Musicology Courses in the CUA Course Catalogue

MUS 131: Music Literature
3.00 Credits

A chronological survey of music from the baroque period to the present. Emphasis on stylistic analysis of prototypes of the various historical periods. 

MUS 178: Music in Western Civilization
3.00 Credits     

Students will discuss examples of music from each period of European musical history from the Middle Ages to the present. The development of style and various performance ensembles will be highlighted. Excerpts from aesthetics and musical theory from each period will be presentned. Listening and concert attendance are required. Ability to read music not required. Not intended for music majors; does not fulfill any music major requirement.

MUS 325: History of Music I
3.00 Credits
Survey of European music, beginning with ancient Greek traditions and the early Christian Church and continuing through the mid-Baroque (around 1680). Students are required to take 325, 326, 327 in the sequence listed. Prerequisites: 123, 124.

MUS 325H: Honors Music History I
3.00 Credits
Honors contract version of MUS 325. Open only to students in the University Honors Program. Prerequisites: MUS 123, 124.

Survey of music in Europe from the late Baroque to the Romantic Period. Students are required to take MUS 325, 326, 327 in the sequence listed. Prerequisites: 123, 124, 325.

MUS 326H: Honors Music History II
3.00 Credits
Honors contract version of MUS 326. Open only to students in the University Honors Program. Prerequisites: MUS 123, 124, 325H.

Survey of music in Europe and the United States between 1880 and the present, together with an introduction to non-Western music. Students are required to take 325, 326, 327 in the sequence listed. Prerequisites: 123, 124, 325, 326.

MUS 328: The Birth of the Public: Music and Society in Eighteenth-Century England
3.00 Credits
The eighteenth century witnessed tremendous change in almost every aspect of British life: The political system gradually shifted from the ideal of an absolute monarch and sovereign upper class to a more democratized parliament led by a prime minister, and the middle class emerged as a potent social force, transforming economic and cultural institutions. This course investigates these changes in eighteenth-century British society through the lens of music, focusing especially on the institutions in which music was heard¿from opera houses and concert halls to pleasure gardens and coffee houses¿ and the practices by which music was consumed. As the century progressed, musical patronage shifted from a model in which music and musicians were supported by the upper class for its own benefit to one in which financial support came primarily from the general public, leading to models of musical consumption that are still with us today. Specific topics covered in the course include the political, religious, and social functions of Handel¿s operas and oratorios, the rise of public concerts, the changing nature of audiences across the century, and Haydn¿s London concerts in the 1790s. The final project is an original research paper, which need not focus on music provided that it engages with the broad themes covered in the course. Open to all students in the university; no prerequisites, and ability to read music not required.

An overview of the traditions and cultures as studied through history, traditional folk songs, dance, and compositions. The course aims to provide an eclectic approach to the exploration and study of the richness and diversity of Latin American music. The course serves as an introduction to the various art forms and genres and offers experiential activities through singing, dancing, and listening, as a means to a deeper understanding of how the music shaped the various cultures and traditions of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries in the Americas. An undergraduate-level course for students pursuing a degree in music education; also open as an elective to all students of the university (undergraduate and graduate) and specifically for those students pursuing any music performance or composition degree; a graduate-level course designed for those students who already possess an undergraduate degree in music performance who are pursuing a degree in music education and/or music performance. Department consent. Bound course with MUS 555LA.

Designed as a review class for graduate students who have completed a full music history survey. Begins with an overview of the development of Gregorian chant and the Mass and some other specific topics in medieval music. Continues with an intensive survey of music since ca. 1500 with emphasis on the most important composers, compositional techniques, genres, and styles in each period. May be taken concurrently with Research Methodology.

Taken by undergraduate students fulfilling an undergraduate-level course (100-499) and by graduate students fulfilling an undergraduate-level prerequisite (100-499). Department Consent required.

Taken by undergraduate students fulfilling an undergraduate-level course (100-499) and by graduate students fulfilling an undergraduate-level prerequisite (100-499). Department Consent required.

In-depth examination of a specific topic in the history of music, including specific composers' works, a genre, a "school" of composition or compositional technique, or other appropriate subjects. Topics rotate. Class includes lecture by the professor as well as student presentations and research. Prerequisite: MUS 490 and permission of instructor.

A survey of sacred and secular music, both monophonic and polyphonic, from the early Christian liturgy through the Ars Nova, with special emphasis upon the historical development of forms and the emergence of distinct national styles. Consideration of poetic and musical form, and stylistic analysis. Offered on a rotational basis. Prerequisite: MUS 325, 490.

