MUSC 31106 - Music in the Twentieth Century

Course Credit: 1
MUSIC IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY This writing-intensive course will provide an overview of European and American art music since 1900. Our goal will be to “hear” the twentieth century’s history through its music. In this period, the composition and reception of classical music was powerfully shaped by tumultuous political events, cultural transformations, technological advances, and increasing global interconnectedness. As composers responded to these changes, they greatly expanded the range and means of musical expression, often in ways that rejected traditional assumptions of music as an art form and social practice. Using a combination of primary and secondary sources, we will examine the historical, cultural, and aesthetic challenges that twentieth-century composers faced and the strategies they adopted to address them. No prior training in music is necessary. [AH, W]