 Olivier Messiaen, 1908-92. (BNF Richelieu, musique fonds estampes) |
CompositionMusic 206 Stephen
Taylor, staylor7@uiuc.edu
Class meets Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00-1:50 p.m. in MB 1180.
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Overview
This course concentrates on composition in small forms for acoustic and optionally
electric media.
Required Texts
Whlie there's no specific required text, a handbook of orchestration such as Adler is very handy to have. Other readings and recordings will be placed on reserve through the semester.
Composition Assignments
There will be two main projects for the semester:
1. A short piano piece.
2. A multi-movement piece for chamber ensemble (with or without voice).
I've chosen these projects partly because I think they are difficult. Piano music has so many possibilities it can be paralyzing, so I encourage you to focus on a single technique in your piece. We will be analyzing several piano works by Ligeti and Messiaen (and perhaps others as well). For project 2, I found it enormously difficult when I was starting out to write a multi-movement piece. We will be looking at several different strategies for how to do this, again focusing on music by Ligeti and Messiaen. Why these two composers? Well, they are two of my very favorites, and I prefer to go in depth into a few composers, instead of taking a brief look at many.
Listening
Each week we will listen to a recording. For Thursday's class, please hand in a brief essay (1 page or less) expressing any reactions you have to the piece; formal ideas, melody, timbre, texture, rhythm, etc. We will take part of each Thursday to discuss the listening for that week.Evaluation
The course grade will be based mostly on your assignments and work for student concerts, but preparation and participation will also count.
Schedule (subject to change)
| WEEK | |
| 1 (8/23) | Introduction |
| 2 (8/28) | Listening: Ligeti, Horn Trio CDISC M322P87 H62; score F. M322L56 S31982 |
| 3 (9/4) | Listening: Ligeti Piano Etudes, book I CDISC M22L53 B5 |
| 4 (9/11) | Listening: Ligeti Etudes, bk. II |
| 5 (9/18) |
Listening: Varèse, Octandre |
| 6 (9/25) | Listening: Messiaen Vingt regards sur l'enfant Jésus CDISC M24 M47V58; score M24M47 V5 (mvts. 1-10) |
| 7 (10/2) | Listening: Messiaen, continued (mvts. 11-20) |
| 8 (10/9) | Project 1 due: Piano piece Listening: Carter, Esprit rude, esprit doux |
| 9 (10/16) | Listening: Carter, A Mirror on Which to Dwell Ann Yeung's harp recital: playing ST's Viriditas, 10/17 |
| 10 (10/23) | Listening: Ligeti Chamber Concerto CDISC M3.1L53 I57 |
| 11 (10/30) |
Listening: Messiaen, Et Expecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum CDISC M1010M47 K6 |
| 12 (11/6) | Listening: Messiaen Des Canyons aux Etoiles, CDISC M1040 M47D47; score M1003M47 C34 |
| 13 (11/13) | Listening: Messiaen continued New Music Ensemble concert, 11/14 CSO MusicNOW concert with ST's Quark Shadows, 11/18 |
| (Fall break) | |
| 14 (11/27) | Listening: Boulez, Anthemes II CDISC M3.1 B683S87D4 |
| 15 (12/4) | Project 2 due: Chamber work in two or more movements |