MH304

Medieval and Renaissance Music History

Spring 2008

Tuesday/Thursday from 9:30AM-11:00AM

 

Dr. Daniel Carberg

318 Perkinson Music Center

217 424-6209

dcarberg@millikin.edu

 

 

 

Objective: In this course you will gain knowledge of medieval and renaissance music through examining music’s role in sacred and secular culture, incorporating history, compositional styles and trends, and performance practice issues.  You will develop your musical skills through analysis of particular styles, increase your understanding of music in a historical and cultural context, and relate this knowledge analytically to performance situations. 

 

 

Required Texts:

¨       Albert Seay, Music in the Medieval World, 2nd Edition, Prentice-Hall, 1975.

¨       Howard Mayer Brown & Louise Stein, Music in the Renaissance, 2nd Edition, ed. Wiley Hitchcock, Prentice-Hall, 1999.

 

 

Selected Readings From:

¨       Margaret Switten, Director, The Medieval Lyric, a project supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and Mount Holyoke College, 1988.

¨       Carol MacClintock, Readings in the History of Music in Performance, Indiana University Press, 1982.

¨       Timothy McGee, Medieval and Renaissance Music: A Performer’s Guide, University of Toronto Press, 1985.

¨       Oliver Strunk, Source Readings in Music History, ed. Leo Treitler, Norton, 1998

(Additional Readings may be added.)

 

 

Required Listening: CD’s will be on reserve in the library under MH304.  You are responsible for all of the material on these CD’s.  

 

 

 

 

Research Papers: You will be responsible for writing two papers for this course.  One will cover a topic relating to medieval music, the other relating to Renaissance music, and will pertain to a particular musical genre.   Each paper will be 8-10 pages, plus a bibliography of at least six sources. (Do not use a font larger than 11 point.)  We will discuss possible topics in class.

 

 

Exams: There will be four exams for this course.  Two will cover material form the medieval unit, and two will cover the renaissance unit.  These exams will incorporate your reading and listening assignments plus any material covered in class.  They will include short answer questions, definitions, multiple choice sections, essays, and listening examples taken directly from your required listening CD’s. 

 

 

Attendance is required.  You may miss one class without a penalty.  Use it wisely!  (You are still responsible for the material covered that day.)  Each following absence will result in the lowering of your grade by a minus.  (for example: B+ would become a B)

 

 

Assessment: Your knowledge and growth will be assessed through exams, research papers, and in-class discussions.

 

 

How You Are Graded:

¨       Research Paper #1: 15%

¨       Research Paper #2: 15%

¨       Exam #1: 15%

¨       Exam #2: 15%

¨       Exam #3: 15%

¨       Exam#4:  15%

¨       In-Class Participation: 10% (Warning:  There will be singing involved!!!)

 

 

 

A course schedule will be handed out separately.