Music 352: Beethoven and the Myth of Beethoven Spring 2008: T-R (2:30-3:45) Steve Saunders Office: 229 Bixler Phone: x5677; e-mail: sesaunde Class Home Page: http://www.colby.edu/music/saunders/MU352/ Office Hours: Tuesdays 9:00-9:50 and by appointment, but feel free to drop by any time!
Overview Music 352 is a close study of Beethoven, his music, and the music culture of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Europe. We will deal with the relationship between life and works; analytical and interpretive questions surrounding major compositions; criticism; and performance practice. The course will also consider Beethoven reception—the uses and meanings that have attached to Beethoven’s music in the years since his death.
Textbook Purchases •
Maynard Solomon, Beethoven, 2nd ed, New York, 1998.
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Nicholas Cook, Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Choral, Cambridge, 1993.
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Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 (score), New York, 1990.
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Beethoven, Complete Concertos in Full Score, New York, 1984
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Coursepacks for MU 352 (public domain scores)
Class Home Page http://www.colby.edu/music/saunders/MU352 The web page contains links for many of the asssignments, streaming audio files, resources for papers, and supplementary links. Most reserve readings are available as e-reserves from the library catalog.
Requirements and Evaluation Your grade in Music 352 will be based on: 1. Class participation (10%) Regular class attendance is required. Since this is a small class with significant student involvement, you should notify me in advance if you will miss a class. Many classes will be conducted as seminars, for which you will have presentations to prepare. Short assignments, preparation of musical performances, and brief oral reports on additional readings will also be part of the class participation component. See the attendance policy, below. 2. The score on two hour exams (30%) 3. Grade on 2 written papers/projects (30%) Research Basics of a Single Piece/Bibliography/Annotated Bibliography Analytical Paper on the Eroica Variations 4. Final Seminar Paper and Presentation (30%) Details TBA
Attendance Policy Regular attendance is required, and unexcused absences are not permitted. You may miss two class meetings for routine illness, emergencies, athletic conflicts, etc. without penalty— provided that you notify me as soon as possible of your absence. Each absence beyond two lowers the semester grade by 5 percentage points.
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Music 352: Course Syllabus DATE
TOPICS
ASSIGNMENT (To be completed before each class)
Th Feb. 7 T Feb. 12
Exploring Beethoven: An Introduction to Beethoven Sources The Mythic Beethoven: History, Biography, and Reception
Th Feb. 14
Beethoven’s World
T Feb. 19
Beethoven Myths redux: Screening of Imortal Beloved class will run until 4:45
Th Feb. 21
Beethoven as Pianist: Early Sonatas and Concertos
T Feb. 26
Th Feb. 28
Toward the New Path: Transformation in the Piano Sonata Opp. 26-31 Beethoven Hero: The Eroica
T March 4
Two Eroica Variations
Th March 6
The 5th Through the Eyes of Beethoven’s Contemporaries
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______________________________________ R:
