GRMUS 612H — The Classical Period (1730-1803)

2 credits
Fall
Edgardo Salinas

This course is an advanced study of the composers, the culture, and the historical context that shaped the classical style during the second half of the 18^th century. The class will help students deepen their knowledge of the repertoire while examining the multiple styles, compositional techniques, and performance traditions that converged in the new musical synthesis epitomized by the oeuvre of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Students will complete several written assignments to help them prepare for graduate-level research and sharpen their cognitive skills in critical thinking and media literacy. The course will question traditional historical narratives about the period while addressing historiographical issues that will help students comprehend music history itself as a work in progress. There will be a midterm and final exam involving listening identification and short-essay questions to help students think critically about the aesthetic, social, and historiographical issues discussed in class.