VH_326 Charles Ives and His America

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2018
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
David Thurmaier (lecturer), doc. Mgr. Vladimír Maňas, Ph.D. (deputy)
doc. Mgr. Vladimír Maňas, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Vladimír Maňas, Ph.D.
Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Jan Karafiát
Supplier department: Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 12:30–14:05 N43
Prerequisites
Music major (undergraduate or graduate)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 70 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/70, only registered: 0/70, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/70
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 10 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The music of Charles Ives (1874-1954) spans the gamut from simple partsongs to extremely complex orchestral works. Ives lived an unconventional musical life, essentially giving up his professional musical pursuits as a young man and building a successful career in the insurance business-all the while still composing and slowly gaining recognition for his innovative and unique works. This course will look at Ives's music by genre through several "entry points" - works that embody particular stylistic and compositional techniques that characterize his music. Along the way, we will examine his life in more detail, as well as some of the interesting (and sometimes controversial) debates and issues that have emerged in recent Ives scholarship and analysis.
Learning outcomes
After completing this course, students will: 1) Be able to articulate key biographical events in Ives's life 2) Be able to speak about American music written during Ives's lifetime 3) Be able to explain Ives's compositional output 4) Be able to explain how Ives used musical borrowing as a significant compositional technique 5) Be able to use music-analytical methods appropriate for Ives's diverse music 6) Synthesize course materials by writing a paper about Ives's music using techniques and scholarship explored in the class 7) Synthesize course materials verbally by giving formal presentation on their paper topic 8) Be able to articulate the place of Ives's music in American music
Syllabus
  • 28.2: Introduction-American music in the 19th century; Civil War music, hymnody, popular song, classical music, Dvořák's thoughts on American music 14.3: Who was Charles Ives? Analytical methods, overview, early works at Yale, Horatio Parker, Symphony 1 and String Quartet No. 1 28.3: Entry Point #1: Songs and Choral Music, "The Cage," "The Things Our Fathers Loved," "General William Booth," Psalm 67 11.4: Entry Point #2: Piano Music, "Concord Sonata" 25.4: Entry Point #3: Chamber Music, String Quartet No. 2, The Unanswered Question, Violin Sonata No. 4 9.5: Entry Point #4: Orchestral Music, symphonies 2, 3, 4 (LB) 16.5: Topics in Ives Scholarship-dating, reception, gender Final Presentation/Essay/Exam to follow
Literature
    recommended literature
  • SWAFFORD, Jan. Charles Ives : a life with music. 1st pub. New York: W.W. Norton, 1998, xv, 525. ISBN 0393317196. info
    not specified
  • Charles Ives in the mirrorAmerican histories of an iconic composer. Edited by David C. Paul. Springfield: University of Illinois Press, 2013, xi, 288 p. ISBN 9780252094699. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussion, readings, listenings, writings
Assessment methods
1) Journal of reflections and reactions to each class - 30% 2) Final Essay; a cumulative written essay of 5-8 pages about a given topic covering the entire class (synthesis of course materials; 40%) 3) Presentation of your essay topic and material (10%) 4) Attendance and participation in class - 20%
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2018/VH_326