MUS 172
Myth in Music Fall 2014
Division I Writing Skills
This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

Orpheus, Prometheus, Faust, and Don Juan–these figures have captured the imagination of writers, artists, and composers throughout history. This course explores how prominent myths of western civilization have found expression in a broad variety of musical works, e.g., operas by Claudio Monteverdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jacques Offenbach, and Richard Wagner; songs by Franz Schubert, Hugo Wolf, Ricky Ian Gordon, and Adam Guettel; ballets by Ludwig van Beethoven and Igor Stravinsky; symphonic poems by Franz Liszt, Richard Strauss and Alexander Scriabin; Broadway musicals by Richard Adler and Randy Newman; and mixed-media projects by Rinde Eckert. Our inquiry will lead us to ponder an array of questions: Why have certain myths proven especially appealing to composers? What accounts for these myths’ musical longevity? How have myths been adapted to different musical genres and styles, and for what purposes? How do the works reflect the historical cultures in which they originated? How have they engaged with different social, political, artistic, and intellectual concerns?
The Class: Format: lecture/discussion
Limit: 15
Expected: 10
Class#: 2385
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: evaluation will be based on class participation, three 6-8page papers (with revisions), and a final presentation
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: students with a demonstrated interest in literature or music
Unit Notes: MUS Group A Electives--classes 2015 and 2016
Distributions: Division I Writing Skills
Attributes: MUS Group A Electives

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