Monday - April 28, 2008
Form & Analysis
So I'm trying to work out my Form & Analysis class for the Fall semester. I've *always* enjoyed teaching that course here...but I think this semester may test me the most!
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It's not because of the students. In fact, I think this will be one of the best groups I've had for a long time. The main issue is that there are 11 or 12 signed up so far!
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I've historically had roughly 5 or 6 students in that class, so I've been able to assign MANY complete works for analysis (or at least entire movements). The papers take SO LONG to grade, though. So I'm going to have to do something about that. I'm in the process of revamping my plans now.... I still haven't worked out the assignment part of things, but I suspect I will divide the class into two or three sections, assign a particular piece to each one, then go over them altogether in class.... That doesn't really take care of my grading problem, though. Maybe the grade can be based on their presentation or something.... I dunno.
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I'm working out a list with some new stuff on it for this Fall, too. Somewhat to keep it interesting for myself... and somewhat because since we've revamped the entire cirriculum in the music program, these kids will come in knowing a lot more about the forms we're going to talk about. In the past, I've had to spend the first two or three weeks on binary & ternary forms! I didn't get through sonata form until midterms.... not cool. So we can start with one binary form & move on to some ternary forms with MANY interesting features in the first week. Anyhow... here's the list in no particular order.
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Ives - The Unanswered Question
Stravinsky - Rite of Spring (excerpts, obviously)
Schoenberg - Op. 33a
Webern - Op. 21 symphony / Op. 3 song / Op. 27 piano variations
Messian - Quartet for the End of Time (liturgy of the crystal)
Ligeti - Lux Aeterna
Reich - Electric Counterpoint
Bartok - Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste (maybe)
Beethoven - Op. 109 / Op. 49 / Op. 90 / Op. 131 (maybe) / Op. 2#1 / Eroica Symphony
Schubert - Erlkonig / Impromptu in Ab
Chopin - Op. 28 #4 / Op.28 #15 /Op. 28 #20
Brahms - Op. 39 / Op. 118 #3
Debussy - Sunken Cathedral / String Quarted (maybe)
Bach - French Suite #6
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That's a ton of stuff.... but I plan to do a lot more of them in class than I have in the past. We'll see....