MYL 559E - Historical Periods in Western Music

Course Objectives

1. Through readings and discussion, to generate an awareness of the main trends and developments in periodisation and cultural context of Western music,
2. To develop an understanding of musical performance and patronage through a study of the historically evolving forms of musical production and consumption,
3. Through focused listening to selected examples, to generate critical listening skills and and develop an understanding of the representative genres and stylistic features present in Western music,

Course Description

Periodisation and chronology in Western music; effects of philosophical movements (such as Humanism, Enlightenment) on musical cultivation; musical patronage; interrelationships between the sacred and secular realms; developments in music notation; music printing and distribution; musical style categories (including aspects of texture, harmonic/melodic syntax, instrumentation)