Final projects

The due date for your final project will be Tuesday, December 18, midnight. This hopefully gives you enough time to finish them, and it gives me enough time to grade them before grades are due. As we discussed in class on Wednesday, you have three options:

1. A traditional analysis paper, based either on your presentation or another topic pre-approved by me. The word count will be 1500-2500 words, plus music examples. Please include the music examples "inline," as part of the paper, not as an appendix at the end. You'll need footnotes, references, etc.
2. The "awesome YouTube video" project, which some of you are already starting on - I think this could potentially be a really neat project; it's looking like iMovie or equivalent software may be the easiest way to make these.
3. An original sonata-allegro movement, either for piano solo or piano and instrument.

No matter which option you choose, please make sure to discuss it with me so I know what you're doing! The sonata project, if you are not a pianist, could prove to be extremely difficult to do well.

Fall Break Assignment

I decided that Richard Cohn's article on the second movement of the Ninth Symphony is tough enough that I will introduce it to you today, and ask you to read it closely over the break. It provides a useful contrast to the Schenker: it has a definite thesis it seeks to prove, it is (relatively) short, and it avoids some of the hyperbole that Schenker indulges in (but which also kind of makes him fun to read).

Please go to the library website, under "find books and articles," and search for the keywords Richard Cohn, Beethoven Scherzo Ninth Symphony. You'll find one hit in RILM and tons of hits in JSTOR; use the "Discover Full Text" option to download the article (this is good research practice, too).

Finally, a week from Monday, I would like us to be ready to discuss the form of the third movement: no reading required for this one, just try to figure it out - don't forget to number all of your bars! Then Wednesday and Friday we will tackle the gigantic finale.

Assignment for Wednesday, Nov 14

Here is Schenker's analysis of the development and recapitulation; it's not as long as the exposition analysis, since it's developing material that Beethoven has already introduced. Please read this for Wednesday, and listen carefully to the development and recapitulation; if possible, have the Schenker and the Beethoven score with you while you're listening. You don't need to write in Roman numerals on the development and recap, but I would like you to complete your analysis of the exposition if you haven't already.

Assignment for Monday, Nov 12

Well, it's time to get started on Beethoven Symphony No. 9, the final piece we're studying together this semester. Our main guide will be the great theorist Heinrich Schenker (1868-1935). I haven't required much reading this semester beyond a couple chapter from Caplin, since I figured our main texts are the scores. But the Ninth Symphony is such a landmark, with so much written about it, that we really need to dig a little deeper.

I'm planning to have us read Schenker on the first and last movements, and a fascinating article by Richard Cohn on hypermeter in the second movement. The third movement we may try "on our own;" I'll see how we do on the first two movements.

Here is Schenker's analysis of the first movement's exposition. He organizes his book into three rubrics: first, his own analysis of form, motive, rhythm and harmony; second, some thoughts on performance; and third, a discussion of what others have written about the piece. I haven't included all of these second and third parts, since we're focusing on form and analysis. But in some ways the literature review is the most entertaining, since in his opinion everyone else is an idiot, especially Richard Wagner, who he insults over and over again throughout. But he insults other commentators as well: "Can such activity be of use in any way to the layman, performer, student, or conductor?!" and: "What a limited view, and how wrong everything is besides!"

Besides reading about the exposition, please do your best to analyze it with Roman numerals; study the clarinets, horns and trumpets carefully, to make sure you know what concert pitches they're playing. I'll look over your scores on Monday to make sure you're doing it - good luck!

Assignment for Friday, Nov 9

Remember, there is no class this Wednesday. For Friday, let's do our part to add to the Beethoven corpus analysis project - this will help us all with our Roman numeral skills, and it will also help a "big data" music theory project for my friend Dmitri Tymoczko at Princeton. I'm assigning sections of sonatas in pairs, so two of you will work on the same part of a piece. If you have a chance, please compare your analyses before Friday, so you can check each other's work.

