Baroque and Classical Music

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

120 hours

Musical literacy, to a standard equivalent to AMEB grade 4 or higher.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit.

An overview of music, culture and society in Western Europe from the 17th to the late 18th centuries. We will explore the development of musical styles during the period in their cultural, social and political contexts. Through an examination of works by Monteverdi, Schütz, Lully, Vivaldi, Handel, J. S. Bach, W. A. Mozart and J. Haydn, among others, we will examine current scholarship on authenticity and performance practice, music and politics, gender and sexuality, and music and meaning.

Students will engage in an individual performance and research-based project on a work relevant to them; through the tutorial exercises, presentation and essay, they will be encouraged to explore this work from various perspectives, including historically, analytically and performative.

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

• Understand music from the Baroque to the end of the Classical period in its cultural context
• Incorporate period-specific performance practices
• Discriminate both aurally and conceptually between the main music genres and styles from the Baroque to the end of the Classical period
• Undertake basic scholarly work using music-specific bibliographic tools
• Discuss music coherently using an appropriate technical vocabulary
• Engage meaningfully with contemporary scholarship on the periods examined
• Work constructively yet rigorously with peers

• Three tutorial assignments equivalent to 400 words each, due in week 4, 6 and 8, respectively (30% - 10% for each assignment);
• a 10 minute performance and research-based presentation, to be delivered during the examination period (30%),
• 2000 word essay (40%), due on week 10.

A reader and a music anthology will be available from the University bookstore at the beginning of semester.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Science

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

On completion of this subject students will have developed:

• a capacity for independent critical thought
• an openness to new ideas
• knowledge, skills and practices which provide a basis for independent critical inquiry and research-based writing