Music 691C - S-Analysis of Counterpoint

This course is geared for all graduate students in music and can be applied toward fulfillment of the theory core requirement. It serves as an investigation into the development and function of note-against-note composition in Western music, primarily from the late Renaissance to the 20th century. Historical topics will include the origins of counterpoint, its evolution into a codified discipline in the 16th and 17th centuries, the role of counterpoint in Classical/Romantic/20th-century composition, and the "meaning" of counterpoint (its expressive potential) across these style periods.

Prerequisites for this class include mastery/fluency with harmony and basic knowledge of species counterpoint. There will be a significant reading component: on a weekly basis, students will be assigned articles/book sections for discussion. Other assignments will take the form of written summaries and analyses, research presentations, and a final paper 15-20 pages in length.

This course is open to Music Graduate students only in any concentration.