University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
PeckSchool of the Arts, Department of Music
Music 211 Lec 401
General History of Western Music, First Semester, 3 cr
Fall 2017
Dr. Timothy Noonan
Lecture: MF 9:00-9:50 a.m., in MUS 320, September 8 to December 11
Office: MUS 131, phone 229-2286
E-mail: . When you e-mail me about the course, please put Music 211 in the subject line.
Office hour: Wednesdays at 10:00-11:00 a.m., and by appointment.
Discussion Sections: online
Teaching Assistant: Victoria Peters, , office hours Wednesdays 1-3p.m. and Fridays 10-11a.m., and by appointment.
Texts: J. Peter Burkholder, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca, A History of Western Music, 9th edition (New York: W. W. Norton, 2014; ISBN 978-0-393-91829-8), which is called “text” in the schedule below; and Burkholder and Palisca, eds., Norton Anthology of Western Music, volume 1 7th edition (New York: W. W. Norton, 2014; ISBN 978-0-393-92161-8). The UWM Bookstore quotes $131.55 for the text new, $90.75 used; anthology vols. 1 and 2 $48.65 new, $33.55 used, each; and the text and anthology vols. 1-3 bundled, $229.20 new, $165.05 used.
Learning Outcomes:
- To gain a strong foundation in the history, theory, and repertory of Gregorian chant
- To acquire an understanding of the origins of polyphony and its earliest forms
- To understand the historical origins and development of the principal genres of Medieval and Renaissance music, e.g., the organum, motet, chanson, and mass
- To gain a familiarity with the most important composers and theorists of early music
- To learn the concepts behind basso continuo and its application in music of the Baroque
- To grow in sophistication in research and writing in music history
Readings: Readings in the Burkholder textbook are listed in the schedule. You should read the pages cited during or before the week in question; it would be wise to read ahead when you have time. The readings are meant to reinforce the content of the lectures: the more you know before a lecture, the more you will learn from it.
Listening assignments: Use your pass code to obtain access to the recordings. Keep up with your listening; if you try to learn all the music soon before an exam you will likely not do well. We will listen to some, but not all, of the required music in class. I recommend that you mark your scores (in pencil) with the points we make about each piece; then it will be easy to recall them as you listen outside class and prepare for exams.
Written assignment: You will be required to write a short paper (about 3-5 pages) consisting of a discussion of a specific repertory, including an analysis of a representative composition. I will suggest some possible topics early in the semester. It is due on Monday, November 6. The paper must include footnotes and a bibliography. The quality of your writing and research, as well as your ideas, will count in your grade. I encourage meetings between us to discuss your topic, polish your writing, etc., i.e., I am glad to help you with this project. More details on the paper will come in a separate handout.
Time Commitment: The student should commit four hours weekly for the lectures and online discussion and approximately six hours each week in reading, listening, score study, and outside assignments. This, of course, is an estimate and will vary from week to week.
Exams and quizzes: There will be online quizzes every other week, as well as an in-class final exam during exam week. If you are taking this course, you must take the final exam at the scheduled time; if you cannot be here for the final exam, please do not take the course.
Accommodations: If you require special accommodations, please see the instructor as well as the Accessibility Resource Center, Mitchell Hall room 112 (
Discussion: Class meetings will consist of lecture, listening, and discussion. You should always expect to speak up in class, ask and answer questions, and share your ideas.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory and worth 10% of the final grade. Students are asked to sign in at each meeting. The instructor on an individual basis excuses absences. Excused absences are granted for illness, family emergency, or personal exigencies. Each unexcused absence will lower your grade by 5 percentage points. If you attend regularly, your attendance grade will be 100. If you fail to appear in class (or contact us to explain your absence), it will be lowered. In other words, irresponsibility is penalized, but illness and other emergencies are not. We will take attendance at each class meeting using a sign-in sheet.