• Armaan Yazdani & Kelsey Stanker: Op. 2 no. 2, A Major, mvt. 1 exposition (through the first ending, m117)
• Hyeyeon Jung & Sihyun Chun: Op. 2 no. 2, A Major,  mvt. 1 development (2nd ending through m225)
• Jacque Piccolino & Janie Duffy: Op. 2 no. 2, A Major, mvt. 1 recapitulation (m225-end)
• Mike Jensen & Young Kim: Op. 2 no. 2, A Major, mvt. 2
• Yi-Hsuan Lin & Sunjoo Lee: Op. 2 no. 2, A Major, mvt. 3
• Sunyeong Pak & Cassie Jackson: Op. 2 no. 2, A Major, mvt. 4, beginning through 1st ending (m66)
• Alice Beberman & Alex Rolfs: Op. 2 no. 2, A Major, mvt. 4, 2nd ending - m134
• So Jung Kwak & Erin Brooker: Op. 2 no. 2, A Major, mvt. 4, m135 - end
• April Lane & Steve Taylor: Op. 2 no. 3, C Major, mvt. 1, exposition (through the first ending, m90)

Here are instructions. Dmitri originally wrote these for analyzing Mozart sonatas, so a few of the details are different; but overall it's an interesting, detailed approach to analyzing music. There are broader implications, such as what level should we focus on - the chord-to-chord approach that we're doing here, or going for more of the big picture. For this kind of computer analysis, we are focusing on the trees, not the forest; the idea is that the computer will be able to find large-scale patterns in all of Beethoven that would be difficult for humans to find.

Finally, here is Dmitri's analysis of Op. 28, first movement, which we studied in class yesterday; you can use this to help guide you in your own analyses. Good luck and have fun!

