MUS 224 Interpreting Music - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Academic study of the resources, instruments, techniques, and stylistic conventions relevant to the performance of music from Renaissance to modern times, with an emphasis on works of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Students consider the role that an awareness of historical factors can play in contemporary performance, and gain understanding of some of the key debates surrounding historically informed performance.

Course Overview

The course is designed to develop students’ awareness of their musical decisions and grow their musical understanding of structure and phrasing in order to allow them to create informed and original interpretations. The students’ critical thinking will develop as they learn to question traditional interpretations through analysis of alternatives based on historical or harmonic evidence. Concepts of historical styles will be introduced and topics around the historical performance movement will be explored. As the scholarship from the historical performance movement is becoming more integral to modern performance, students will begin to understand works from their own repertoires in an historical context.

There is a focus on performance practices from the mid-seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries, and in particular on elements that had an impact on the composition and performance styles associated with the major works of composers like F. Couperin, J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms.

The aims of this course are to promote a critical understanding of this repertoire in the context of musical choices that must be made by the performer to create a convincing and original interpretation. Specifically,

- to consider performance through academic study of pre-20th century repertoire and performance styles and practices

- to develop listening skills, and recognize why certain musical choices are more effective than others

- to understand basic musical principles that inform interpretive decisions

- to understand the nature of the musical text and its sources

- to develop an understanding of historically informed performance and its relevance in the contemporary context

- to promote knowledge and critical transferable skills which can be applied in a practical environment

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: MUS 143

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of aspects of historic performance practice (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1)
Demonstrate an ability to approach pre 20th-century music and performance in a way in which current conventions are able to be questioned (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1)
Communicate in writing and verbally, demonstrating skills that enable concepts and specific details of historically informed performance to be communicated in a simple but authoritative manner (Capability 4.1, 6.1 and 8.1)
Conduct research tasks, utilising relevant resources and source material (Capability 3.1, 4.1, 6.1 and 8.1)
Critique performances and the students' own playing, in the context of H.I.P. values and concepts (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Formative Assessment	5%	Individual Coursework
Cadenza assignment and presentation	15%	Individual Coursework
Editions Assignment	20%	Individual Coursework
Participation	20%	Individual Coursework
Final Exam	40%	Individual Examination
5 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3	4	5
Formative Assessment
Cadenza assignment and presentation
Editions Assignment
Participation
Final Exam

Assignments are to be submitted, according to submission type specied on CANVAS, by the due date. In the event of illness or other circumstances that prevent completing an assignment, please contact the course coordinator with evidence as appropriate before the due date. Late assignments that do not have an approved extension will be penalized 10% for each day or part thereof. No assignment will be accepted after that assignment has been returned to students.

Teaching & Learning Methods

The course is delivered through a combination of lectures and workshops. The lectures are primarily concerned with the delivery of material that enables students to understand concepts, developing a knowledge of subject matter on the topics, as per the lecture schedule. The course builds on the basic understanding of music history and performance, established through prior learning as instrumentalists, and through acquisition of knowledge through stage 1 core courses. As identied in the AIMS above, the course provides students with knowledge and understanding that will inform their performances, as well as providing them with the tools to undertake critical discussion of pre 20-th century music. In so doing, it also prepares them for careers as teachers and/or performers, where understanding of H.I.P is in many contexts taken as an assumed skill-set.

The weekly workshops provide students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in lectures in a practical context, allowing students to explore the topics within the context of the course, prior to experimenting with these ideas in the wider environment of their own studio lessons and in performance.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 19 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 96 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including workshops to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including workshops will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
Attendance on campus is required for the test/exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

All course readings are available via Reading Lists on Canvas.

The University library, together with on-line resources, including Naxos Music Library, are the primary source of material for this course.

Required reading. There is no set textbook for the course; a general reading list is given below. Specic reading lists or handouts will be distributed at relevant lectures.

