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MU4502: CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN OPERA (2018-2019)

Last modified: 22 May 2019 17:07


Course Overview

In the mid-twentieth century, it seemed that opera was a dying 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. Students on this course will study the factors which led to the resurgence of operatic/music theatre composition in Europe. A range of key operatic/music theatre works by composers from France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom will be considered from a number of points of view.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 4
Session Second Sub Session Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Edward Campbell

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Either Programme Level 4 or Programme Level 5
  • One of Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Music with Honours (Music and Communities) or Bachelor of Music with Honours (Education)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

  • MU3518 Contemporary European Opera (Studied)

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

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 by a number of points of view (analysis of music 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.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

First Attempt: Essay of 3,000 words (100%)

Resit: Students resit any failed elements of assessment.

Formative Assessment

Students will give a number of short presentations during the course.

Feedback

Oral feedback during seminars (see formative assessment above). Written feedback on essay in the form of annotations to the script and a report form.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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