Time signature: 3/4

Pedal: D m1 m20
m1 D: I
m2 V7/IV
m3 IV
Note: could read b3 chords as anticipations; voice leading in mm5-6 is then a little funky
m4 b3 ii
m5 viio
m6 V7
m7 I
m9 V b3 V7
m10 I
m11-20 = m1-10
Note: pedal moves to tenor
m21 I6
m22 b2 ii6/5 b3 V4/3/IV
m23 IV6
Note: deceptive resolution of V/IV to ii
m24 b3 V4/3/IV
m25 ii6/5 b3 V6/5/V
m26 V b3 V7
m27 I
m29 I6
Note: fauxbourdon ROTO replaces V4/3/iv
m30 b2 ii6/5 b3 I6/4
m31 IV6
m32 b3 I6/4
m33 ii6/5 b3 V6/5/V
m34 V b3 V7
m35 I
m36 b3 I6
m37-39 = m25-27
Note: key is uncertain in the following; could read the next measures in A; the repeat makes things even more subtle, psychologically (in the repeat, I hear the analogue of m40 more strongly in A.)
m40 D: vi6/5
m41 V6
m42 V4/3/V
m43 V
m44 A: vi6/5
m45 V6
m46 V4/3/V
m47 V
m48-55 = m40-47
m56-57 = m54-55
m58-59 = m54-55
Note: second theme area is deliciously ambiguous between f# and A
m63 f#: V7
m64 i
m65 V7
m66 i
m67 V9[b9]/iv
m68 iv A: ii
m69 I6/4 b3 V7
m70 I
m71 f#: V
m72 i6/4
m73 V
m74 i6/4
m75 iv6
m76 It6
m77 V
m78 b3 It6
m79 V b3 It6
m80 = m79
m81 V
Note: "common tone minor seventh chord" here, neighbor to what is enharmonically viio7 in A.  Part of the "common tone group" (see Mozart C major sonata for the 'common tone dominant seventh').  Closely followed by the "common tone half diminished" chord.  (And then a regular cto7, etc.)
m82 b3 A: #i7
m83 viio6/5 b3 #i7
m84 = m83
m85 viio6/5
m87 V4/3 b3 #i/o7
m88 = m87
m89 V4/3
m91 I b3 V4/3
m92 I b3 f#: V4/3
m93 i
m94 i b3 V4/3
m95 = m94
m96 i b3 D: V4/3
m97 I
m98 I b3 V4/3
m99 = m98
m100 I b3 A: V4/3
m101 I6 b3 V6
m102 I b3 IV6
m103 I6
m105 viio6/V
m107 I6/4
m108 V7
m109 I6
m110 I6 b3 #iio7
m111 I6 b3 IV
m112 I6 b3 V4/3
m113 I
m114 I b3 V+6
m115 I b3 V4/3
m116 I b3 V4/3/vi
m117 vi
m118 vi b3 V6/vi
m119 vi b3 V6/vi
m120 vi b3 V2/ii
m121 ii6 b3 V6/ii
m122 ii b3 V2/V
m123 V6 b3 V6/V
m124 v b3 V2
m125 I6
m127 V4/3/V
m129 I6/4
m134 b3 V7
m135 I
m136 I
m137 I6
m138 V7
m139 I
m140 V6/5/IV
m141 IV
m142 V7
m143 I
m144-151 = m136-143
m152 V6/5/IV
m153 IV
m154 V7
m155 I
m156 V7
m157 I
m158 V7
m159 I
m160 D: V7
Form: development
Note: like many classical development sections, this one begins with an ascending-fifth sequence.  Here the sequence is a bit digressive, but it's still pretty clear
m163 G: V6
m165 V6/5
m167 I
m168-176 = m2-10
Pedal: G m177 m182
m177 vi6
m178 C: V7
m179 i6/4
m180 b3 g: iio
m181 viio6
m182 V7
m183 i
m185 V b3 V7
m186 i
m187 d: V6
m188 i6
m189 V b3 V7
m190 i
m191 V/iv
m192 iv
m193 V6/iv b3 V6/5/iv
m194 iv
m195 V
m196 i
m197 V6/5
m198 i
m199 V b3 V7
m200 i
m201-202 = m197-198
m203 a: V b3 V6/5
m204 i
m205 V6/5
m206 i
m207-208 = m203-204
m209 e: viio6/5
m210 i6 b3 i
m211 V6 b3 V7
m212 i
m213 b: viio6/5
m214-216 = m211-213
m217 Ger6/5
Note: dominant expansion that is long even by Beethoven's standards!
m219 V
m220 i6/4
m221 V7
m222 i6/4
m223-226 = m219-222
m227 V
m228 V6/4
m230 V6
m231 V
m232 V6
m233 V6/4
m234 V6
m235-238 = m231-234
m239 V
m249 V6/4
m250 V6
m251 V
m257 B: I
m258 I6
m259 V7
m260 I
m262 b: i
m263 i6
m264 V7
m265 i
m267 D: V7
m269-278 = m1-10
m279 V7/IV
m281-288 = m3-10
m289-307 = m21-39
m308 I b3 I6
m309 ii6/5 b3 V6/5/V
m310 V b3 V7
m311 I
m312 vi6/5
m313 V6
m314 V4/3/V
m315 V
m316 ii6/5
m317 I6
m318 V4/3
m319 I
m320-327 = m312-319
m328 V4/3/V
m329 V
m330-331 = m328-329
m332-333 = m328-329
m337 b: V7
m338-341 = m64-67
m342 iv D: ii
m343 I6/4 b3 V7
m344 I
m345 b: V
m346-355 = m72-81
m356 V b3 D: #i7
m357-365 = m83-91
m366 I b3 b: V4/3
m367-369 = m93-95
m370 i b3 G: V4/3
m371 I
m372 I b3 V4/3
m373 = m372
m374 I b3 D: V4/3
m375-400 = m101-126
Note: viio6/V substitutes for V4/3 in exposition
m401 viio6/V
Note: extra bar of I6/4
m403 I6/4
m410 b3 V7
m411-434 = m135-158
Pedal: D m438 m458
m438-447 = m1-10
m448-449 = m446-447
m450-453 = m446-449
m454-455 = m446-447
m456 I
m459 V7
m460 I

Assignment for Monday, November 5

This week I am out of town Wednesday and Friday, so you can do the take-home midterm exam. Next week I'm gone November 7, Wednesday. Sorry! For next Monday Nov. 5, I'd like us to analyze Beethoven's Sonata Op. 26 movement 3, "Marcia Funebre" (p. 224 in the Dover edition). It's 3 pages long; I will be looking through the room to make sure you analyzed it. Also for next week, we will be analyzing the Sonata Op. 28, "Pastorale." Please analyze the first two movements for Monday Nov. 5; we'll look at the remaining movements on Friday Nov. 9.

