Graduate Course Offerings

The Renaissance in art and literature was the rediscovery and use of the classical world of Greek and Roman antiquity, but there was little in that time to have a rebirth in music. So instead, Renaissance music is entirely new and innovative, and a break with the music of the middle ages. This era is when three critical things happened in music. First, planned large-scale compositions were developed like the Mass and motet, many of which are some of the most beautiful music ever written. Second, this era sees the foundations laid for tonal harmony and even chromatic harmony, and third, composers begin to set text meaningfully, and especially with the Italian madrigal, set some of the greatest poets of the age. 

Study and application of significant contemporary methods of music analysis for both tonal and post-tonal repertoire. Prepares students for additional graduate courses in music theory; as such, it should be taken in the student’s first year of study. Required of all DMA candidates

MUS 7757 (American Music) is a survey course offering an overview of music making in North America from the seventeenth century to the present day, primarily as practiced within the boundaries of the contemporary United States. The course considers music as a facet of culture, examining its role in the lives of Americans from different social backgrounds while considering the ways that U.S. history can be understood through the country’s music. The repertories under examination are as dissimilar as the nation’s inhabitants; as a result, students taking this course should be willing to respectfully engage with unfamiliar styles, typically without the aid of notation.

Opera, invented around 1600, has probably had a greater impact on society than any other genre. It has provided an artistic outlet at court, glorified kings, promoted nationalism, addressed social issues, and, of course, entertained people of all classes. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, it has influ­enced and been influenced by the history of literature, staging, and acting and has contrib­uted to the history of musical style (most notably by the invention of recitative and Wagnerian har­mony). This survey course will address an accordingly wide spectrum of issues, including historical and cultural context, librettos and versification, musical style, staging, and the business of opera. We will begin with the Florentine Camerata in the late 1500s and conclude with some master­works of the first half of the twentieth century. 

This course is for musicology and music theory graduate students (major or minor) and serves as an introduction to the fields of American musicology, music theory, and ethnomusicology. It is neither a music history course nor a survey of analytical techniques; we offer specialized courses in these areas. But whereas this course (like all introductions to the field) will to some degree reflect the instructor’s own training and interests, we will branch into areas that are new to all of us. Some of the topics include: the history of our societies, descriptive research, textual scholarship, analytical methods, new musicology, engaged music theory, and ethics.

Course description coming soon!

Study and application of significant contemporary methods of music analysis for both tonal and post-tonal repertoire. Prepares students for additional graduate courses in music theory; as such, it should be taken in the student’s first year of study. Required of all DMA candidates. Instructor: All theory faculty in rotation

This course prepares graduate students to become teachers of music theory and aural skills at the post-secondary level. We will survey teaching techniques and current research in the field of music theory pedagogy. Students will demonstrate their learning through teaching demonstrations as well as written work and curriculum development exercises. Students will also create a portfolio of documents needed to apply for, interview for, and succeed in jobs that require the teaching of music theory. 

This course explores ways of understanding the temporality of musical experience. Areas of focus will include theories of rhythm and meter developed for Euroclassical music (both tonal and post-tonal), non-Western perspectives on musical temporality, and study of temporal issues that arise in the analysis of popular music. Students will not only become familiar with the theoretical models themselves but will also practice their application through analytical and performance activities.

Course Description Coming Soon!