03507 - Musical theory

Learning outcomes

This course focuses on the fundamental concepts of musical theory in the Western world, and the written and artistic music tradition from 17th to 20 th century in particular. Students are taught the principle elements of the musical language and learn to identify them by guided listenings.

Course contents

Musica humana  and human music: from Boezio to the “Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela”

The course is open to students from all the courses. Any students wishing to be introduced to musical language is very welcome, regardless of their previous musical experience.

The course will emphasize the cultural, social and ethic functions of music in any society.

The course has two main purposes. The first is to outline the musical theory of the Western world with particular reference to terminology and cultural and historical contexts. The second is to teach students how to listen, recognize and describe in an appropriate language a musical composition from artistic repertory.

Students will be introduced to the main points of musical language - melody, rythm, scales, polyphony, harmony, genres and forms. Through guided listening will be introduced to European artistic repertory from 17th to 20 th century.

The course is divided in two parts (30 hours each, 6 CFU x 2 = 12 CFU).

The first part is a general introduction to the musical theory, to its concepts, morphology and syntax.

The second part refers to guided listening and description of a musical text.

First part

• What is music for us today
• Pluralism in music and how we think music
• The concept of number in medieval musical treatises and quadrivium
• The ways a repertory is formed
• The western repertory and the western musical theory
• Melody, definitions and examples: gregorian monodic chant, Palestrina, Mozart and Verdi.
• Rythm, definitions and examples: Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Stravinsky.
• Scales, polyphony, harmonia, definitions and examples: Rameau, Sechter, Riemann, Schenker e Schönberg.
• Form and syntax: , definitions and examples: Lied, rondò, forma-sonata, rondò-sonata, fuga, tema and variazioni.

Second part

Musica humana and human music today

Beethoven's Humanism

An example: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat, Op. 55,  “Eroica”, by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Adorno on Beethoven's humanitas.

A contemporary way to Beethoven's humanitas: the experience of Gustav Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

Readings/Bibliography

First part

Bibliography:

N. Cook, Musica. Una breve introduzione, it. transl., Torino, EdT, 2005 (or English edition);

J.J. Nattiez, Pluralità e diversità del sapere musicale, in Enciclopedia della musica, II: Il sapere musicale, edited by M. Bent, Torino, Einaudi, 2002, pp. xxiii-xlix;

D. Restani, Le radici antropologiche dell'estetica boeziana: anima humana e musica humana, in Le fonti dell'estetica musicale. Nuove prospettive storiche, Atti del convegno (Venezia, 26-28 ottobre 2006), ed. by M. Semi, «Musica e Storia», XV, 2007, pp. 243-258.

D. Restani, La musica humana e Boezio: ipotesi sulla formazione di un concetto, in Atti del secondo convegno annuale di MOISA, «Philomusica online», 7, 2, 2008, pp. 19-25 http://riviste.paviauniversitypress.it/index.php/phi/issue/view/07-02

G. Rico, La formazione musicale nell'ambito del Quadrivium, in Enciclopedia della musica, IV: Storia della musica europea, edited by M. Bent, Torino, Einaudi, 2004, pp. 118-129.

Enciclopedia della musica, II: Il sapere musicale, Torino, Einaudi, 2002:

• H. Powers, La melodia, pp. 25-44;
• K. Agawu, Il ritmo, pp. 45-71;
• N. Meeùs, Scale, polifonia, armonia, pp. 72-88;
• N. Cook, Forma e sintassi, pp. 117-142.

O. Károlyi, La grammatica della musica, it. transl., Torino, Einaudi, 1969 e 2000;

Other suggested readings:

L. Azzaroni, Canone infinito. Lineamenti di teoria della musica, Bologna, Clueb, 2001 (seconda ed.);

F. Tammaro, Con il senso e con la ragione. La teoria musicale prima della tonalità, Torino, il Capitello, 2003;

Il sapere musicale e i suoi contesti: da Teofrasto a Claudio Tolemeo, edited by Daniela Castaldo, Donatella Restani, Cristina Tassi, Ravenna, Longo, 2009.

Second part

For the second part of the course students must have an edition of Symphony no. 3 “Eroica”, E flat, op. 55, by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Bibliography:

Beethoven, edited by G. Pestelli, Bologna, il Mulino, 1988:

• L. Lockwood, I primi schizzi beethoveniani della Sinfonia "Eroica",  pp. 163-184;
• T. Antonicek, La simbologia dell'uomo nel finale dell'"Eroica", pp. 185-198;
• C.V. Palisca, Modelli francesi rivoluzionari per la marcia funebre dell'"Eroica" di Beethoven, pp. 199-212.

 T.W. Adorno, Beethoven. Filosofia della musica, it. transl., Torino, Einaudi, 2002, in part. pp. 3-12, 147-154, 225-250.

The promise of music, A documentary by E. Sanchez Lansch, DVD.

Other suggested readings:

D.K.L. Chua, Beethoven's Other Humanism, "Journal of American Musicological Society", 62, 2009, pp. 571-645.

Further suggested listenings and bibliography will be given during the course.

Students who cannot attend the lessons must contact the teacher for further listenings and bibliography.

Teaching methods

Audiovisuals, pc, films and listening will be used during the lessons. Individual tutoring may be provided.

Assessment methods

Oral exam.

Agenda of exams:

8th June, 2010, h10.00
6th July, 2010, h 10.00
12th October, 2010, h10.00
9th November, 2010, h 10.00

Palazzo Corradini
Tel. 0544 936900

Teaching tools

Audiovisuals, pc, films and stereo.

Office hours

See the website of Donatella Restani