Assignment for Monday, October 29

Please analyze the first movement of Beethoven's piano sonata Op. 26, a set of variations. Analyze Roman numerals and the form of the main theme; this should not be too difficult. Then, for each variation, try to figure how Beethoven is varying his theme. Often it's the figuration; occasionally he will go into the parallel minor key. What do you think is the large-scale form for the entire movement? Where is the climax?

Magic Flute - Act II

Sorry to be posting this late! Here's how I'd like to tackle Act II of The Magic Flute:

M 10/15 Nos. 9-13
W 10/17 Nos. 14-17
F 10/19 Nos. 18-21

This is obviously a huge amount of music; as we did last week, we'll have to gloss over parts. But I'm hoping to spend some quality time on two arias especially on Wednesday: the famous Queen of the Night aria, No. 14, and Pamina's aria, No. 17. Please take a close look at those, both for Roman numerals and form. In the Finale, we'll also focus on the Papageno/Papagena love story, for Friday.

The Magic Flute - Branagh part 2

Kenneth Branagh's version of The Magic Flute is totally blowing my mind! You all should really see this whole thing! And the musical interpretation under James Conlon is terrific.

Assignment for Monday, October 8, 2012

For next Monday, please listen to or view Act 1 of The Magic Flute, and be prepared to discuss the big picture. How many scenes? How many arias? How does each advance the story? Are there any surprises in terms of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, orchestration? Let's try the following plan for focus:

Monday: Nos. 1-4
Wednesday: Nos. 5-7
Friday: No. 8, Finale

Also, please read chapter 9, "Transition," from Caplin's Classical Form; I've scanned it here. Then, using either your previously done period or sentence (or making a new one; I suggest adapting the transition from Mozart's  K. 570, which we analyzed last Friday), continue your nascent sonata by composing a transition which ends on a half cadence in your new key. I would like you to turn in your opening theme and transition next Friday, October 12, at the beginning of class.

The Magic Flute part 1 - Kenneth Branagh

And now for something completely different...

A cinematic version of the opera, directed by the noted film director and actor Kenneth Branagh.

The Magic Flute - Covent Garden

Complete performance (with English subtitles) from the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, London. Colin Davis, conductor. If anyone has a video from The Magic Flute that they particularly like, please post it!

Amadeus movie night

It looks like most of us are free on Saturday, October 13, for a movie night at my house to see Amadeus. This will be fun! Let's start around 7, with a showtime at 7:30. I'll give directions in class.

Beethoven Moonlight Sonata!

Well, it's time that we started having people play the first 16 bars of the Moonlight Sonata! Can I have one or two people do it on Wednesday? If you've already played in class (for Haydn's Creation or Mozart sonatas) you don't have to do this: my goal is just to make sure that everyone in the class has at least a little keyboard experience playing in class.

Assignment for Wednesday, October 3, 2012

We'll analyze the second movement of the Piano Concerto K. 488, continuing from where we've left off on Monday. I would like you to print out this movement - sorry for all the printing! I'll try to have us  work through the 3rd movement online, although you are welcome to print out the third movement if you like.

Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488

An interesting live performance in which the soloist plays continuo along with the orchestra.

Mozart Piano Sonata K. 570, I. Allegro

The great Mitsuko Uchida.

Assignment for Monday, October 1, 2012

Please download the first movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, here. Also, after printing it out, please number the bars, so we all know where we are when we talk about the piece.

Concerto form is related to sonata form but it is a little different; the main difference is the presence of a ritornello, which reappears throughout the movement. In K. 488, the ritornello first appears in bars 18-30. The other big difference is that the exposition appears twice: first in the orchestra, as an introduction; then with the soloist.

Keeping these two big things in mind, analyze the movement with Roman numerals and with formal labels. It's OK to move to more of a "forest view" for this movement, by which I mean you don't need to analyze every single chord. But if I ask what a chord is, you should be able to tell me! What I often do is scan through the piece, listening to it in my head (or with a recording); I listen to the harmony (mostly tonic, predominant, dominant) without labeling too much. When I notice something unusual, like a modulation, deceptive cadence, augmented sixth, etc., I stop and try to figure it out.

When I first started analyzing classical music, I didn't know much about form beyond what we all learn in 1st and 2nd year theory; so now I am on the lookout for sentences, periods, and their various hybrids; standing on the dominant as well (although that is usually pretty easy to spot). Finally - this is our first transposing score, with clarinets and horns in A; they both sound a minor third lower than written. Or in other words: if it sees a C, it plays its key (which in this case is A).

