Music is a form of communication. Like language, understanding music requires that we know something about its structure and context for it to make sense. Thus, understanding music—an ancient and persistent part of human culture—is our main task in this course. And as understanding increases, the pleasure of the experience also increases. Finally, an understanding of music increases your knowledge and appreciation of who we are and where we came from.
This course focuses on art music created during the last one thousand years of Western civilization—music most people label as classical music. One thousand years encompasses a vast amount of music so course materials are limited to a handful of representative composers and pieces from each era.
Historical Eras
Western art music is divided into six stylistic periods:
Medieval (450-1450)
Renaissance (1450-1600)
Baroque (1600-1750)
Classical (1750-1820)
Romantic (1820-1900)
Modern (1900-)
We'll begin by examining the characteristics that define a stylistic era such as melody, harmony, texture, form, etc. Next, we'll delve into the function and purpose of the music. Was it created for ceremonies, worship or entertainment? Who listened to this music? Finally, the times and lives of the musicians will be investigated and linked to their creations.
We won't merely listen to music but will also learn the how, why and where of what we listen to. In other words, the music of each era will be examined from a stylistic, historical, social and cultural perspective.
Musical Elements
Before embarking on our musical journey, we'll build a foundation of musical concepts and terms as a basis for listening and discussion. For example, we will examine the attributes of sound, investigate musical structure and form, survey instrument families, and learn terms for musical sounds and technique. These concepts and vocabulary are called Musical Elements, and the first month of the semester will be spent studying them. An understanding of the elements of music will increase both your involvement in listening and enjoyment.
I decided to write a web (HTML) textbook because this format allows integration of text, video, audio and images for a streamlined learning experience. Also, a web textbook gives me full control of course materials: I choose topics and materials and can revise at a moment's notice.
The subtitle of Western Music Literature is A Brief Guide to Art Music. Indeed, for a textbook, it is the essence of brevity: sixty-five pages. Those pages are populated with 16-point type and a generous helping of embedded videos and graphics. Not long ago I used a textbook with a MP3 download card. It had nearly 800 pages of exhaustive detail rendered in 9-point text! In contrast, Western Music Literature focuses on fewer topics and doesn't overwhelm with endless reading. Finally, this web text will save each of you $200, the cost of the paperback textbook and download card I required in prior semesters.
This textbook was produced pro bono in my spare time and on a shoestring budget. There was no support team so, out of necessity, I spent several years wearing the hats of author, editor, music scribe, designer and photographer! Years later, I still find the occasional typo or grammatical slip. Indeed, this project sharpened my Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Logic Pro X, Twisted Wave, Dreamweaver and Finale skills considerably!
Video and Audio Tracks
Throughout this textbook, video and audio tracks are embedded. They introduce repertoire to study or help illustrate a point in the text. To watch a video, click the big red play button in the middle of the video thumbnail. Here's the Frary Guitar Duo performing a popular Renaissance melody, Greensleeves:
Likewise, to listen to an audio track, click the arrow on the audio player. The author playing the Sounds of Silence on 'ukulele:
On the next page, learn how to get the most from your listening sessions.
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What Is This Course?
Musical Elements
This Textbook
Video and Audio Tracks
