MUC-415-S01: Contemporary Techniques of Composition

Spring 2019 (2 CR)

Instructor: Dr. Jonathan Sokol Location: Kulas 310

E-mail: jsokol@bw.edu Day/Time: T,R 10:10a.m. – 11:15a.m.
Office Hours: By Appointment

Prerequisites
MUC-217, or permission from instructor.

Course Description / Objectives

Contemporary Techniques of Composition explores in great detail the various styles, languages, practices,
processes, techniques—i.e. the “-isms”—of prominent mid-20th and 21st century composition. The
approach will largely be chronological. Primary facets of composition will be detailed with each practice:
use of pitch material, harmony, rhythm, counterpoint, gesture, texture, orchestration, etc. Students will
explore these practices through hands-on assignments, score study, listening, and discussion. Students
will be able to recognize compositional practices through listening and analysis, and will demonstrate an
understanding of the generation, causes, and effects of paradigm shifts throughout the last 60 years.

Attendance
Attendance is required for all class sessions. You may miss up to three (four for 3 day a week classes)
classes without penalty. Each additional absence will result in the lowering of your final grade. One
absence over the limit lowers your grade by 3%, a second over the limit lowers it by a full letter grade
(8%), and a third results in failure of the course.

An absence is any time that you miss class, whether for sickness, performance obligation, or any other
reason. All Absences, excused or unexcused, are treated the same! You are responsible for learning
all materials that you miss, and you are required to make up all work missed as a result of absence by the
beginning of the next class session. You may also be marked absent for coming to class unprepared, for
being inattentive (i.e. sleeping, texting, doing homework for other classes, for unreasonably long or
numerous trips to the restroom) during class, or for leaving before the end of the lesson. Timeliness is
an essential skill for professionals. Please make every effort to be on time for class.

Grading: Assignments = 40% A+ = 98–100% A = 95–97% A- = 92-94%

Listening = 20% B+ = 89–91% B = 86–88% B- = 83-85%
Final Paper = 20% C+ = 80–82% C = 77–79% C- = 74-76%
Final Piece = 20% D+ = 71–73% D = 68–70% D- = 65-67%
F = 0–64%
Assignments (40%)
Assignments will be modeled compositions in the style of the weekly or module topic. They will be given
a letter grade based on completion, technical accuracy and musicality. Late assignments will be lowered
one letter grade for each day past the due date. Be prepared to demonstrate, play, and discuss your piece
(MIDI playback is fine).

Participation / Listening (20%)

Students will be assessed on their level of participation in class, including group discussion, prompt
attendance, and engagement in consultation hours. As well, each student is expected to engage in listening
outside of class and be able to clearly and thoroughly communicate relevant aspects presented in each
piece.

Due to the large amount of music and short amount of time, only excerpts may be covered in class. The
majority of listening will be done in full outside of class with a score. A repertoire list is provided on
the last page of the syllabus, with composers and pieces to be explored throughout the semester. Students
are expected to have listened to the piece before the class in which said music will be discussed.

Final Paper (20%) and Final Piece (20%)

The final project is two-fold: a written research analysis paper on a recent piece of your choice (no earlier
than 1987), paired with an original composition that utilizes the same instrumentation as your chosen
piece, and includes similar contemporary compositional techniques. No ensembles larger than sinfonietta,
please.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 1: Introduction and Concepts

Tue. 1/08 Syllabus / Course Description; discussion: what is contemporary?
Thurs. 1/10: Discussion: assignment 1
Assignment 1 (due 1/10)

Weeks 2 & 3: Conceptual Composition, Patient Listening, Experiential Music

Tue. 1/15: John Cage, Witold Lutoslawski
Thurs. 1/17: Earle Brown, John Luther Adams
Assignment 2

Tue. 1/22: La Monte Young

Thurs. 1/24: Morton Feldman, Alvin Lucier
Assignment 3

Weeks 4 & 5: Reinventing the Acoustic Ensemble

Tue. 1/29: Karlheinz Stockhausen
Thurs. 1/31: Iannis Xenakis
Assignment 4
Tue. 2/5: Gyorgy Ligeti
Thurs. 2/7: Gyorgy Kurtag
Assignment 5

