MUSC 261 Western Music and Culture: 1600-1789

This course surveys the two centuries that gave rise to European art music's most enduring legacies: opera, instrumental art music, and, especially, the major-minor tonal system, which, as the system that informs most music today, is arguably Europe's greatest-ever cultural export. The emergence of this tonal system enables instrumental music to sustain a listener's attention through dramatic forms and without the aid of words; comprehending how these forms behave is one of the central tasks of this course. In turn, the cultivation of instrumental genres will fuel the operatic accomplishments of Classical composers, notably Mozart. Our study of vocal and instrumental music proceeds chronologically and focuses on individual cities, starting with Florence and ending with Vienna. With the only prerequisite in taking this course being the ability to read musical notation, students from other disciplines who are eager for music-intensive study are especially welcome. Music majors and minors taking the course will be given assignments tailored to their knowledge and departmental expectations. First year students may not enroll in this course. This course may be used by Music Majors to fulfill the College-wide Second-Stage Writing Requirement.