Course 2018-2019 a.y.

The course deals with two subjects: 1) Classical and jazz music: mutual influences; 2) Music, society and technology after 1945.

1. The first part of the course analyzes the mutual influences between classical and jazz music in the first half of the 20th century. The analysis of musical ensembles, forms and other structural elements lead to the understanding of how and to what extent these two apparently opposed musical worlds influenced each other and in some cases even blended, making the stylistic categorization of some works uncertain. Furthermore, an in-depth study of musical genres and listening approaches, in relation to the radical technological transformations which occurred during the 20th century lead to a reflection on the concept of art music.The topics include:
   • American music at the beginning of the 20th century.
   • A brief history of jazz music and Broadway musical theatre.
   • The development of the recording industry and the publishing industry of Tin Pan Alley.
   • The influences of jazz music on classical composers such as Stravinsky, Ravel, Milhaud and Debussy.
   • One of the lessons is an in-class concert with a jazz ensemble, focusing on musical form and improvisation.
2. The second half of the course centers on concert music and composers between 1945 and the present day, and on how their music shaped and reacted to the changing society. The coursework is based on listening assignments, elucidation of the reading assignments, occasional videos pertinent to course topics, and open discussion of relevant issues, such as the aesthetic, socio-political and philosophical background of concert music, the identification of general trends and currents of influence of that music. Topics that are discussed include:
   • Music and War.
   • The Experimentalism years.
   • Music in the USSR.
   • Minimalism.
   • Concert music and Non-Western influences.
   • Electroacoustic Music and Multimedia.

• Summarize the main aesthetic and stylistic trends in Western music in the 20th and 21st centuries.
• Identify the main cultural and historical issues surrounding the diverse development of such trends.
• Illustrate the development of recent technologies for music making.
• Enrich his/her musical vocabulary and gain a cultural understanding requisite to identify and distinguish each musical trend according to aesthetic, stylistic or strictly musical criteria.

• Develop critical listening skills and the capacity to recognize musical styles and genres according to musical parameters.
• Assess how musical movements have informed contemporary society and recent history, and how society and history have fostered certain musical movements over the different decades and for what reasons.
• Evaluate how the dialogue between music and technology has evolved over the past few years, and predict potential future scenarios of its use.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)

One of the lessons is an in-class concert with a jazz ensemble.

Written exam with open-ended questions.

Written exam with open-ended questions.

The materials are indicated at the beginning of the lessons.

The materials are indicated at the beginning of the lessons.