- MU5003 - Music Research Skills
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- Credit Points
- 30
- Course Coordinator
- Dr Jasmin Cameron
Pre-requisites
Candidates must normally possess a degree in Music at 2(ii) or above, or an equivalent qualification or proven relevant experience in Music.
Overview
The syllabus will include topics from the following list: Research Proposals, Introduction to Archival Research, Editing and Editions, Programming and Recital Etiquette, Composition as Research, Composition and Analysis, Performance as Research, Musicology in terms of Performance, Presentation of Research.
Structure
10x 2-hour lecture/seminar/tutorial per week.
Assessment
Research proposal (100%).
- MU5004 - Music Research Seminar Series
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- Credit Points
- 30
- Course Coordinator
- Dr Jasmin Cameron
Pre-requisites
Candidates must normally possess a degree in Music at 2(ii) or above, or an equivalent qualification or proven relevant experience in Music.
Overview
The syllabus will involve attendance at the Music Research Seminar Series, where external speakers will deliver lectures/seminars and will be followed by sessionss for students: also attendance will be required at internal seminar presentations.
Structure
8x 2-hour lecture/seminar/tutorial per week.
Assessment
Presentation (40 mins) (75%); supporting documentation (25%).
- MU5005 - Extended Project Module A
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- Credit Points
- 30
- Course Coordinator
- Dr Jasmin Cameron
Pre-requisites
Candidates must normally possess a degree in Music at 2(ii) or above, or an equivaalent qualification or proven relevant experience in Music.
Overview
The course enables students to be creative in developing their own independent and individual ideas through an extended research project in musicology and/or composition and/or performance resulting in a substantial piece of original work. They will acquirte a range of skills, techniques and understanding enabling them to become effective researchers.
The project outcome will be a 30 minute presentation of text basedm composition and/or performance materials as appropriate, which the student has comiled over the period of research. The exact nature of the project is the result of negotiation between supervisor (or supervisory team) and student, subject to the approval of the programme coordinator. As a guide, there follows follows the suggested parameters for 120 credit versions of this module (Module C):
- Word limit for assessment by dissertation only is 25,000--30,000; musicology students may also include other material, such as scholarly editions of music and analytical graphs.
- Assessment by composition portfolio can include music of any genre or style provided that the student can demonstrate its research value; the music can be instrumental/vocal/ and/or electroacoustic. The content of the portfolio will depend on length and complexity; it might consist of a signle large-scale work or a number of smaller pieces but as a general guide, the total duration of the music might be around 35-40 minutes.
- Assessment of performance as research may involve a recital or collection of audio recordings totalling around 40-45 minutes durationl the latter is suited to projects involving, for example, performance on historical instruments in locations outside Aberdeen. In this case, recordings would have to be made specifically for the project: pre-existing commercially released recordings are not accepted.Structure
1x one-hour per fortnight tutotrial.
As this course is part of a taught MMus programme, the emphasis is on independent learning, and teaching will be delivered through one-to-one supervision with a supervisor identified at the beginning of the course. Students may also be encouraged to consult other colleagues from time to time, both within and outside the institution.Assessment
Project (100%). student progress will be monitored through formative assessment throughout the course. This will be done, both as part of the normal monitoring of progress with the project, but also by menas of regular presentations about the student's own work. There will be a formal 30 minute presentation in January where staff will assess the research done by the student by this stage.
- MU5006 - Extended Project Module B
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- Credit Points
- 60
- Course Coordinator
- Dr Jasmin Cameron
Pre-requisites
Candidates must normally possess a degree in Music 2(ii) or above, or an equivalent qualification or proven relevant experience in Music.
Overview
The course enables students to be creative in developing their own independent and individual ideas through an extended research project in musicology and/or composition and/or performance resulting in a substantial piece of original work. They will acquire a range of skills, techniques and understanding enabling them to become effectove researchers.
