week

date

topic

readings

Writing/listening assignments

Introduction

1

5.6

Music as object

5.8

Music as activity

Small, 1-49

Cook, 1-18

The Nature of Music

2

5.13

Mathematics and musical intervals

Small, 50-93

Cook, 19-74

Proposal (2 or 3 paragraphs) for final paper.

5.15

Acoustics; musical instruments; the elements of music

Music in Western culture

3

5.20

The history of Western music

Small, 94-168

Cook, 75-127

Listening to complete performances/recordings of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 (“Pathétique”)

5.22

The mechanics of Western music since 1600; music and gender

Music in “other” cultures

4

5.27

World views of music

Small, 169-200

Memo (4 or 5 paragraphs) on personal response to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 (“Pathétique”)

5.29

Non-traditional views of Western “art music” (John Cage, Philip Glass, Steve Reich)

Summaries

5

6.3

Theorizing music

Small, 201-221

Cook, 128-132

Memo (4 or 5 paragraphs) on personal response to “music” by Cage, Glass, or Reich

6.5

Final exam (in-class, closed-book)

6.9-13

Final paper (ca. 2,000 words) due (in the instructor’s mailbox in Room 303, Music & Media Building) June 11, 5 p.m.