Mitsuko Ichida, Mozart K. 283, III. Presto

Assignment for Friday, September 28, 2012

Please analyze the first movement of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16, K. 570; you can find it here. As before, include Roman numerals and any formal labels that seem appropriate. What I'm particularly interested in are the ways in which this movement differs from other sonata forms we've studied. Be prepared to turn it in, although I might not collect it.

Assignment for Monday, September 24

Please print out the first movement to Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 5 in G major; the IMSLP page is here. Analyze the entire movement with Roman numerals, and pay special attention to the exposition. What is the structure of the first theme? How does the transition modulate the dominant? How many subordinate themes are there in the exposition? Where does the closing section start? Are there any instances of "one more time?"

Also look through the development, and find out which keys Mozart modulates to. How does he get there? Are there any notable changes between the exposition and the recapitulation, besides the usual subordinate theme being in the tonic?

My goal is to do the whole movement on Monday; then the second and third movements on Wednesday; then another sonata on Friday. So we'll have a busy week!

Interactive theory practice (old)

I did some digging and found these old, interactive worksheets I made for Music 101 and 102, way back when. You're welcome to try these out if you like...

http://www.stephenandrewtaylor.net/worksheets/

Notes on presentations

Two main rules:

1. No biography allowed! You have only 15 minutes, and you won't have time to go into any musical detail if you get bogged down in non-musical details. 
2. Avoid a bar-by-bar description, with a boring list of Roman numerals. Instead, tell us about the two or three most intriguing, memorable, or unique ideas in the movement you are describing. 

To prepare for your presentation, you will have to do a complete Roman numeral analysis, of course, as well as form, motives, rhythm, and all the rest. That's how you find what is most interesting in your piece. Then, once you have completed your analysis and found some ideas that interest you, try to figure out how to present them to your audience. Do you need some kind of PowerPoint presentation, or can you use your score with a document projector? Can you show everything you need to show on the score? Will using different colors help your presentation?

Finally, I hope you will perform part of the piece you are presenting on. If it's short, 3-5 minutes, you can probably perform the whole piece. But if it's longer, you will have to do an excerpt. As a goal, shoot for 30-40% performing, 60-70% talking. It's a very good idea to practice your presentation for one of your friends before you do it in class, to make sure you don't go over (or under) your time limit. I'll send you an email with some feedback after your presentation; if it goes well, you might consider using this as a basis for your final project.

Good luck - I'm looking forward to these!

Assignment for Monday, September 10

We'll continue with The Creation. Depending on how far we get in class today, I'd like us to look closely at No. 2, Arie und Chor; and continue on to the next solo for Gabriel, Allegro in C major (in my score it's no. 5, so I'm guessing it's no. 4 in your score). Please be prepared to sing your choral part in class!

We're in the realm of vocal music, so we can't expect to see clear-cut sentences, periods, etc. But nevertheless, as you write in Roman numerals on your score, try to figure out how Haydn orders his different sections. Why does the choir come in when it does? Where does he change key, and why?

Class presentations

Here's what I have so far for class presentations - if your name is not here yet, please see me after class today and we'll figure out a time slot for you. Thanks!

Haydn presentations

Wednesday, Sept 19

Mike Jensen - Creation, trombone excerpts

Sunjoo Lee - last piano sonata, Eb major

Friday, Sept 21

Janie Duffy - Haydn song from The Travelers

So Jung Kwak - Ab major piano sonata, no. 46

Mozart presentations

Monday, Oct 22

Hyeyeon Jung - Eb Piano Sonata K. 282

Cassie Jackson - Dorabella's aria from Cosi fan Tutte

Wednesday, Oct 24

April Lane - Bb Piano Sonata K. 333

Erin Brooker - Flute & Harp Concerto
Jacque Piccolino - Contessa aria from Figaro

Friday, Oct 26

Young Kim - Piano Concerto

Alice Beberman - C minor Fantasia

Beethoven presentations

Monday, Dec 3

Sunyeong Pak - String Quartet No. 15, op. 132, 1st movement

Yi Hsuan Lin - Pathétique Sonata, 2nd movement
Kelsey Stanker - Choral Fantasy & the Ninth Symphony

Wednesday, Dec 5
Sihyun Chun - Waldstein Sonata

Alex Rolfs - Mozart, "Una Donna" from Cosí
Armaan Yazdani - Symphony No. 8, 1st movement

William Christie conducts Haydn's Creation

From EMI, a video shoot of the recording session for Haydn's Creation, directed by William Christie. It has part of No. 1, all of No. 1a, then skips to No. 14 (The Fourth Day) - but this is an incredible performance. Highly recommended!

