Music History I: Music to 1750

In this course we will survey Western art music from the earliest notated Medieval music through the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Beginning with Gregorian chant and troubadour song, we will explore Renaissance vocal polyphony, the development of opera and instrumental music in the 17th century, and the late Baroque music of Bach and Handel. Analysis of the music is supplemented by consideration of the ways in which music relates to the other arts and reflects the history and culture of its time. Students will be introduced to musicological research methods and their connection to other ways of thinking about music. Through score study, reading, writing, and discussion, they will confront the challenges surrounding our attempt to understand music’s historical development and its relation to the other arts and society. (MUSC 0261 or waiver) 3 hrs. lect.