MUS 630, History of Music Theory I Music Theory from Ancient Times through the Renaissance Jack Boss, instructor Fall 2017 Office: 208 Music Building 10:00-11:20 TR, 150 Music Bldg. Email: [email protected] Phone: 541-556-6139 ************************************************************************ Objectives: Trace the development of modal theory, counterpoint theory and rhythmic theory from their beginnings to around the year 1600. Enable students to grasp ancient, medieval and Renaissance music theory writers as part of their historical and cultural contexts. Give students practical training in researching a topic as well as presenting research orally and in writing. ************************************************************************ Required texts: Christensen, ed. The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory. (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2002). A paperback version came out recently and can be ordered online for about $75. I have a PDF version also, and will make it available on the Canvas site. I will also make survey articles by Harold Powers (on mode) and Claude Palisca (on counterpoint) available on the Canvas site. Finally, the treatises we‟ll discuss during the course of the quarter are listed at the end of this syllabus, and pertinent excerpts from them will be placed on the Canvas site. Reading assignments will be given from those treatises at each class meeting, for the next class meeting (along with a list of questions for discussion). ************************************************************************ Tentative syllabus (readings should be completed by the date on which they are listed, unlike the syllabus on the Canvas site): SEP 26 Introduction to the course (short meeting) 28 (Christensen Ch. 4, Ancient theory: Pythagoreans Plato Timaeus, Sectio Canonis) ________________________________________________________________________ OCT 3 (Aristoxenus, Harmonicists and Aristoxenians Harmonics, excerpts) 5 (Powers “Mode” Transmission of ancient theory to the Middle Ages: article, pp. 376-79, Boethius, Cassiodorus, Isidore Christensen Ch. 5) ________________________________________________________________________ 10 (Powers pp. 379-84, The Great Compromise, Part I: Aurelian, Hucbald, Christensen Ch. 11, Musica and Scolica Enchiriadis, Alia musica pp. 307-339) 2 12 (Powers pp. 384-92, The Great Compromise, Part II: Guido, “Odo,” Christensen Ch. 11, Berno, Hermannus Contractus pp. 339-57) ________________________________________________________________________ 17 (Powers, pp. 392-97) Italian modal theory of the 14th and 15th centuries; Marchetto of Padua, Ugolino of Orvieto, Tinctoris, Gaffurius 19 (Powers, pp. 397-406, Modes and Polyphonic Music, part I: theories of Christensen, Ch. 12, modal ethos, Tinctoris, Gaffurius, Vanneus, Ramis pp. 364-83) de Pareia, Dressler, Aaron ________________________________________________________________________ 24 (Powers, pp. 406-14, Modes and Polyphonic Music, part II: the 12-mode Christensen, Ch. 12, system, Glarean, Zarlino pp. 383-406) 26 (Palisca MGG article, Beginnings of counterpoint theory--organum; pp. 1-12, Christensen Musica and Scolica enchiriadis, Guido, John, Ch. 15, pp. 477-84) Ad organum faciendum; First summary outline due ________________________________________________________________________ 31 (Palisca, pp. 12-19, Discant and counterpoint; Johannes de Christensen Ch. 15, Garlandia, Franco of Cologne, Anonymous IV, pp. 485-502) Prosdocimus de Beldemanis NOV 2 No class—Dr. Boss in Washington, DC for SMT ________________________________________________________________________ 7 (Palisca, pp. 19-27, Counterpoint; Tinctoris, Gaffurius, Aaron Christensen Ch. 16) 9 (Palisca, pp. 27-35, Zarlino, The transition to Fux’s counterpoint: Galilei, Christensen Ch. 18, Diruta, Berardi, Banchieri, Christoph Bernhard pp. 554-70) ________________________________________________________________________ 14 (Christensen Ch. 20, Rhythmic notation, part I: Johannes de Garlandia, Franco pp. 628-39) of Cologne, Jehan des Murs Second summary outline due 16 (Christensen Ch. 20, Rhythmic notation, part II: Marchetto of Padua, pp. 639-56) proportions, Tinctoris ________________________________________________________________________ 21 Student presentations, Third summary outline due 3 23 Thanksgiving Day—no class ________________________________________________________________________ 28 Student presentations 30 Student presentations ________________________________________________________________________ This course does not have a midterm or final exam. Instead, your grade will be based 25% on three summary outlines you write for me, and 25% on a presentation you give in class (this could be on one of the topics listed on the syllabus, or on a topic of your choice related to one of the areas of the course). The other 50% will be based on a 15-20 