1MUC 323

MUSIC HISTORY AND LITERATURE IV:

MUSIC SINCE 1900
Fall 2020

Instructor

Michael Strasser
Room 211, Kulas
Office Hours: 2-3 MW (or by appointment)
Office Phone: 440/826-2107
Home Phone: 330/225-4641
Cell Phone: 440/539-8439
E-mail: mstrasse@bw.edu

Text

A History of Western Music (9th ed.) by Burkholder, Grout, and Palisca

Norton Anthology of Western Music (7th ed., vol. 3), edited by Burkholder and Palisca
Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music (7th ed., vol. 3), edited by Burkholder and
Palisca

Additional Course Materials

In addition to the examples provided in the anthology, there will be a list of additional listening
examples that will provide you with a more complete picture of the rich musical life of the past
120 years. Recordings of supplemental listening examples and videos of selected opera and
ballet scenes will be placed on the course Blackboard site. Additional readings will be also
posted on the Blackboard site.

Course Description and Learning Outcomes

This is the last installment of a four-semester survey which will serve as your introduction to the
history of music in Western civilization. As in previous semesters, we will discuss the
development of musical style and language and look at changes in the resources and technology
(everything from notation to instruments to performing groups) used by musicians over the past
century. We will examine the changing role that music and musicians have played in European
culture and look at ways in which music and musical life have reflected social and political
changes, as well as developments in the other arts. By the end of this course, you should be
familiar with the major composers, stylistic features, and literature of Western music from
roughly 1900 through the present, be able to explain the various ways in which the language of
music has changed during that period, and demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the
many connections between music and developments in the other arts, politics, technology, and
culture since 1900.
Grading

The changes in the course format this semester will result in some changes in evaluation
procedures. We will have a 75-point exam every three weeks, and there will be no separate
listening quizzes. Each of these exams will account for 13% of your final grade. There will be
two short writing assignments (3-6 pages) in which you will analyze and discuss specific works
or movements. Each of these will also be worth 75 points, or 13% of your final grade. In
addition to these, you will write 10 very short (150-250 words) “mini-essays” in which you will
address a question arising from short readings (most, if not all, from primary sources) that will be
assigned in class. Each of these will be worth 5 pts.; collectively, they will account for almost
9% of your final grade. In addition to the above criteria, you should be aware that attendance
will have some bearing on your grade. See the next section for amplification.

Thus, the total percentages look like this:

65% - five hourly exams

26% - two written assignments
9% - mini-essays

The grading standard is loosely based on the following guidelines: 90-100 = A; 80-90 = B; 70-80
= C; 60-70 = D. You should note that the number score you earn on any particular test or paper
is just that...a raw number. I do not attempt to turn numbers into letter grades until I add up your
total points for the semester. The specific cut-off between grades will be determined, at least
partially, by the way the class performs as a whole. For example, I might determine that the cut-
off for an A should be an 88 instead of a 90. Having said that, I should add that I am sensitive to
the problem of “grade inflation” and concerned about the deleterious effect it has had on
academic standards. Thus, there are limits to the extent I will “curve” grades. In addition, I
reserve the right to look closely at anyone who falls right at the borderline between two grades,
evaluating attendance, class participation, progress over the course of the semester, etc. before
making a final determination. In very informal terms, I consider various letter grades as
representative of the following levels of achievement:

∙ A - Truly outstanding work, with few, if any deficiencies - To earn this grade, one would
generally have to put in much more study than that required to “get by.” In general, a
university student is expected to spend two hours of study for every hour spent in class; if
you put in anywhere close to that much time, and are organized in the way you study, you
should have a reasonable shot at earning an A. Some might be able to operate at this
level without putting that much time and effort into their study, but such people are rare
indeed.
∙ B - Very good work; solid, but with some room for improvement - This signifies much
better than average work, and is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. I would think that
most good students who put in a reasonable amount of good, consistent study would find
that their grades are comfortably in this range, if not higher.
∙ C - Decent work, and average level of achievement; obviously demonstrates a grasp of
the subject at hand, but with some obvious deficiencies and much room for improvement
 - Even if you are a good student, if you try to do all your studying a couple of days before
the exam, or begin working on your analysis papers the night before they are due, this is
probably the best grade that you should expect. For some (especially those who have
serious deficiencies in their academic background), much hard work will be required to
attain this level. But I would expect that any student who is enrolled in the Conservatory
should be capable of earning at least a C of some kind.
∙ D - Not too good; some understanding of the subject, but reflecting less than average
effort or ability - This grade indicates that someone is just barely getting by, and is either
not putting much time into his or her studies, or needs to consider ways to make study
more effective.
∙ F - Reserved for those who basically don’t have a clue as to what is going on, usually
because of serious deficiencies in background knowledge or study skills, or because they
put no effort into the course.

