| CODE | MSP1267 | ||||||||
| TITLE | The Spiritual in Music (1100-1900): Selected Themes | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 2 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Music Studies | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit looks at the several ways the spiritual was conveyed in music from the twelfth century up to the beginning of the twentieth. It examines the ways diverse spiritual themes were grappled by different composers across this span of time. Differences in the musical treatment of particular spiritual themes by different composers, in diverse cultural situations and historical epochs are particularly highlighted. Mostly it concerns music with a Christian inspiration, though not necessarily so, in particular towards the end of the time-frame. Both vocal and instrumental compositions will be discussed. The content of the lectures is illustrated by several relevant sound-clips. Study-unit Aims: - To offer an overview of the ways spiritual themes were approached by various composers in various periods within the time-frame of 1100-1900; - To show how these were influenced by the mentalities of their respective ages; - To illustrate the main musical genres that project spiritual themes in the specified period and to show how they developed; - To enrich the participants' awareness of the spiritual dimension of music. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a) recognize and distinguish between the main musical genres that project spiritual themes; b) experience and appraise the rich heritage of spiritually-inspired music that accumulated during the eight centuries in question; c) compare and contrast the ways different composers in different historical periods and cultural situations brought out similar spiritual themes. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a) name the main composers who engaged with spiritual themes; b) review and write critically about a number of topics covered during the study-unit. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts - Daw, Stephen. 1981. The music of Johann Sebastian Bach : the choral works (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press). - Durr, Alfred. 2005. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach (Oxford: Oxford University Press). - Gardiner, John Eliot. 2013. Music in the Castle of Heaven (London: Penguin Books). - Grout, Donald Jay. 2001. A History of Western Music (London: Dent). Supplementary Readings - Buelow, George J. 2004. A history of Baroque music (Bloomington: Indiana University Press). - Rathey, Markus. 2016. Bach's Major Vocal Works: Music, Drama, Liturgy (New Haven: Yale University Press). - Reese, Gustave. 1959. Music in the Renaissance (New York: Norton). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Albert Pace |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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