page paper, essentially a write-up of your class presentation, taking into account the suggestions I and other class members give you. I will be working with each of you during the quarter to choose a suitable topic. The final paper will be due Friday, December 8 at 5 p.m. I do not take attendance in graduate courses, but advise you very strongly to be here regularly, lest you fall behind in the course material. (Also, with classes as small as these, we will all know when you are gone.) If you need to skip a class because of an emergency, I'd be happy if you let me know ahead of time--phone or email or just drop by the office. Students should be aware that the School of Music and Dance desires to discourage any sort of action that makes an individual feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. Students with concerns related to discrimination, bias, or sexual harassment are encouraged to contact the following office or offices should you wish to report such an incident and get help in resolving the incident. • Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Office, 677 E 12th Ave, Suite 452, (541) 346-3123; aaeo.uoregon.edu • Bias Response Team, 164 Oregon Hall, (541) 346-2037; bias.uoregon.edu • Conflict Resolution Services, 164 Oregon Hall, (541) 346-0617 • Counseling & Testing Center, 2nd floor, University Health, Counseling, and Testing Center Building, (541) 346-3227; counseling.uoregon.edu • Student Advocacy, 334 EMU, (541) 346-3722; pages.uoregon.edu/asuoosa If you are registered with the Accessible Education Center, you should make an appointment with the instructor as soon as possible to discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary. To request disability accommodations, register for services at the Accessible Education Center. • Accessible Education Center, 164 Oregon Hall, (541) 346-1155; aec.uoregon.edu Reading list for MUS 630, Music Theory from Ancient Times Through the Renaissance 4 SURVEY BOOKS AND ARTICLES The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory, ed. Thomas Christensen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. ML 3800. C165 2002 Damschroder, David and David Russell Williams. Music Theory from Zarlino to Schenker: A Bibliography and Guide. Stuyvesant, N.Y.: Pendragon Press, 1990. ML 128. T5. D27 1990 Palisca, Claude. “Kontrapunkt.” In Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, ed. Friedrich Blume. Typescript translation by the author, 1985. Powers, Harold. “Mode.” In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 20 vols. London: Macmillan, 1980. XII, 376-450. PRIMARY SOURCES (IN TRANSLATION) Ancient and Transitional Plato. Timaeus, trans. R.D. Archer-Hind. London: Macmillan, 1888. Mathiesen, Thomas. “An Annotated Translation of Euclid‟s „Division of a Monochord‟ (Sectio Canonis),” Journal of Music Theory 19/2 (Autumn 1975): 236-58. The Harmonics of Aristoxenus, ed. and trans. Henry S. Macran. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902. Boethius, Anicius Manlius Severinus. Fundamentals of Music, trans. Calvin Bower, ed. Claude Palisca. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989. MT 5.5. B613. 1989 Cassiodorus. Introduction to Divine and Human Readings. Book V translated by Oliver Strunk in Source Readings in Music History, pp. 87-92. New York: Norton, 1950. ML 160. S89 Isidore of Seville. Etymologies. Book III translated by Oliver Strunk in Source Readings in Music History, pp. 93-100. Modal Theory (Medieval) Aurelian of Reóme: “The Discipline of Music,” trans. J. Ponte. Colorado Springs: Colorado College Music Press, 1968. Hucbald, Guido and John on Music, trans. Warren Babb, ed. Claude Palisca. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1978. ML 170. H82 5 “Musica enchiriadis” and “Scolica enchiriadis”: Translated with Introduction and Notes, trans. Raymond Erickson, ed. Claude Palisca. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. MT 5.5. M8713. 1995 Alia musica, partial translation by James McKinnon in Source Readings in Music History, 2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 86-88. New York: Norton, 1998. ML 160. S89. 1998, v. 2 (Pseudo-) Odo of Cluny, Enchiridion musices, translated by Oliver Strunk in Source Readings in Music History, pp. 103-116. Musica Hermanni Contracti, ed. and trans. Leonard Ellingwood. Rochester, NY: Eastman School of Music, 1936. ML 171. H3. 1936 The Lucidarium of Marchetto of Padua: A Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary, ed. and trans. Jan Herlinger. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985. MT 5.5. M3713. 1985 Modal Theory (Renaissance) Tinctoris, Johannes. Concerning the Nature and Propriety of Tones, trans. Albert Seay. Colorado Springs: Colorado College Music Press, 1976. ML 171. T4. D4. 1967 The “Practica Musicae” of Franchinus Gaffurius, trans. Irwin Young. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1969.