I will show you how the numbers are distributed when I return each exam and paper in order to
give you at least a general idea of how you are doing in comparison to your classmates. If, at
any time, you have questions or concerns about your progress in the course, please do not
hesitate to see me. I especially urge anyone whose average falls below 60% to set up an
appointment so we can explore ways to improve your understanding of the material.

Attendance

Attendance is, of course, very important. We will only be meeting once a week, so it is
important that you attend every class meeting. Of course, I will excuse absences for illness,
personal or family crisis (death, serious illness within your family, etc.), or a school-sanctioned
performance or trip. Un-excused absences will result in a reduction of 10 points from your final
total. Furthermore, excessive absences for any reason may well affect your grade, depending
upon the circumstances. In other words, I reserve the right to look at your overall attendance
when evaluating your performance in this course, especially when you fall on the borderline
between two grades. You should be aware that chronic tardiness will also have a negative effect
on your grade. Three “tardies” will equal one unexcused absence. (Generally, I will mark you
tardy if you enter after we have begun discussion of the day’s material.)

Tutoring

We have compiled a list of upper class students who have agreed to serve as tutors. These
individuals have all done very well in this class. They can be a valuable resource for you either
as individuals or in small groups. If you wish to engage the services of a tutor, please contact
me.
 MUC 323 - Fall 2020 SCHEDULE

Aug. 24-28
 The Early 20th Century: Issues and Themes (pp. 763-71)
 Vernacular Music: Popular Music, Silent Film, Band (pp. 771-74)
 Ragtime and Early Jazz (pp. 774-77)
Aug. 31-Sept. 4
 Mahler (pp. 778-87)
 Strauss Operas (pp. 787-90)
 Debussy and Impressionism (pp. 790-96)
Sept. 7-9
 Debussy and Symbolism (pp. 790-96)
 Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Early Stravinsky (pp. 799-802; 830-32)
 Stravinsky: The Three Big Ballets (pp. 832-36)

First Exam – Sept. 14 or 16

Sept. 14-18
 Schoenberg and Expressionism (pp. 812-20)
 Bartok (pp. 840-47)
 Ives (pp. 847-54)
Sept. 21-25
 Spain, England, Janacek, Sibelius (pp. 802-08)
 Popular Music, Musical Theater, and Film Music Between the Wars (pp. 855-62; 872-74)
 Blues and Jazz through the Big Band Era (pp. 862-72)
Sept. 28-Oct. 2
 Schoenberg and the Twelve-Tone Method (pp. 820-24)
 Webern (pp. 828-30)
 Berg (pp. 824-28)

Second Exam – Oct. 5 or 7

Oct. 5-9
 Stravinsky and Neo-Classicism (pp. 805-07; 836-40)
 Les Six and Ravel (pp. 796-99; 808-09; 875-80)
 Germany Between the Wars (pp. 880-85)
Oct. 12-16
 Music in the Soviet Union; Prokofiev (pp. 885-87)
 Fall Break
 Shostakovich (pp. 887-89)
Oct. 19-23
 American Experimental Composers (pp. 892-97) – First paper due
 Gershwin, Copland (pp. 897-900)
 Other American Traditionalists; Latin America (pp. 900-02; 890-92)
Third Exam – Oct. 26 or 28

Oct. 26-30
 Post-War Trends; Country Music, R&B, Early Rock (pp. 903-07; 910-17)
 Broadway; Film Music; Music for Concert Band (pp. 917-22)
 From Be-Bop to Free Jazz (pp. 907-11)
Nov. 2-6
 Britten and Barber (pp. 923-29)
 Olivier Messiaen (pp. 930-33)
 Extensions of Serialism (pp. 933-36)
Nov. 9-13
 The New Virtuosity: Berio and Carter (pp. 936-39)
 Cage and Indeterminacy (pp. 939-45)
 New Sounds and Textures (pp. 809-11; 945-47)

Fourth Exam – Nov. 16 or 18

Nov. 16-20
 Early Electronic Music (pp. 947-50)
 Textural Composition; Collage (pp. 950-57)
 Cross-Currents with Popular Music and Non-Western Music (pp. 958-72)
Nov. 23-27
 Minimalism (pp. 975-81) – Second paper due
 Thanksgiving Break
 Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 30-Dec. 3
 Late 20th-Century Trends (pp. 981-92)
 A New Century, part 1 (pp. 993-1005
 A New Century, part 2 (pp. 1005-08)

Fifth Exam – 7 Dec. (sec. 1) or 9 Dec. (sec. 2)