The project will be a 30 minute presentation of text based, composition and/or performance materials as appropriate, which the student has complied over the period of research. the exact natuare of the project is the result of negotiation between supervisor (or supervisory team) and student, subject to the approval of the programme coordinator. As a guide, there follows the suggested parameters for 120 credit versions of this module (Module C):
- Word limit for assessment by dissertation only is 25,000 to 30,000 words; musicology students may also include other material, such as scholarly editions of music and analytical graphs.
- Assessment by composition portfolio can include music of any genre or style provided that the student can demonstrate its research value; the music can be instrumental/vocal and/or electroacoustic. The content of the portfolio will depend on length and complexity; it might consist of a single large-scle work or a number of smaller pieces but as a general guide, the total duration of the music might be around 35-40 minutes.
Assessment of performance as research may involve a recital or collection of audio recordings totalling around 40-45 minutes duration; the latter is suited to projects involving, for example, performance on historical insturments in locations outside Aberdeen. In this case, recordings would have to be made specifically for the project: pre-existing commericially released recordings are not accepted.Structure
1x one-hour per fortnight tutorial.
As this course is part of a taught MMus programme, the emphasis is on independent learning, and teaching will be delivered through one-to-one supervision with a supervisor identified at the beginning of course. Students may also be encouraged to consult other coleagues from time to time, both within and outside the instituion.Assessment
Project (100%). Student progress will be monitored through formative assessment throughout the course. This will be done, both as part of the normal monitoring of progress with the project, but also by means of regular presentations about the student's own work. There will be a formal 30 minute presentation in May where staff will assess the research done by the student by this stage.
- MU5007 - Renaissance Counterpoint
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- Credit Points
- 30
- Course Coordinator
- Dr Frauke Jurgensen
Pre-requisites
N/A
Overview
This course is intended both for those interested in Renaissance music and for composition students who wish to explore the many possibilities of musical invention within a very controlled compositional environment. To acquire the basic tools of Renaissance composition, students progress through species counterpoint exercises in two and three voices. Through more advanced exercises in motivic placement, canon (with and without cantus firmus), invertible counterpoint, and the fundamentals of improvised counterpoint, students learn to structure a complete composition, culminating in a motet for three voices. In addition, contemporaneous works are studied through analysis of compositions and investigation of treatises.
Structure
12 two-hour seminars.
Assessment
1st attempt: portfolio of compositions (both levels): 75%
Seminar presentation on a composition treatise of the period: 25%.
Resit: Students resit failed elements.
- MU5008 - Vocalstration
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- Credit Points
- 30
- Course Coordinator
- Prof Paul Mealor
Pre-requisites
N/A
Overview
Teaching will be by means of a series of practical seminars and workshops examining the orchestrational aspects of major choral works from Bach to Ligeti and beyond. We will also examine aspects of world music, folk music and popular music and consider how these genres have affected contemporary choral composers and the way in which choral writing has developed.
Running concurrently, seminar-based classes will provide an historical overview of choral orchestration that utilises the choir. The theme of each seminar, focused each week around a different aspect of the voice and choir ‘machine’, will provide the theoretical, philosophical, and aesthetic basis for practical applications. Drawing from readings, close analysis and listening of key choral works, we will assess particular aesthetic issues that concern choral orchestration today.Structure
12 one-hour seminars; 12 one-hour practical masterclasses.
Assessment
First attempt: in-class participation and practical exercises (30%); final compositional project (70%).
Resit: students resit any failed element of assessment.
- MU50EP - Extended Project
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- Credit Points
- 120
- Course Coordinator
- Dr Jasmin Cameron
Pre-requisites
Candidates must normally posses a degree in Music 2(ii) or above, or an equivalent qualification or proven relevant experience in Music.
Overview
The project outcome will be a dissertation and/or portfolio of compositions and/or a performance recital demonstrating original research. The exact nature of the project is the result of negotiation between supervisor (or supervisory team) and student, subject to the approval of the programme coordinator.
As a guide, the word limit for assessment by dissertation only is 25,000 - 30,000; musicology students may also include other material, such as scholarly editions of music and analytical graphs.