Guest lecturer Ethan Haimo

Good news for us Haydn fans! This Thursday at 4 pm in MB 1201, Professor Ethan Haimo will give a lecture "Haydn's Two and Three-Part Expositions." Here is the abstract:

In an influential article from 1963, Jens Peter Larsen argued that although Haydn's expositions usually are divided into two parts, there are a number of works that have three-part expositions.  This view of Haydn's expositions has won widespread acceptance and the three-part exposition has come to be regarded as an important, if occasional, feature of Haydn's expositions.  More recently, James Hepokoski and Warren Darcy adopted Larsen's three-part exposition as one subtype of what they call the continuous exposition.  In this paper it is argued that both Larsen's distinction between two- and three-part expositions and the continuous exposition of Hepokoski and Darcy are problematic concepts.  A new way of understanding the subdivisions of Haydn's expositions is proposed, giving priority to the tonal organization as outlined by the cadential structure.

Assignment for Friday, Sept. 7

Take the sentence that you found last week and re-compose it, transforming it into a period. If you found a period instead, turn it into a sentence. If I noted that your phrase was not really a period or sentence, then please find a phrase which is less ambiguous - that will be easier for you to work with, and it will also help you to figure out the difference between these two phrase models.

You can use a computer notation program, or write it by hand. If you do write by hand, please be neat! Use a straightedge for stems and beams, and make sure your note heads are nice ovals.

Also, we will start on Haydn's Creation this Friday. Please look at Nos. 1, 1a and 2; don't go overboard, but try to figure out Roman numerals, or at least key centers. A couple of things to think about: how does the music explicate the text? Also, what is the phrase structure at the beginning of No. 3?

Assignment for Wednesday, Sept. 5

Please read Chapter 1 of Caplin's Classical Form; I've scanned it for you here. Please also analyze the entire first movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 2 No. 1, which you should have in your Dover score. Caplin discusses the exposition, so that should help you as you analyze the development and recapitulation. As with the Haydn sonata, please analyze with Roman numerals as well as formal labels.

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Sonata for Piano No.50 in D major Hob.XVI:37, 1st movement; Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano). We might not study this piece, but I wanted to include the video as an excellent example of score following.

Assignment for Friday, August 31

Please analyze the exposition of Haydn's Piano Sonata No. 42 in G major, Hob. XVI:27, 1st movement; you can download the pdf here. Use Roman numerals; if a chord looks to you like it is a passing or neighboring chord, you don't need to write a R.N. below it. Also try to label the main parts of the exposition: the main theme, transition, subordinate theme, and closing section.

Remember on Friday, we meet in 1201. And also - if you haven't already introduced yourself to the rest of the class in the earlier post Course introductions, please do so!

Haydn Sonata No. 42 in G major Hob. XVI:27, I.

Haydn, Piano Sonata No. 42 in G Major, Hob. XVI:27, 1st movement. Yi Chih Lu, piano.

Hi! My name is April, I am a DMA in Accompanying.  I did my MM / BM in Piano Performance in Colorado (my home state) where I was adjunct faculty for several years. I moved to the beautiful state of Montana (lots of snow, mountains, cold air, wolves!) 8 years ago where I teach and play as pianist for the Glacier Symphony Orchestra. I am studying accompanying because I want to have a better understanding of the vocal literature, as I am fortunate to play with many great singers back home (yes, they do come all the way up to Montana!). I have a secret desire to learn to play the cello, but not enough at this moment in time. I am co-founder with a dear friend of a Siberian Husky / Alaskan Malamute rescue in Montana. I am also an emergency veterinary technician (my side interest). I am so excited and very honored to share this class and Professor Taylor's instruction with all of you, and look forward to learning something from everyone!

