MUSC& 105 - Music Appreciation

Credits: 5
LEC hours per week: 5
An introduction to the ‘Classical’ music tradition, this course is an audiovisual tour of the rich heritage of Western Art Music, designed for the musical novice as well as the music major. By actively listening to a wide range of musical styles, from the sacred chants of the Middle Ages, to the genius of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, to today’s concert stage, the critical aural skills needed to truly appreciate music will be exercised and developed. Emphasis will be on the evolution of vocal and orchestral music and familiarity with standard concert repertoire of today’s symphony orchestras. The more we listen, the more we hear!
Course Outcomes:

Analyze different types of music.
Apply major terms, vocabulary, methods, concepts, and theories relevant to music.
Identify and differentiate artists and their music from various styles and periods.
Debate the social implications of artistic expression.
Evaluate the cultural and historical significance of music.
Examine the interdependence of musicians, their music, and society.

Course Topics:

Musical Orientation: Learning to listen, the instruments, terminology, compositional form.
Common style periods and composers of Western Art Music:
- 450-1450 Middle Ages
- 1450-1600 Renaissance
- 1600-1750 Baroque
- 1750-1820 Classical
- 1820-1900 Romantic/Nationalism/Impressionism
- 20th Century Primitivism, Atonal, Neo-Classical, Minimalism, Computer
- Today’s music

Course Attribute(s): Diversity, Humanities