Analysis and Music Theory 1950 to the present
Code
711021004
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Ciências Musicais
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Isabel Pires
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
a) To develop technical and conceptual skills on the musical analysis domain in the 2nd half of 20th century as well as analytical skills on recent music;
b) To know the main trends of music-theoretical thought, contextualizing the musical phenomena emerged during this period on its technological, sociological and aesthetic aspects;
c) To be able to reflect and discuss, by means of musical analysis practice, on the paradigms of musical composition of the second half of the 20th century, and to know the main techniques emerging as well as composers and major works, taking into account the compositional and performative practices inherent to the period studied .
d) To develop auditory skills of music analysis of non-tonal music.
Prerequisites
Subject matter
1. Detailed discussion of the main musical trends emerging since World War II as well as composers and techniques with special focus on serial and spectral techniques, and also \"sound based\" techniques, new-complexities and new-simplicities.
2. Detailed study of compositional technics and aesthetical issues of this period by the practice of musical analysis of a limited number of representative musical works.
The triggering aspects of these new techniques of composition will be addressed as well as the aesthetic approaches related. Special attention will be given to the work of some important composers of the second half of the twentieth century such as Boulez, Berio, Stockhausen, Xenakis, Scelsi, Sciarrino, Lachenmann, among others.
3. New musical analysis paradigms recently emerged, adaptable to the analysis of compositional techniques of instrumental music, as well as to electroacoustic or mixed-music, will be presented.
Bibliography
Bosseur, J.-Y. & Michel, P. (2007). Musiques contemporaines: Perspectives analytiques (1950-1985). Paris: Minerve.
Bosseur, J.-Y. (1999). Révolutions musicales: La musique contemporaine depuis 1945. Paris: Minerve.
Cohen-Lévinas, D. (2001). La Création après la Musique Contemporaine. Paris: LHarmattan.
Deliège, C. (2003). Cinquante ans de modernité musicale: de Darmstadt à l´IRCAM. Bruxelles: Mardaga.
Griffiths, P. (2011). Modern Music and After. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Teaching method
60% practical sessions, 40% lectures.
The course will combine theoretical exposition, discussion of musical examples and musical analysis practice as well as auditory analysis practice.
Evaluation method
Active participation at sessions, practical work and discussion (10%). A paper on musical analysis (30%). A final assessment (60%).