Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2014-2015 (archived)

Module FOUD0027: Foundations of Music; History and Form

Department: Foundation Year (Durham)

FOUD0027: Foundations of Music; History and Form

Type Level 0 Credits 10 Availability Available in 2014/15 Module Cap None. Location Durham

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To provide students with an overview of trends in European musical life from 1600 to 1900.
  • To investigate some of the principal developments in European musical form during these dates.
  • To provide students with an awareness of music from other cultures.

Content

  • A chronologically sequenced selection of musical examples will show important features of medieval, Baroque, Classical and Romantic styles.
  • Context will be underlined with reference to major contemporary political events and social trends.
  • Important forms, including: binary, ternary, rondo, theme and variation, sonata, program music.
  • Students will be given the opportunity to investigate extra-European musical styles.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • By the end of the module students will:
  • Have acquired a broad knowledge of the main trends in western music history.
  • Be able to contextualise these trends within society.
  • Have a broad knowledge of different musical forms.
  • Have an awareness of musical styles and lore from non-western cultures.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Skills to use the acquired knowledge to recognise different styles from both written and aural examples.
  • Skills to use the acquired knowledge to distinguish simple musical forms.
  • Skills to describe in writing these styles and forms.
Key Skills:
  • Communicate effectively in writing.
  • The ability to situate styles in a context.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Teaching will be by seminars and tutorials. These instil and reinforce the awareness of relevant issues and methodologies
  • Much of the learning, understanding and consolidation will take place through the use of structured workshop activities, groupwork and discussion.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Preparation and Reading 67
Seminars 11 Weekly 2 hours 22
Tutorials 11 Weekly 1 hour 11
Total 100

Summative Assessment

Component: Essay Component Weighting: 40%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Essay 40% Resubmission
Component: Exam Component Weighting: 60%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Exam 2 hours 60% Resit

Formative Assessment:

Weekly exercises


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University