
John Harbison: Mirabai Songs (1982)
Stephen Albert: Symphony: RiverRun (1983)
Astor Piazzolla: Hora cero (1965), Sex-tet (1989)
Ellen Taafe Zwilich: Clarinet Quintet (1990)
John Corigliano: Symphony no. 1 (1990) |
Ford. pp. 11-16 (Zwilich).
Simms. pp. 198-205 (Harbison). |
22 |
Libby Larsen: Marimba Concerto: After Hampton (1992)
Aaron Jay Kernis: Still Movement with Hymn (1993)
Tan Dun: Ghost Opera (1994)
Jennifer Higdon: Running the Edge (1996)
Peter Child: Fantasia (2003)
Charles Shadle: The Penny Ballad of Elvious Ricks (2005) |
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Unit Seven: Agora |
23-26 |
Student Presentations of Term Papers |
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Final Exam |
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