San Francisco State University • Music Department

MUSIC 420 • Twentieth Century Techniques
Spring, 1999

Prof. Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez

Graduate Assistant: Lisa Miller (lsmiller@sfsu.edu) • Office hours: TBA

• Office: CA361 • Phone: 338-2066 • E-Mail: carlossg@sfsu.edu

• 420’s URL: http://www.sfsu.edu/~music/csg/420/420.html

Click here to go to the UPDATED class schedule

Click here to go to the assignments page

Click here to go to reference materials page


Office Hours: M, W, 9:30-10:30 A.M.; W 11 A.M.--12 P.M, or by appointment.

Class Hours: M,W from 8:10 to 9:25 AM, Room 209

Prerequisites: Music 231, Music 232 and Music 233. Students who have not completed the above courses will not be admitted in Music 420. Concurrent enrollment in the above courses is not acceptable.

Required Text:

Other Materials:

A supply of 8 1/2 by 11 music manuscript paper (10-12 staves on a page.)


Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with a thorough analytical understanding of a number of compositional procedures and musical structures found in Twentieth-century music literature through studies in aural perception, historical perspective, score-reading, and composition. While emphasis will be placed on the study of the forms and strategies that are typical of Twentieth-Century Western Concert Music, parallels will often be drawn with musical genres of several other styles and cultures. Since comprehensive courses in Orchestration, Twentieth-Century Music History, and Electronic/Computer Music are already offered, the scope of this course with respect to those topics will be mainly contextual and/or complementary.

Twentieth-Century Techniques is mainly organized by compositional technique/aesthetic approach and only partly chronologically. The study of new notational devices and procedures will take place concurrently with the central core of topics. Please refer to the schedule below for a detailed list of topics.

Class material and assignments:

Handouts and other printed material will be provided frequently, and readings may also be assigned.

Very important: Be sure to set up an internet account and consult the WWW page for this class, for this will be the most reliable source of up-to-date scheduling and curriculum information. Additionally, many of the handouts and all assignment guidelines given in class will be posted on the WWW page along with additional–and important–reference material.

Plan to read all assigned literature and listen to the suggested examples before each class meeting. All material suggested/required for listening will be available on reserve at the Media Access Center (Paul Leonard Library, Third Floor) listed under Sanchez-Gutierrez, Mus 420.

Homework Policies:

Regular homework analysis assignments and exercises will be given in which students will be asked to apply and develop technical and analytical concepts and strategies introduced in class. Specific completion and format instructions will accompany each assignment. If you must miss a session, arrange for a classmate to obtain all materials and assignments missed or download the instructions and/or handouts from the course WWW page, and ask someone to turn in your homework for you.

All assignments will be collected at the beginning of class, on the specified dates. Should you become seriously ill or have a personal emergency, please stay in touch with me so the necessary arrangements are made.

Important policies:



Composition projects:

There will be several composition projects to be completed at various points during the course. Some of you will be asked to perform these projects–and occasionally other smaller exercises–in class. Your participation performing these work examples is appreciated–and expected. Details will be announced as appropriate.

All assignments and composition projects will receive grades following the policies below.

Examination and Grading Policies:

Grades are based on the following types of assignments:

• Regular homework assignments (including several short composition projects)

• 1-2 longer composition projects

Most assignments will be weighted equally, but occasionally some longer, more complex assignments will carry a heavier weight. The lowest and the highest homework assignment grades will both be eliminated. Please note, however, that this rule does not apply to homework that is double-weighted. The remaining grades will then be averaged together, and the final grade will be computed according to the following percentile scale:

A: 94-100%; A-: 90-93%; B+: 87-89%; B: 84-86%;
B-: 80-83%; C+: 77-79%; C: 74-76%; C-: 70-73%;
D: 60-63%; F: 0-59%

There will be no midterm or final exams.


Attendance and Participation Policy:

Participation in class will be expected. All class meetings will begin promptly at 8:10 AM. Please plan to arrive a few minutes before the posted starting time.The classroom door will be locked after 8:20 A.M. and no student will be admitted after the door has been locked.

Any changes made to the class schedule or to this syllabus will be announced in advance in class and will be posted on the class' web site.

Spring, 1999 UPDATED Class Schedule
Occasional adjustments to this schedule may be announced–stay tuned!

Week of

Topics

Readings

1/25
  • Class Organization
Kostka, 1-17
Handout
2/1
  • Modal Writing:
    • 7-note modes
    • Other modes
    • Modal harmony
Kostka, 25-41
Handout
2/8
2/15
  • Single-Interval Chords
    • Secondal Harmony
    • Tone-Clusters
    • Quartal and Quintal Harmony
  • Mixed-Interval Chords
Kostka, 49-71
Handout
2/22
3/1
  • Rhythmic Techniques:
    • Pulse, Beat, Metre and Rhythm
    • Polyrhythm
    • Metric Modulation
    • Rhythmic Flexibility
    • Olivier Messiaen's rhythmic language
Kostka, 120-139
Handout
3/8
3/15
  • Pitch-class Sets and Interval Vectors I
Kostka, 183-200
Handout
3/29 SPRING BREAK
4/5
  • Richard Festinger's presentation (4/5)
  • Ronald Caltabiano's presentation (4/7)
 
4/12

CLASSES CANCELLED

4/19
  • Twelve-Tone Techniques
Kostka, 206-223
Handout
4/26
  • Indeterminancy, Chance, and Aleatorism
Kostka, 295--310
Handout
5/3
  • Minimalism
  • Vernacular Influences
Kostka, 164-180; 312-323
Handout
5/10
  • Latest Trends
Handout
5/17
  • Wrap-up
  • Wed, 5/19: Last class
 

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