Solomon, Beethoven, Introduction, Ch. 1-2, and pp. 63-68; Comini, The Changing Image of B., 13-18 Burnham, NG2, ¶. 19. 1-2, “History of the Myth” Cook, Music: A Very Short Intro, 18-29 Taruskin, Oxford History, 670-71 L: Piano Quartet, WoO 36, no. 3 R: Solomon, Ch. 3-4, and pp. 68-73 Lockwood, Beethoven, 26-31; 35-38 Cooper: Beethoven Compendium, 58-65; 14250 Dahlhaus, Ludwig van Beethoven, 1-3 L: Cantata Emperor Joeseph II (excerpts, 24957) Research “Search” Due R: Solomon, Ch. 15 Sloane, A Multipl Choice Quiz, Rothstein, “How Can a Movie Be So Wrong” Lockwood, “Film Biography as Travesty” Anon.: Reactions to Immortal Beloved L: An die ferne Geliebte Bibliography Search Due R: Solomon Ch. 6-7, pp. 127-31; 137-41 New Grove 2, ¶ 11, “The Three Periods” Kinderman, The Piano Music, 111-113. Stanley, “Genre Aesthetics and Function” Newman, Beethoven on Beethoven, 76-80 L: Op. 2, no. 1 (I-II); Op. 13, Pathétique R: Solomon Ch, Ch. 8 (105-117); Ch. 9; (138-41) Lockwood, Reshaping the Genre L: Op. 27 no. 1; Op. 31, no. 2 R:
Solomon, Ch. 11-12; 250-55 Burnham, Beethoven Hero,Ch. 1 L: Eroica I, II, III; Op. 26, III R: Solomon, p. 247; reread 130-131 Sipe, “Eroica,” pp. 11-29 Dahlhaus, Ludwig van Beethoven, 171-73 L: Eroica IV, Eroica Variations, Op. 35 Topic and Annotated Bibliography Due R: Solomon, 264-67 Kinderman, “Beethoven,” 126-130 Forbes, “Symphony No. 5,” 150-56; 186-94 Wallace, "Beethoven’s Critics," 126-34; 142-43 L: Symphony #5 (Video M1001 B4 A2 2002b)
T March 11
The Waldstein and Appasionata Sonatas
Th March 13
Orpheus in Hades: Marx, Narrative Structures and Hermeneutics
T March 18 Th March 20
Exam #1 Egmont Overture and More on Narrative without Characters
March 22-30 T April 1
Spring Break Fidelio Screening
Th April 3
Order and Disorder in the Ninth Symphony
T April 8
Whose Ninth?
Th April 10
The Ninth in Performance
T April 15
Late Style: Op. 111
Th April 17
No Class
T April 22
Late Style II: String Quartet, Op. 135
Th April 24
Beethoven and Violence
T April 29
Beethoven at Large
Th May 1 May 3-4 T May 6 Th May 8
Exam #2 Performances of Mass in C Seminar Presentations Seminar Presentations
R:
Solomon, 255-56 Lockwood, 280-98 Rosen, Classical Style, pp. 396-400 Rosen, Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas, 180-86 L: Waldstein and Appasionata Sonatas Paper on Eroica Variations or Egomnt Due R: Solomon, 259-63 Lockwood, 241-45 Jander, Beethoven’s Orpheus in Hades Jander, Orpheus Revisited Plantiga, Concertos, 185-94 L: Piano Concerto #4 ______________________________________ R:
Solomon, 273-74 Burnham, Beethoven Hero, 112-46 Lockwood, 252 L: Egmont Overture ______________________________________ R:
Solomon, 256-59 Johnson, “Fidelio,” from NG Opera R: Solomon,294-96; 331-42; 343-58 Cook, Beethoven’s 9th, vii-x, 1-25, 26-34 Levy, Beethoven, The 9th Symphony, 89-93 L: Symphony #9 R: Solomon, 354-58; Cook, Beethoven’s 9th, pp. 65-105 L: Symphony #9 (finale again) R: Cook, Beethoven’s 9th, pp. 48-64 Taruskin, Resisting the 9th Norrington, “Taking Music Off the Pedestal” L: Symphony #9 (selected recordings) R: Solomon, 391-99 Dahlhaus 202-06; 219-20 Taruskin, “Letting Go” Cooper, “The Last Decade,” 195-204 L: Op. 109, Op. 111, ______________________________________ R: L: R: L:
Solomon, 391-99 Op. 135 McClary, “Getting Down off the Beanstalk” Symphony #9; Genesis II R: New Grove 2, Beethoven ¶19.2-3 Burnham, 4 Ages of Beethoven in Cambridge Dennis, Beethoven at Large L: TBA ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Draft of Seminar Paper Due ______________________________________
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Comini, The Changing Image of Beethoven: A Study in Mythmaking (New York, 1987).
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