The following is a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. This list is not comprehensive, but is intended as a guide to the types of resources that may be relevant, particularly when exploring essay topics.

Primary Sources

Bach, Carl Philipp Emmanuel. Essay on the True Art of playing Keyboard Instruments (Translated and edited by William J. Mitchell). New York: W.W. Norton, 1949.

Bacilly, Bénigne de. A Commentary upon the Art of Proper Singing (Translated and edited by Austin B. Caswell Jr.). New York: Institute of Mediaeval Music, 1968.

Couperin, Francois. L’Art de toucher le clavecin. Paris 1717. (Edited by A. Linde with English translation by M. Roberts). Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1933.

Hotteterre, Jacques. Principles of the Flute, Recorder and Oboe. (Translated and edited by David Lasocki.). London: Barrie and Rockliff; New York: Praeger, 1968.

Mozart, Leopold. A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing (translated by Editha Knocker). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985.

Quantz, Johann Joachim. On Playing the Flute. (Translated and edited by Edward R. Reilly). London: Faber and Faber; New York, The Free Press, 1968.

Tosi, Pier. Francesco. Observations on the florid song. London: William Reeves, 1967.

Türk, Daniel Gottlob, School of Clavier Playing or Instructions in Playing the Clavier for Teachers and Students (Translated by Raymond M. Haggh). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1982.

Walther, Johann Gottfried. Musicalisches Lexicon. Leipzig, 1732. Facsimile, ed. Richard Schaal. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1953.

Secondary Sources

Brown, Clive. Classical and Romantic Performance Practice 1750-1900. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Brown, H.M., & Sadie, Stanley (eds.), Performance Practice: Music after 1600. London: Macmillan, 1989.

Butt, John. Playing with History : The Historical approach to Musical Performance. Cambridge; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Butt, John. Bach Interpretation : articulation marks in primary sources of J.S. Bach. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

Donington. R. The Interpretation of Early Music. London: Faber, 1974, (or revised ed., 1992)

Harnoncourt, Nikolaus. Baroque Music Today: Music as Speech (translated by Mary O’Neill). Portland: Amadeus Press, 1988.

Harnoncourt, Nikolaus. The Musical Dialogue: Thoughts on Monteverdi, Bach and Mozart (translated by Mary O’Neill). Portland: Amadeus Press, 1984.

Lawton, C., and Stowell, R. The Historical Performance of Music: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Newman, Anthony. Bach and the Baroque. New York: Pendragon Press, 1995.

Rosenblum, Sandra P. Performance Practices in Classic Piano Music: Their Principles and Applications. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988.

Sherman, Bernhard D. Inside Early Music: Conversations with Performers. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Stowell, Robin. Violin Technique and Performance Practice in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985.

Tarling, Judy. The weapons of rhetoric: a guide for musicians and audiences. St. Albans : Corda Music, 2004 Taruskin, Richard. Text and Act: Essays on Music and Performance. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Walls, Peter. History, imagination, and the performance of music. Woodbridge, Suolk ; Rochester, N.Y. : Boydell Press, 2003.

Canvas is the exclusive mode of delivery for announcements regarding assignment due dates, information on the content of assessments. Weekly handouts are provided on Canvas.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

According to feedback from 2023, we will endevour to organize the course so there is less emphasis on the editing module and more time spent on the Classical and Romantic periods. A participation mark will be given to students at the end of each module (meaning that students will receive a total of three participation marks, one from each teacher), in order to check in with students' engagement during the semester.

Other Information

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

Attendance in class as well as engagement with course activities and readings supports academic success. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that students make every eort to attend class and complete all the necessary in-class requirements.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Capability 3:	Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4:	Critical Thinking
Capability 5:	Solution Seeking
Capability 6:	Communication
Capability 7:	Collaboration
Capability 8:	Ethics and Professionalism

MUS 224 : Interpreting Music

Creative Arts and Industries

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)