MHMUS H446 — Music and the Cold War, 1945 – 1990

3 credits
Spring
Jonathan Yaeger

Prerequisite: MHMUS 311 . The struggle for supremacy between the United States and the Soviet Union dominated international politics of the latter half of the 20^th century, and the effects of that struggle are still with us today. How did political motivations, including the need for propaganda, influence the choices musicians made? How did the decision to compose in a certain way or engage in cultural diplomacy affect political developments? This course will focus on the relationship between the United States and Soviet Union and their composers and performers, including Babbitt, Bernstein, Copland, Gubaidulina, Rostropovich, and Shostakovich. We will also examine the music and careers of figures from France, Germany (East and West), and Poland, including Boulez, Gorecki, Henze, and Penderecki. Readings will center around, but not be limited to, Richard Taruskin’s Oxford History of Western Music. This is a Music History Honors course and may be taken to fulfill academic honors requirements.