Assignment for Wednesday, August 29

Please find an 8-bar sentence, preferably from Haydn, although you can also look in Mozart and Beethoven. Bring this phrase group with you to class Wednesday, either in a score or photocopy; write a Roman numeral analysis underneath and identify the parts of the sentence. Remember that some phrases are not really sentences or periods, but hybrids of both - steer clear of these for now, and make sure your phrase is really a sentence.

The parts of a sentence are as follows:

1. Presentation (consisting of a basic idea which is repeated; the b.i. can have one or more motives); 
2. Continuation (consisting of fragmentation of the basic idea, followed by a cadential idea).

Update: I don't want this assignment to be too difficult - if you find a period instead of a sentence, that's fine too. And it doesn't have to be exactly 8 bars. If you are having trouble with the assignment, please let me know! I don't want to overwhelm you on the first day of the class.

Beethoven String Quartet Op. 135, 3rd movement

The 3rd movement of Beethoven's string quartet in F major op. 135, performed by the Kodály Quartet, 1999.

Mozart, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, movement II

Yasuto Kimura conducts the New Tokyo Chamber Philharmonic at Mitaka Arts Center Concert Hall on Feb.11,2007.

Course introductions

Hello! By Wednesday, August 29, I would like each of you to comment on this post, with a brief introduction of yourself: what instrument(s) you play, what voice type you are, what year in school, where you are from, etc. I would also like you to say what you are hoping to gain from this course - this will help me plan out the repertoire we're studying.

For myself, these days I mainly compose, play piano and conduct,  but I started out as a horn player with a little bit of jazz bass; I also sing tenor (strictly for chorus, no solos). I've been teaching at the U of I since 2001, and I actually grew up not far from here, in Taylorville, Illinois (which has no relation to my family). I went to Northwestern for undergrad, starting out as a horn major, then switching to composition; I went to Cornell for masters and doctorate degrees. My goal for this class is for you to learn some new repertoire, and to learn to focus on the repertoire you already know in a new way: really understanding how it works, and how a composer makes decisions on motives, themes, rhythms, and large-scale form. My own goal for myself is to finally play through all the Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven piano sonatas - I'm probably about 1/3 of the way there.

Course schedule

Week 

1 8/27 - Haydn (1732-1809) - piano sonatas (starting though with Beethoven Op. 2 No. 1)

2 9/3 - [Labor Day, Monday 9/3] - sonatas (W) and The Creation (F)

3 9/10 - The Creation  (M/W) [Friday - no class]

4 9/17 - Haydn: student presentations (W/F)

5 9/24 - Mozart (1756-1791) - piano sonatas

6 10/1 - Piano Concerto, K. 488

7 10/8 - Die Zauberflote, Act I

8 10/15 - Die Zauberflote, Act II

9 10/22 - Mozart: student presentations & midterm

10 10/29 - Beethoven (1770-1827) - Piano Sonata Op. 26 + midterm

11 11/5  - Beethoven, Piano Sonata Op. 28

12 11/12 - Symphony 9, I. and II.

[11/19 - fall break]

13 11/26 - Symphony 9, III. and IV.

14 12/3 - Beethoven: student presentations

15 12/10 - last day of classes, 12/12

Beethoven Sonata Op. 2 No. 1 in F minor

Sviatoslav Richter, 1976.

Course syllabus

Music 408B
Form and Analysis, 18th century: Music of Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven
University of Illinois School of Music, Fall 2012
MWF, 12:00-12:50 pm
(MW, MB 5047; F, MB 1201)
Instructor: Stephen Taylor, MB 5042
staylor7@illinois.edu


The composer and conductor Pierre Boulez says that form is all of music: everything has a form, from a chord, to a three-note motive, all the way up to opera. So when we study form, we're really studying all music - that is a lot! I often think about form in terms of trees and forests. If a single note or chord is a tree, then the forest is the whole piece. A composer needs to be successful at creating both trees and forests: the moment-to-moment surface of the music has to work (it has to sound good, whatever that means), and the big picture also needs to be compelling - structurally sound. Analogies to architecture are almost unavoidable. To ensure that we understand music at both levels, we'll spend time on basics such as chord ID and orchestral transposition, as well as sentence, period, binary and ternary forms, sonata, rondo, variation, and concerto forms.