Assessment by composition portfolio can include music of any genre or stylee provided that the student can demonstrate its research value; the music can be instrumental/vocal and/or electroacoustic. The content of the portfolio will depend on length and complexity; it might consist of a single large-scale work or a number of smaller pieces but as a general guide, the total duration of the music might be around 35-40 minutes.
Assessment of performance as research may involve a recital or collection of audio recordings totalling around 40-45 minutes duration; the latter is suited to projects involving, for example, performance on historical instruments in locations outside Aberdeen. In this case, recordings would have to be made specifically for the project: pre-existing commercially released recordings are not accepted.
Students may produce one research in one type of outcome, or combine elements of more than one. Normally students specialising in composition and/or performance will include a short dissertation in the form of a commentary providing evidence of the research underpinning and illuminating the portfolio and/or recital.
The outcome of the project (dissertation, composition portfolio, recital/recording or any combination of these) will be assessed as to its quality, as will the research underpinning it.Structure
1 x 1 hour per fortnight tutorial.
Assessment
Project (100%)
- MU5503 - Words and Music
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- Credit Points
- 30
- Course Coordinator
- Prof Paul Mealor
Pre-requisites
N/A
Overview
Teaching will be by means of a series of practical seminars and workshops examining the major aspects of word-setting in both vocal (song) and choral works from plainchant to John Cage and beyond. We will also examine aspects of world music (African song, Indonesian Song), folk music and popular music (particularly The Beetles) and consider how these genres have affected contemporary vocal composers and the way in which word-setting has changed and developed.
Running concurrently, seminar-based classes will provide an historical overview of word-setting that utilises the voice or choir correctly. The theme of each seminar, focused each week around a different aspect of the setting words to music, will provide the theoretical, philosophical, and aesthetic basis for practical applications. Drawing from readings, close analysis and listening of key vocal works, we will assess particular aesthetic issues that concern word-setting today.Structure
12 one-hour seminars; 12 one-hour practical masterclasses.
Assessment
1st attempt: Seminar Presentation on an aspect of word-setting: 25 %
Final compositional project: 75%
Resit: Students resit any failed element of assessment. - MU5504 - Contemporary European Opera
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- Credit Points
- 30
- Course Coordinator
- Dr Edward Campbell
Pre-requisites
N/A
Overview
In the mid-twentieth century, it seemed that opera was a moribund art form, surviving at best on the back of a canon of great historical works. While its future prospects looked bleak, the composition of over 150 new operas in the period between 1978 and 2003 marked a perhaps unexpected renaissance of the genre in a number of new forms.
This course will engage students in studying the factors which led to the resurgence of operatic/music theatre composition in Europe. A number of works by composers from France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom will be studied from a number of points of view (analysis of musical scores, libretti, vocal style, stage design, recordings etc.)
Students will be expected to view and listen to a number of operas/music theatre pieces, to analyse aspects of scores and libretti and to think critically about the cultural significance of this late flowering of these important genres. Students will give a number of short presentations throughout the course.Structure
12 two-hour seminars.
Assessment
1st attempt: Essay of 5,000 words (60%); presentation of 20 minutes duration (40%).
Resit: Students resit any failed components of assessment. - MU5505 - Sacred Music from Italy in the Eighteenth Century
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- Credit Points
- 30
- Course Coordinator
- Dr Jasmin Cameron
Pre-requisites
N/A
Overview
This course begins by introducing students to the principles of editing baroque music, taking as its starting point Vivaldi's well known setting of the Gloria, RV 589. These principles are then extended to the editing of Gloria settings by Vvialdi's contemporary, Ruggieri, after which an issue of plagiarism is identified and Vivaldi's borrowings from Riggieri explored in greater detail. The music is analysed in terms of its 'word plainting' and musical rhetoric. The course goes on to cover more advanced principles of editing, including the presentation of material in critical commentaries. General aesthetic and stylistic consideration is given to Vivaldi's use of material by Ruggieri. Throughout the course students engage with primary source material in the preparation of their own editions of music.
Structure
1 two-hour seminar per week.
Assessment
First attempt: 75% choice of essay (2500 words) 25% set piece of editing.
Resit: Students resit any failed components of assessment.