Weeks 6, 7, 8: Unlocking Hidden Sounds

Tue. 2/12: Tristan Murail
Thurs. 2/14: Gerard Grisey
Assignment 6

Tue. 2/19: Kaija Saariaho

Thurs. 2/21: Claude Vivier
Assignment 7

Tue. 2/26: Georg Friedrich Haas

Thurs. 2/28: Enno Poppe
NO ASSIGNMENT

Tue. 3/5: Spring Break – No Class

Thurs. 3/7: Spring Break – No Class

Week 9: Microtonality
Tue. 3/12: Harry Partch, Ben Johnston
Thurs. 3/14: James Tenney, Julia Werntz
Assignment 8

Weeks 10, 11, 12: Less is More – Minimalism and its Effects
Tue. 3/19: Terry Riley, Philip Glass
Thurs. 3/21: Steve Reich
Assignment 9

Tue. 3/26: John Adams I

Thurs. 3/28: John Adams II
Assignment 10

Tue. 4/2: David Lang, Julia Wolfe

Thurs. 4/4: Michael Gordon, Louis Andriessen

Weeks 13, 14, 15: Where are We Now? A Look at New Amsterdam Composers
Tue. 4/9: Oscar Bettison, Tristan Perich
Thurs. 4/11: Missy Mazzoli, Caroline Shaw
Tue. 4/16: Marcos Balter, Chris Cerrone
Thurs. 4/18: David T. Little, Nico Muhly

Week 15:
Tue. 4/23: Hans Abrahamsen, Final Project Due
Thurs. 4/25: NO CLASS – OVATION

Integrity
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any form. All work submitted in this course must be
your own and must be produced exclusively for this course. Do not copy from or communicate with
another student during an exam, do not use notes during an exam, and do not allow another student
to cheat off of you. Violations of the "Policy on Academic Dishonesty" detailed in the B-W College
Catalog will result in a failing grade and will be reported to college authorities for disciplinary action.

Tutoring
Tutoring is available, free of charge, from the B-W Learning Center. Students interested in working
with a tutor should visit the Learning Center in room 203, top floor of Ritter Library and complete
a brief tutor request form

Disability
Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychological, vision, hearing, etc.)
who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of that disability should contact
the Disability Services at 440-826-5936 in the Ritter Library, Room 207, to establish eligibility and to
coordinate reasonable accommodations. Students will not be accommodated unless they provide
their instructors with a letter from Disability Services documenting their eligibility and delineating
reasonable and appropriate accommodations. The accommodation letter must be updated each
semester. Students are encouraged to meet with each professor early in the semester to discuss their
disability letter regarding how to implement their accommodations in relation to specific course
requirements.”

Registrar Dates
Last day to drop a course is Thursday, March 16, 2017.
 Repertoire List

Abrahamsen, Hans Schnee, Let Me Tell You

Adams, John Coolidge Harmonium, Dharma at Big Sur
Adams, John Luther Become Ocean
Andriessen, Louis De Staat
Balter, Marcos Descent from Parnassus
Brown, Earle Available Forms I
Cage, John Number Pieces: two4
Cerrone, Chris Invisible Cities
Czernowin, Chaya Sahaf
Feldman, Morton Triadic Memories
Fernyhough, Brian Etudes Transcendantales
Fisher-Lochhead, Chris Ms. Pat
Furrer, Beat Spur
Glass, Philip Metamorphoses, excerpts from The Truman Show
Gordon, Michael excerpts from Decasia
Grisey, Gerard Transistoires
Haas, Georg Friedrich Blumenstucke
Hyla, Lee Lives of the Saints
Johnston, Ben String Quartet no. 4 “Amazing Grace”
Kurtag, Gyorgy Kafka Fragments
Lang, David Child
Ligeti, Gyorgy Lux Aeterna, Piano Etudes (I, IV, XIII)
Little, David T. Soldier Songs
Lucier, Alvin I Am Sitting in a Room
Lutoslawski, Witold Venetian Games
Mazzoli, Missy Crystal Castles
Murail, Tristan Winter Fragments
Part, Arvo Fratres
Partch, Harry Daphne of the Dunes
Perich, Tristan 1-bit Symphony
Poppe, Enno Salz
Rautavaara, Einojuhani Cantus Articus
Reich, Steve Parable
Riley, Terry In C
Saariaho, Kaija Spins and Spells, excerpts from L’amour de Loin
Sandstrom, Sven-David High Mass
Shaw, Caroline Partita
Stockhausen, Karlheinz Helicopter Quartet
Tenney, James Critical Band, Postal Pieces
Vivier, Claude Rèves d’un Marco Polo
Werntz, Julia Gathering Meaning
Wolfe, Julia Fuel
Young, La Monte The Well-Tuned Piano
Zorn, John Cat O’ Nine Tails