FYS 1002: Freshman Seminar: Relating Music to the History of Ideas

Required Texts: Joseph Kerman and Gary Tomlinson, Listen, 6^th edition, Boston and New York: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2008, ISBN 978-0-312-43419-9,

 Joseph Kerman and Gary Tomlinson, 3-CD Set for Listen, 6^th edition, Boston and New York: Sony / BMG Music Entertainment, 2006, ISBN 978-0-312-45889-8, and

 Lee Jacobus, A World of Ideas, 8^th edition, Boston and New York: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2010, ISBN 978-0-312-38533-0.

Additional Listening Resources are available for this course through the Manhattanville College Library Blackboard link at: http://blackboard.mville.edu. You will need the course password to sign on.

Readings in World of Ideas and Chapters in Kerman and Tomlinson’s Listen

Listening Assignments

Listening assignments include all of the excerpts for each chapter listed on the syllabus. The text comes with a set of 3 CDs which contain most of these excerpts. Supplemental listening materials are available on the Blackboard site for the class.

Class Assignments

This seminar will engage the students in listening to musical works from various style periods and where applicable pair them with texts and/or discussion of religious, social and political events and their implications. The principal concern of the course is European classical music and its representations in the United States. The main work of the course will be learning how to listen to the works in a meaningful context, including cultural background, insightful musical considerations, and for aesthetic appreciation.

The major work for this second semester course will be the freshman paper, which will be completed in conjunction with the writing section of this course. The paper should reflect the readings and activities of these two courses. You will work on sections of the paper throughout the semester in the writing seminar, but turn in the final work to the instructor in your Freshman Seminar. In the broad sense, you will be asked to develop a thesis statement that addresses the historical evolution of man’s ideas about himself as reflected in his relationship with his fellow man (in the small family, in the large community), his church and his society as exhibited in his cultural and artistic expressions.  

A beginning might be something along the lines of:  “Through the years man has found that his physical and financial position determines his position in society, his ability to move within the society and his ability to fulfill personal goals.  The following essay attempts to present an overview of aspects of his aspirations traced through approximately 1,400 years and organized into three large sections. 

About the year 600, Pope Gregory I is credited with  . . . .  A large body of the music we have from that time is . . . .  It was preserved by . . . .  Monasteries and the church were the keepers of the intellectual flame and shaped the . . . .  Education was limited to . . . .  Society was organized around a . . . .”

During the course of your discussion, consider how man’s intellectual and musical efforts have been influenced by his social mobility from the middle ages to the present. 

Over time, what were the opportunities for free, self expression and how do they compare with yours or those of your contemporaries?  An important part of your evidence will be reference to specific pieces that we have explored throughout the year, with proper acknowledgement of the sources for your information.

One way to approach this work might be to divide the essay into three large parts along the lines of. 

1)      Part I:    Compare and contrast Medieval and Renaissance societies

2)      Part II:   Compare and contrast Baroque and Classical societies

3)      Part III:  Compare and contrast Romantic and Contemporary societies

Within each of these parts devote some space to societal structure, thought, personal freedom, politics, religion, art (visual and musical) and anything else you find that is interesting and contributes to an understanding of man, his society, his art and the time.

The essay may draw on first semester readings and paper submissions.  Revisit the assigned readings and explore some of the other essays and beyond for stimulation.  REMEMBER:  Google is a valuable source but it is not the only source for information.     

The essay is to be 12 – 15 pages long, not including a works cited page.  It will not be considered complete without a properly formatted works cited page.

First Installment (3-4 pages) due end of February.  Second Installment (8-9 pages) due end of March.  Finished paper due end of April.  Double spaced.  Hard copy only. 

GENERAL CHECKLIST:

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