Grading: The basis of grading the exams will be a combination of objective “right or wrong” answers and of my judgment of the more subjective aspects of your work. That is, you will be required to recall factual information, and you will have the opportunity to show what you know in broader essay-style questions. This is the breakdown of your grade:
weekly online work15%
biweekly quizzes15%
paper30%
final exam30%
attendance10%
Grading Scale:
A 93-100B- 80-82D+ 67-69
A- 90-92C+77-79D 63-66
B+ 87-89C73-76D- 60-62
B 83-86C-70-72F 0-59
University Policies:
If you will need accommodations in order to meet any of the requirements of this course, please see the instructor as soon as possible. University Policies governing the conduct of this and other UWM courses can be found at:
Protecting your hearing
Student-Hearing-Protection_Guide.pdf
Students with disabilities
Religious observances
Students called to active military duty
Incompletes
Discriminatory conduct
Academic misconduct
Complaint procedures
Grade appeal procedures
Firearms and dangerous weapons
Final examination policy
Weather - Class cancellationssee UWM Home Page or call 414 229-4444
What is copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to use their materials. You must get permission to use copyrighted original works of authorship if you plan to make your project available to the public in any way. For more on gaining permission see:
Semester Schedule
Unit 1: September 8 11
topics: course introduction, studying music history; a bit of ancient music; introduction to Gregorian chant
Unit 2: September 15 18
topic: Gregorian chant
text: chapters 2 and 3
NAWM:3 Gregorian chant: Mass for Christmas Day
Unit 3: September 22 25
We meet on Monday at the Music Library, room E-281
topic: Gregorian chant, continued
text: same chapters, continued
NAWM:5 sequence, Victimae paschalilaudes
6 trope, Quemquaeritis in praesepe
Unit 4: September 29, October 2
topics: Gregorian chant, conclusion; secular monophonic music
text: chapter 4
NAWM: 7 Hildegard of Bingen, In principio omnes from Ordo virtutum
8 Bernart de Ventadorn, Can vei la lauzeta mover
9 Comtessa de Dia, A chantar
10 Adam de la Halle, Robins m’aime from Jeu de Robin et de Marion
11 Walther von der Vogelweide, Palästinalied
12 cantiga, Non sofreSanta Maria
Unit 5: October 6 9
topics: organum
text: pp. 84-99
NAWM:15 organum, Alleluia Justus utpalma
16 Aquitanian polyphony, Jubilemus, exultemus
17 Leonin, Videruntomnes
18 clausulae on Dominus
19 Perotin, Videruntomnes
Unit 6: October 13 16
topics: motet; Ars Nova
text: pp. 99-119
NAWM:20 conductus, Ave virgovirginum
21 motets on Dominus
22 Adam de la Halle, De ma dame vient/Dieus, comment porroie/Omnes (motet)
23 Petrus de Cruce, Aucunonttrouvé/Lonc tans/Annuntiantes
25 Vitry, Cum statua/Hugo, Hugo/Magister invidie (motet)
Unit 7: October 20 23
topics: the fixed forms; Arssubtilior
text: pp. 120-130
NAWM:26 Machaut, Mass: Kyrie, Gloria
27 Machaut, Douce dame jolie (virelai)
28 Machaut, Rose, liz, printemps, verdure (rondeau)
29 Philippus de Caserta, Enremirantvodoucepourtraiture (ballade)
Unit 8: October 27 30
topics: Italian Trecento; the Renaissance; music printing and publishing
text: pp. 130-164
NAWM:30 Jacopo da Bologna, Non al suoamante (madrigal)
31 Landini, Cosìpensoso (caccia)
32 Landini, Non avrà ma’ pietà (ballata)
Unit 9: November 3 6
Paper due Monday
topics: Dunstable; Du Fay
text: pp. 165-187
NAWM:34 Dunstable, Quam pulchraes (motet or cantilena)
35 Binchois, De plus en plus (rondeau)
36 Du Fay, Resvelliesvous (ballade)
37 Du Fay, Christe, redemptor omnium (hymn)
38 Du Fay, Se la face ay pale (ballade) and Missa Se la face ay pale, Gloria
Unit 10: November 10 13
topics: Ockeghem; Josquin
text: pp. 188-204
NAWM:39 Busnoys, Je ne puis vivre (virelai)
40 Ockeghem, Missaprolationem: Kyrie
42 Josquin, Faulted’argent (chanson)
43 Josquin, Mille regretz (chanson)
Unit 11: November 17 20
topic: more Josquin; post-Josquin generation; music of the Reformation
text: pp. 204-227
NAWM:44 Josquin, Ave Maria...virgoserena (motet)
45 Josquin, MissaPange lingua: Kyrie and Credo excerpt
41 Isaac, Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen (Lied)
50 Gombert, Ave reginacaelorum (motet)
46 Luther, chorales
49 Byrd, Sing joyfully unto God (full anthem)
Unit 12: November 27
topic:more Reformation; frottola
text: pp. 228-245
NAWM: 51 Palestrina, Pope Marcellus Mass: Credo and Agnus Dei I
52 Victoria, O magnum mysterium (motet and Mass Kyrie)
53 Lasso, Cum essemparvulus (motet)
55 Cara, Mal un muta per effecto (frottola)
Unit 13: December 1 4
topics: madrigal; new French chanson
text: pp. 245-258
NAWM:56 Arcadelt, Ilbianco e dolce cigno (madrigal)
57 Rore, Da le belle contraded’oriente (madrigal)
58 Marenzio, Solo e pensoso (madrigal)
59 Gesualdo, “Io parto” e non piùdissi (madrigal)
60 Sermisy, Tant que vivray (Parisian chanson)
Unit 14: December 8 11
topics: chanson; English madrigal; lute song; instrumental music
text: pp. 258-285
NAWM:61 Lasso, La nuictfroide et somber (chanson)
63 Morley, My bonny lass she smileth (ballett)
64 Weelkes, As Vesta was (madrigal)
65 Dowland, Flow, my tears (lute song)
69 Byrd, John Come Kiss Me Now (keyboard piece)
70 Giovanni Gabrieli, Canzonseptimitoni a 8 (ensemble canzona)
Our final exam will take place on Wednesday, December 20, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in our usual room. Please commit yourself to taking the exam at this time if you intend to complete the course, and do not ask for an alternate exam time.