MUS 240(S) Introduction to the Music of Duke Ellington (W)
This course will survey the career and compositional style of Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington (1899-1974). Students will learn to listen to and analyze music from throughout Ellington's five-decade career as a bandleader, composer, arranger, and writer. Particular emphasis will be placed on development of aural analysis skills, in terms of form, style, orchestration, and the ability to identify the individual sounds of key Ellingtonian soloists. Ellington's importance as a key figure in American cultural history, and the relationships between his music and parallel stylistic developments and influences from both within and outside of the jazz tradition will also be discussed. Requirements: weekly listening and reading assignments, one biographical paper examining the career of an Ellingtonian, as well as participation in a group presentation to the class of one of Ellington's extended works; midterm and final exams will also be given.
Enrollment limit: 19.
Hour: JAFFE