MUSC101 Readings in Advance of Exam I

Reading Assignments in Advance of Exam I*

The readings for this unit of the course in The Enjoyment of Music (13th ed., 2018) cover p. xiii-xxiii and p. 1-161.  As you read, be sure to read also instructor's comments on the textbook for applicable pages.  See below for other additional readings outside of the textbook.

These readings include the Listening Guides for the pieces required for Listening List 1 and other materials related to them in the main text.  (You don't need to read the Listening Guides for the  unassigned pieces, unless you want to.)

Initial Readings (primarily covering most of the basic materials of music)

• Preface -- this gives you information about the textbook and ancillaries.
• * Part I (i.e., Chapters 1-12) -- this is the fundamental portion of the textbook that explains the materials (elements) of music.
• * Instructor's outlines on the materials of music (<-- this link is available also on the homepage for the course in Canvas).
  
  Optional reading related to the above:  Appendix I (p. A1-A4) -- musical notation.  Remember, you don't have to know how to read music in order to take this course; this section, however, might help you a little bit to follow some of the short musical notated examples in the textbook; if you have questions, please let me know.  Note:  If you are using the digital resources of the online version of the textbook at W.W. Norton, the appendices and index for the textbook are accessed via the link for Chapter 70 in the "Ebook" table of contents.

Outline for Music of the Medieval & Renaissance Eras

• Background on the Middle Ages & Renaissance
• Sacred music in the Middle ages
  • Hildegard of Bingen and medieval chant
  • The Notre Dame School and the rise of polyphony
• Secular music in the Middle ages
• Machaut and music of the 14th century

• Secular vocal music in the Renaissance
• Farmer and the English madrigal
• Sacred music in the Renaissance
  • Josquin and the Renaissance motet
• Instrumental music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
  
  • Susato and Renaissance dance music

Outline for Music of the Baroque Era

• Background on the Baroque era
• Baroque vocal music
  • Cozzolani and mid-17th-century Roman Catholic church music
  • Strozzi and mid-17th-century Baroque aria
  • Purcell and late 17th-century English Baroque opera
    • Related to this, you need to read the complete libretto of this opera (the text is not very long).
  • Bach and the Lutheran church cantata
  • Handel and the oratorio
    • Related to this, you need to do these two things:
      • Skim over the complete libretto of Messiah
      • Look at this webpage illustrating how the text was derived for the two pieces from Messiah on the listening list
• Baroque instrumental music
  • Handel and the Baroque dance suite
  • Vivaldi and the Baroque concerto
  • Bach and the keyboard fugue

* NOTE:  All three exams will have some questions about the materials of music; so be sure to go over those sections in the textbook and in Canvas every so often during the academic term as you apply your understanding of them in your listening assignments.

 Go to Readings for Exam II -- Readings for Exam III

Last updated:   Feb. 12, 2019