Music 266A:

Twentieth-Century Music before WW II

Fall, 2000

Books:

  • Simms., Bryan R., Music of the Twentieth Century: An Anthology, (Schirmer Books), 1986.
    This anthology will be used for musical examples for general discussion in class. Students will be responsible to get their own scores for the reports.
  • Watkins, Glenn, Soundings: Music in the Twentieth Century, (Schirmer Books), 1995.

  • The course is a seminer in music from the 1890's until the interval between WW I and WW II. It meets Thursdays from 3-6, and there is a class on Sept. 28 which will organize the format of the discussions. The analysis of the primary works will concentrate on four years in the century: 1909, 1915, 1930, and 1942. Students will select works written around those years to be delivered as analytical presentations. Some samples from these years, as well as an extensive bibliography of books can be found by clicking here


  • Sept. 28: Introduction
    Syllabus will be handed out and informal discussions of possible projects will begin.
  • Oct. 5: Defining history.
    Read xeroxed excerpt from Music and the Historical Imagination, by Leo Treitler, (PP. 36-45). Read Soundings, PP. 2-23.
    Look at The Musical World, 1909-1912.
  • Oct. 12: Early Vienna, the beginnings of the Second Viennese School.
    Read Soundings, PP. 24-63.
  • Oct. 19: Debussy and Ravel and their modern extensions.
    Read Soundings. PP. 64-115
  • Oct. 26:Exoticism and Symbolism.
    Read Soundings, PP. 116-169.
  • Nov. 2: Expressionism and Primitivism. Stravinsky.
    Read Soundings, PP. 170-234.
  • Mov. 9:Roots of Neoclassicism. Stravinsky II.
    Read Soundings, PP. 308-351.
  • Nov. 16:Second Viennese School II.
    Read Soundings, PP> 352-393.
  • Nov. 23: Thanksgiving Holiday.

  • Nov. 30: American Music.
    Read Soundings, PP. 433-463.
  • Dec. 7: Bartok, Hindemith, and the Russians, reconsidered.
    Read Soundings, PP. 394-421.

  • Updated: Sept. 4, 2000.