MUS 402T(S) Senior Seminar in Music

From the medieval period to the present, composers in the Western tradition have drawn directly upon preexistent music from the distant and not-so-distant past when creating new works. This tutorial, the culminating course in the major, will examine the wide range of ways in which, and the various reasons why, composers have looked to the past for inspiration and materials. The course will examine a range of examples from all periods, including the quotation of plainsong in polyphonic Masses of the Middle Ages, the use of parody technique in the Renaissance, Bach's reworkings of his and other's music, Beethoven's variations on existing tunes, Brahms' use of Baroque forms and melodies, and the use of quotation by, and the neoclassic tendencies of, composers in this century. Evaluation will be based on bi-weekly papers and presentations, and class participation.

Hour: BLOXAM