Repertoire: We will focus on the big three classical composers: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. (The chronology is weird and interesting: although Haydn is the oldest of the three, he lived long enough that he became one of Beethoven's teachers, living almost 20 years after Mozart's early death.) I've chosen three big pieces: Haydn's The Creation, Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. We'll balance these three masterworks with smaller solo, chamber and orchestral pieces.

Texts: We'll be using the following texts, available at the campus bookstore.

• Haydn, The Creation, vocal score (Novello) ISBN 978-0711984615 ($17.95)
• Mozart, The Magic Flute, vocal score (Dover) ISBN 978-0486413853 ($17.95)
• Beethoven, Complete Piano Sonatas Volume 1 (Dover) ISBN 978-0486231341 ($11.29)
• Beethoven, Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 in full score (Dover) ISBN 978-0486260358 ($11.53)
• We will also be referencing William Caplin's excellent book Classical Form (Oxford University Press, 1998) ISBN 978-0195143997 ($45.00) You don't need to buy this book; it's pretty heavy reading, but it's fascinating, and I will be using it a lot as we work through the repertoire.

Goals: My goal is for each of you to learn some new repertoire, and also to focus on the repertoire you already know in a new way: besides performing music, I want you to understand how it works. My own goals for myself (in case you're interested) are to finally play through all the Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven piano sonatas - I hope I make it!

Grading: I will ask you to do small assignments, usually at least one per week. Some of these will be graded, and others we will go over together in class. Assignments are due at the beginning of class; I'll have to lower your grade for late assignments. You will also complete the following larger projects:

1. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata: Each non-pianist in the class, sometime before the end of the semester, will play the opening of the Moonlight Sonata, Op. 27 No. 2, bars 1-15. (If you're already a pianist, you can perform part of this or another piece for the class; see below.) I'm making this a requirement because it's one of the best piano pieces ever composed, and it's not too difficult. Also,  musicians need to feel the music in their bodies, not just listen to it. And finally, I think you'll really like it!
2. Beethoven 9 chorus: The Sinfonia da Camera is performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on November 2 (I think). Our choral director, Prof. Fred Stoltzfus, has graciously allowed to join in the chorus if we're interested; if at all possible I'm going to do it since I've never sung Beethoven 9 before. Rehearsals start September 4; if you're interested, I'm sure we can work out some kind of extra-credit thing (e.g. not having to do an assignment or two).
3. In-class lecture-performances: Besides the Moonlight Sonata, I'm asking each of you to either perform part of a Classical work, speak about a work, or both (these can be arias or other excerpts from the big works on the syllabus). I'm devoting about three weeks of class, spread throughout the semester, for these performances; ideally each of you will do two. We'll set up a schedule together during the first week of class. These will be brief; I'm thinking 15 minutes. Aim for a poised, professional presentation, like you're giving a pre-concert lecture or performance - but say something important and specific about your musical work, not just a glorified program note.
4. Midterm: I'll ask you to analyze a piece of music, probably a sonata-form movement, in class. It might be an orchestral movement, so be sure you know how to read transposing instruments! We'll cover how in class - the most basic thing to remember is this: "If it sees a C, it plays its key." In other words, if a Horn in Eb has a written C in her part, the resulting note will be Eb.
5. Final paper: Instead of a final exam, each person will write an analysis paper, possibly of one of the works you have performed/discussed earlier in the term.
6. Awesome YouTube projects: in lieu of a final paper, you can make what I'm informally calling "awesome YouTube projects" - for instance, a recording of a piece that plays while the visuals clarify the form. You've probably seen YouTube videos of a score that follows along with the recording. What if there were an annotated score, with colors and animation, showing how the form of a movement works? That would be awesome, and more than enough to get an excellent grade in the class. If I have unexpected extra time in the semester I'll try one of these myself, just because it would be so cool.

Miscellaneous: Please no computers, cell phones or food in class (even though it's lunchtime); in 1201 on Fridays, drinks are OK, but we can't have drinks in MB 5047. If you have to miss class, please contact me ahead of time; I may ask for a pass from a dean or an ensemble director's note, depending on circumstances.