Music and musical style in western Europe from about 1400 to about 1600. Development of polyphonic Mass and motet; changing forms of secular music; and the rise of instrumental music. Offered on a rotational basis. Prerequisite: MUS 325, MUS 490.

A study of baroque music focusing upon national styles from the late sixteenth century through Bach and Handel. Emphasizes formal and stylistic developments in sacred and secular music, the intervention and influence of monody, and the evolution of idiomatic writing in instrumental composition. Offered on a rotational basis. Prerequisites: MUS 325, MUS 326, MUS 490.

An examination of the stylistic elements of repertoire from the Mannheim, Viennese, and North German traditions through Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, and their contemporaries. Emphasizes development of major instrumental forms and operatic genres. Offered on a rotational basis. Prerequisites: MUS 326, MUS 490.

A survey of the development of instrumental and vocal genres during the nineteenth century. Emphasizes the cultural and aesthetic environment of the composition and performance of western European art music. Offered on a rotational basis. Prerequisites: MUS 326, MUS 327, MUS 490.

A survey of music from Debussy to the present. Analysis of selected works, definitions of significant trends. Offered on a rotational basis.

A survey of Western opera from 1600 to the present. Through analysis of representative works from each period, students trace the genre historically, examining the development of operatic styles and forms. Emphasis is placed on major composers and national schools. Prerequisites: MUS 325, MUS 326, MUS 327, MUS 490.

Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony of the Renaissance, and Reformation hymnody; sacred works of Bach; examples of sacred music of later eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. The role of music in worship. Offered on a rotating basis. Prerequisites: MUS 325, MUS 326, MUS 327, MUS 490.

In-depth study, in a seminar format, of a specific genre or tradition in Latin American music. Course content rotates from semester to semester, with possible topics including Sacred Music in Colonial Latin America; Twentieth-Century Music in Latin America; The Symphony in Latin America; Opera in Latin America; and the music of one or more Latin American composers. Satisfies a concentration requirement for graduate students pursuing a concentration in Latin American Music, and serves as a music history elective for other graduate students and qualified undergraduate students. Offered on a rotational basis. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: MUS 490.

This course will feature guest scholars, presentations by CUA faculty and student research. Students will examine the process of effective research papers and techniques for conference presentations. Various related issues such as organization and writing style, popular research topics, and use of technology will be examined. May be repeated four times.

This course will feature guest scholars, presentations by CUA faculty and student research. Students will examine the process of effective research papers and techniques for conference presentations. Various related issues such as organization and writing style, popular research topics, and use of technology will be examined. May be repeated four times. This course bills at the equivalent of one credit hour.

This course explores Aquitanian, Compostelan, and Parisian sacred polyphony composed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Special attention will be paid to the social, religious, and liturgical contexts in which this music was created. Students will delve into the major theoretical texts associated with these repertories. This course includes paleographical work on original source material and opportunities for student performances.

MUS 720A: Seminar in Music Theory Topics
3.00 Credits
Designed as a research based course for musicology graduate students and other qualified graduate students. Highlights a variety of period and genre studies or specific kinds of theoretical inquiry. Offered on a rotational basis. Prerequisites: Successful completion of the Harmony portion of the Music Theory Placement Exam or MUS 488, MUS 731, or consent of the instructor. May be repeated for credit.

Examines opera from the perspectives of historical period, style (opera seria, opera buffa, tragedie lyrique, Singspiel, ballad opera, etc.), or national school. Topics rotate. Offered on a rotational basis. Prerequisites: 731 or consent of the instructor; Department Consent.

Study of the music of Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), beginning with an examination of the composer's musical language, as specified in Messiaen's own writings. Special emphasis also on such topics as Roman Catholic theology, birdsong, Gregorian chant, Greek and Indian rhythms, isorhythmic procedures, color, electronic music, and serial procedures, with regard to their importance in his music. Literature includes representative scores for solo piano, song, organ, orchestral, chamber, choral, and operatic repertoires, in addition to composers who influenced Messiaen or were influenced by him. Readings and listening assignments, analysis of scores, short class presentations, and term paper required. For graduate students. Undergraduates with permission of instructor. Prerequisites: 224, 321. Offered on a rotational basis.

Overview of Gregorian chant notation and the study of chant manuscripts. Notation of polyphonic music, 1100-1600, and study of polyphonic sources. Discussion of the problems and principles of editing early music. Keyboard and lute tablatures.