MUS 214 - Music Theory IV

1. Identify, define, and describe musical characteristics of post-tonal art music of the 20th century.
2. Analyze musical works that utilize early post-tonal techniques.
3. Discuss and observe the use of triadic post-tonality in music from early post-tonal works to minimalism.
4. Investigate and explain in writing the melodic, harmonic, and formal design of musical pieces using set-class theory and twelve-tone serialism.  
5. Compose short musical compositions utilizing early post-tonal techniques, set-class theory, and expansions of music temporality.
6. Observe and summarize musical composition techniques utilized in art music after 1945.

1. Early post-tonal techniques
   1. Pitch centricity
   2. Modal and pentatonic scales
   3. Symmetrical scales
      1. Whole-tone
      2. Octatonic
      3. Hexatonic
   4. Quartal/Quintal chords
   5. Parallel chords (planing)
2. Triadic post-tonality
   1. Bitonal and bi-triadic techniques
   2. PLR method
   3. Minimalism
3. Set-class theory
   1. Pitch classes (PC) and interval classes (IC)
   2. PC sets
   3. Normal order
   4. Transposition and Inversion
   5. Prime form and Forte numbers
4. Analysis of post-tonal music
   1. Finding pitch-class sets based on motives, phrases, and voices
   2. Determining formal designs
5. Twelve-tone serialism
   1. Twelve-tone series and basic operations
   2. Twelve-tone matrix
   3. Analysis techniques
6. Expanding music temporality
   1. Asymmetric meters
   2. Metric displacement
   3. Polymeter
   4. Additive and non-retrogradable rhythms
   5. Metric modulation
7. Music since 1945
   1. Total serialism
   2. Aleatory and chance music
   3. Electronic music
   4. Sound mass

Facilitated discussion: 55-65%

Mediated instruction (video, computer, etc.): 15-20%

Group work: 5-10%
Mandatory Course Components:
 

 
Equivalent Courses:
None