Module MUSI2611: Theory and Analysis

Department: Music

MUSI2611: Theory and Analysis

Prerequisites

• MUSI1281 Analysis 1: Elements of Tonal Theory and Practice

Corequisites

Excluded Combination of Modules

Aims

• This module will build on foundational skills embedded in first-year courses to enhance understanding of music on a technical level. It aims to develop students' ability to reflect conceptually on musical material, forms and genres, and to instil awareness of the continuities between analysis, historical studies, performance and composition.

Content

• The module will explore a variety of analytical and theoretical approaches pertinent to the technical study of the musical material and formal structures employed by composers between 1800 and 1945, applying them to the study of core repertoire from this period.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will become familiar with a range of analytical approaches pertinent to the study of music written between 1800 and 1945.

• Students will gain competence in applying these skills practically through a series of formative and summative analytical projects, as well as an understanding of commonly used conventions for presenting analytical findings in a cogent manner.

• The module will enhance analytical understanding, while embedding a more sophisticated knowledge of the technical aspects of musical compositions from the historical period under discussion. It also aims to equip students who wish to undertake more advanced analytical work in third-year in the context of writing an extended dissertation.

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

• The module is taught by weekly lectures, small-group seminars, each focusing on a set work, and tutorials. Students submit two summative essays testing applied knowledge: they require students to apply theoretical concepts in the analysis of repertoire.
• The weekly lectures introduce students to core concepts, illustrated by examples from the repertoire; they also demonstrate applications of theory in the analysis of repertoire in a wide range of genres. The seminars reinforce learning through small group work on a series of focused case studies. The tutorials offer students the chance to discuss specific worked examples, in tandem with the work proposed for the formative assessments.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Four formative assignments, two in Michaelmas and two in Epiphany. Formatives 1 and 2 will prepare students for Summative 1. Formatives 3 and 4 will prepare students for Summative 2.

■ 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